Baylor v. Illinois: At Least We'll Win One Aspect Of The Game

 vs.

Kid Stuck With iPod - Can't Get Tan

I'm with ya, hoss. This time last year I was all ratcheted up to go to Costa Rica. Now, I'm stuck in front of this computer with a back that is as white as Wise County.  I feel your pain.

But at least you have a ticket.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Did you know there was a thing called a "marshmallow gun" for kids? Boy, after last night, I do.
• Wow: Last night a domestic disturbance in Arlington leaves three dead, one of whom was a female police officer who responded to the initial call.
• Edit: Cop's ID now released.
• As dangerous as a domestic disturbance calls can be, I'm not sure I recall a cop being killed responding to one.
• Baylor plays in a bowl game late this afternoon against Illinois. The only thing I've read is that Illinois has the Big 10's best running back and the only thing I know is that Baylor's defense can't stop the run. I don't have a good feeling about this. At all. 
• Former Cowboy Randy White sure does promote a lot of crap. 
• I worked on a appellate brief all day yesterday -- I could do that all the time.
• Years ago I was doing an oral argument in front of the Fort Worth Court of Appeals when Justice Dauphinot suddenly interrupted me and tersely asked, "Who wrote this brief?" I paused and meekly said, "I did." She paused, too, before saying, "Thank you. It will be very helpful." She was just screwing with me.
• "Hey, baby, let's say we engage in a little fantasy role play with this gun and ............OH, NO!!!!"
• Someone in the office just walked in and told me she brought some "monkey bread." I said, "Great!" (Hey, what the heck is "monkey bread"?)
• I heard there will be a bunch of Bridgeport women in the crowd today outside of the studios of Good Morning America. 
• The state prosecutor organization, TDCAA, provides all the forms a prosecutor needs to create a Vampire Weekend program -- including press releases and "talking points".  Hello, big brother.
• Lots of New Yorkers are whining about the condition of the streets and the airports after the snowstorm. Hey, goofballs: You have a record snowfall on Sunday night and you want everything back to normal by Tuesday?  
• And I heard there was a New Jersey mayor going out and digging cars out and "delivering diapers" while tweeting about it all the while. That's a shameless political stunt that the Fox and Friends crew fell for this morning as they described him as having a "defining moment of leadership." Puhleeeze.

And Another

Source.

This comes on the heels of another Fort Worth officer arrested for DWI on December 23rd, and the Fort Worth officer that was convicted this year for Intoxication Manslaughter for an offense in December, 2009. (And there was this one in 2008.)

And I think I'm forgetting about another.

The wheels are off the Fort Worth PD.

Breaking: Northwest ISD Member Found Dead

Possible suicide.

Maybe found at Blocker's Camp, north end of Lake Bridgeport, in Wise County.

Developing . . .

Barry (from iPhone)

OK, One Word

Ok, you hardcore followers (who I love as much as I love myself) are aware of the current situation between AnObiter and MzChief. Or maybe not.

I've kept out this (and will continue to keep out of it), but I'm getting killed with comments so I at least wanted to acknowledge the situation.

Currently, AnObiter's "High Tone Blog"* (over there on the side) responds to the situation and, I might add, has posted a photo which will lead you to MzChief's creation that explains how all of this got started. MzChief has that same link on her profile.

I've got my opinion on this whole scene but you'll never see them here. I'm out. No comments will be allowed here and, as far as I'm concerned, "let us never speak of this again." And if either one of the two want me to take this down, I will.
_______________
* The "high tone" reference is mine and mine alone. It is a running joke that I've had with her for years.

Edit: AnObiter late this afternoon moved her blog to Invite Mode Only.  It's over. Don't comment dogging either one of them --- I'm out of this.

I'm Insane Now

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• There was an obituary for a 16 year old boy from Bridgeport yesterday and today in the Update. Any one know what happened?
• The 2nd Grader in The House To Me: "You know the best thing about Christmas? All these presents are free!"
• I'm always suspicious that gas shooting up to $3.00 and beyond is just the oil companies screwing us for a few months before they come down again.
• The Bridgeport Index put the story of the death of Josh Wood on the front page. I don't think it was in the Messenger other than by an obituary.
• My cold/sinuses/whatever have bugged me for a week. It's just enough to be a major irritation.
• Remember Adam James - the player on Texas Tech whose daddy, Craig, got Mike Leach fired? Well, he stayed on the team and contributed to the 2010 season by catching 2 passes for 26 yards and 0 touchdowns.
• And I continue to think Leach may not be hireable. Not because he's not a great coach, but because every school is scared he'll sue them if things go downhill.  As someone said, "He doesn't have a coaching problem, he has a Human Resources problem."
• Saw most of Couples Retreat the other day.  Formalistic and forced.
• I'm staying home on New Year's Eve and have no problem with that.
• Finally finished up the documentary about SMU Football: Pony Excess. Fantastic. And I had forgotten how involved (and dirty) former Gov. Bill Clements was. (Speaking of Clements, check out the article in this month's Texas Monthly, p. 66,  about the murder of Clements' son who was found buried on the property of a crazy neighbor this year.)
• Jarhead mentioned how he went to a contemporary Christmas church service last weekend and astutely pointed out that he saw a lot of "trendy young people with $200 jeans and leather jackets."  Also during this Christmas season, eight homeless people died in an abandoned building last night in New Orleans due to a fire.
• Air Force started its bowl game last night in Shreveport by releasing a trained falcon to fly across the stadium to its handler. It decided to go downtown instead and flew out of the stadium. 
• Did Miles Austin really trade jerseys with Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald on the field after last Saturday's game? Really? I've said for the last 10 years: I quit caring about the NFL when it dawned on me I cared more than the players did.
  A

Channel 8 Story On Vandalized Wise County Cemetery

Text of report.

Media Gals

Kim Fischer, Annie Potasznik, Fiona, Natalie Solis

That Police Chase In Wise County On Christmas Is Getting Famous

One guy was the driver, the other the passenger. Not sure who is who.

At least for tech people.

Seems like an iPhone left in the stolen car helped police track it down:

Pretty amazing Christmas Story! Early this morning my 2005 Land Rover was stolen from the Marriott in Wichita Falls TX. The local police put me on hold, transferred me around and did nothing. My iPhone was in the car in between the seats and turned on. I tracked it using MobileMe Find My Phone to HWY 287 on the way to Decatur. When they exited the highway and headed on a Farm road for Justin TX a few miles away, I contacted the Justin Police and with the help of a very savvy operator we pinpointed the car at a Sonic. While I was on the phone with her, she said the officer sees your car and is going to make the arrest. A few minutes later she frantically calls me to start tracking the car again. The officer had handcuffed the suspects, sat one down on the curb while putting the other in the back seat. When he got back, the guy had Houdini’d the cuffs from behind his back to the front, fought with the officer and jumped in my car, dragged him and ran over him. I followed the car on the iPhone and directed the Highway Patrol to where he was – high speed chase ending with him flipping the Land Rover several times. The policeman is going to be fine – he is at the hospital with multiple bruises etc. The screenshot is where the car thieves ran over the policeman and escaped. I am just so thankful the policeman was not seriously hurt – I could care less about the car or the crook.


Gizmodo has picked up the story -- a popular tech blog. With all the DFW news stations looking for content after a couple of days off, I bet this story picks up steam. 


(Thanks to a commenter for pointing it out to me.)

Puppies For Christmas

Monday is no way to start off a week. Feel a little love.

Someone Commented That My Random Pic Girl Was A Retread

I honor of the Northeastern snow storm, I shall make amends.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Preparing for Christmas may be better than the actual Christmas. And I mean that in a positive way. 
• Saw a bunch of articles predicting an "Android smart phone explosion" this year as prices will fall below $100. I bet that's right.  What Microsoft was to Apple in the computer world is equal to what Google will be to Apple in the area of mobile phone computing. 
• My crazy dreams were so strong last night that they continued through two hits of the snooze alarm. (And, once again, they had to do with missing school and work.) 
• I have this vague memory of my mom making me "snow ice cream" when it actually snowed. 
• Hugh Hefner, 84, is getting married again. Attaboy. 
• I got a Roku for Christmas that allows you to stream Netflix movies (and other content) directly to your TV over a wireless connection. I'll be dang if the thing doesn't work like a charm. 
• I'm gonna kill the Family Cat.
• If you search for "twitpic" and "snow" on Twitter this morning (here), you can get some fascinating photos because of the snow storm in the Northeast. (Scroll down from the "Top Tweets.")
• One television weatherman referred to the storm as a "Burr-icane." Kinda funny. 
• Hey, you old guys, remember Tina Marie who sang "Lovergirl"? Well, she's dead. 
• Hey, Baylor fans, Mike Singletary got fired last night as coach of the 49ers with one game to go.
• Our household took in (for a night), a little bitty relative last night. I forgot to ask how old she is, but she can barely talk and kind of toddles while she walks. And then she woke up in the middle of the night with a loud cry which made me, Mrs. LL, the dog, and the cat all sit up in our bed and look towards the sound in the middle of the night. That would have been a funny picture.
• Have no idea why the cat was on our covers.
• Mrs. LL made me watch The Notebook on Christmas Eve. I understand why chicks love that movie - it was very moving - but I thought the last scene was a little over the top and unnecessary to prove its point. 
• The staff of WBAP was going down a list of people that had their "15 Minutes of Fame" this year and not a single one of them knew who Antoine Dodson was. 
• A Hurst lawmaker has filed a bill which would allow for deferred adjudication for first time DWI cases. That's a type of probation that allows for there to be no conviction if the probation is successfully completed. That would be a welcomed change but for the provision that says a second arrest could be filed as a DWI-Second (with enhanced penalties) even if the first arrest led to a successful deferred probation. 
• Everyone says good things about The Fighter. And to a lesser extent, True Grit.
• I was always suspicious of former Evil Empire player Sergio Kindle who fell down a flight of stairs three days before his first pro camp and ended up missing this season. (And maybe more.) Coach Mack Brown suggested narcolepsy may have caused the fall which made me cock an eyebrow since at UT he had been suspended for a DWI charge. I mention all this because he got arrested for DWI again over the weekend. Are you trying to throw your career away?
• Fill in female host on Fox and Friends this morning: "There's nothing like a big blizzard to renew the debate of Global Warming." Really? I mean really?

Random Twitpic I Found From A New York Search

But cancelling the NFL game in Philadelphia just seems weird.

Oh, and I came across this one:

South of Decatur this morning. Credit: Denny

Edit: Same Guy

Merry Christmas

Enjoy this life's road.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• There's no Update today, but I'm here. 
• I'll summarize what it probably says: Car wreck, County offices are closed, Church service somewhere, Funeral, Funeral, Funeral, Funeral. 
• Went to the Gaylord Texan yesterday. You know, it's beautiful but they really need to change some stuff from year to year.
• Ate at the Riverwalk mexican restaurant in the Gaylord and was given the worst table in the place. That seems to be a recurring them lately no matter where I go, so I (politely) asked to be moved.
• The construction on 114 through Grapevine is a beating and I can't imagine what it is like during rush hour.
• We were supposed to meet some friends yesterday and were actually stood up.
• I bought a leather jacket last year and love the heck out of it. I had no idea how warm those things are.
• Still kind of sick.
• I caught a little bit of the game show called "Money Drop" (or something like that) last nigh. It's Idiocracy but not bad at all. 
• Forgot a name on my list of Most Despised People: Chris Berman. 
• President Obama is vacationing in his home state of Hawaii. (Countdown to the first comment in three, two, one . . . . )
• Paris Hilton is there in a bikini. Hey, now. 
• The Today Show just told me that women's fingerless gloves are a big selling item this year. Kinda hawt. 
• I'll try to find the video of it, but there was an insane fist fight between two Mississippi State basketball players while they sat in the stands during a tournament. I mean they were going to town on each other. 
• Somebody buy Mrs. LL's ex-home. 
• I've got to run to the mall today -- I love the crazy Christmas Eve mall run.
• Fox 4's Mike Doocey is filling in on The Ticket during the holidays. That guy is really, really funny.
• This is a paper from Norway: