Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Hey, that crazy glass house featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is for sale. I'll grab my checkbook. 
• And that movie might be a little overrated. 
• WBAP had a guy on this morning representing the Christian group predicting the rapture on May 21, 2011. (Which is silly, because we all know when it will end based upon the comments of 2012 Guy.)  But as proof, the guest today cited the "Gay Pride Movement" as an indication of the end of the world. 
• If I were to rate the months, January and February would be at the bottom. 
• The "scandal" regarding the videos shown on the U.S.S. Enterprise seems silly.
• Any of you guys that flew out to the TCU game in Pasadena use Virgin Air? Let me hear from you. 
• I saw last night that singer Gerry Rafferty died which rang a slight bell with me. Then I read that he recorded Baker Street and high school memories came flooding back to me. 
• Jerry Jones will probably announce Jason Garrett the head coach today -- and if he does so, one thing is certain: He walk up to the podium with no notes and wing it. 
• One thing is certain: If a bar opens in Decatur, the cops are going to target it. First it was Frilly's, then Fat Daddy's, then Bono's. 
• I'm not sure I understand the Messenger's Facebook strategy. They'll post breaking news to Twitter with a link to a summary of the story on its Facebook page. Not sure where the ad revenue is with that. 
• A prostitution sting in Grapevine with pictures. Uh, it ain't Pretty Woman. 
• The 2nd Grader in the House apparently has been using the area under the love seat in the game room as her own personal storage shed. 
• It sounds like gas prices are about to go through the roof. I'm mean, it's going to get bad.
• More proof I'm a Sports Genius: Didn't the Mavericks just lose an important guy for the year with a knee injury? Short playoff run is now guaranteed.
• Viral video yesterday: Japanese marathon runner turning the wrong way seconds before finish line (but that paled in comparison to the views of "Homeless Man With Radio Voice" that was posted everywhere --- which seems a little fishy for some reason.)

Wise County Republican Officials

Yeah, it's blurry. But when you steal off Facebook, you can't be too choosy.

I'm Posting Something Cute

Of course, my puppy who graduated from the University of I'm Not A Dumb Dog, wouldn't find herself in that position.  Perhaps, Maybe.

Oh, heck, she'd drown if I wasn't over there within a second to save her.

Does This . . .

. . . look like a couple than ran up a $5,000 bill at a Dallas strip club last night and then fled. Why yes, yes it does.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Although it's still kind of hard to figure out, the Dallas Morning News has announced it will start charging for some of its online contact. And by "some" it sounds like any story authored by a Dallas Morning News reporter. This will be interesting.
• And in one of the comments on the story, someone used the phrase/words: "sesquipedalian verbosity." Wow. 
• One year ago at this very moment, I was on a completely vacant Costa Rican beach. 
• I think Jon Gruden does an awful color commentary job. Last night, while commenting on Stanford QB Andrew Luck during the Orange Bowl, he said, "He's an incredibly accurate passer which is often the most overlooked aspect of the position." Really? Accuracy is overlooked?
•  I've never thought being very bright is a requirement to be an NFL coach. Case in point: John Madden.
• Weird: News of over 3,000 birds falling dead to the ground in Arkansas over the weekend. They now believe they were spooked by fireworks and then crashed into each other and objects. 
• The "feel" of our courthouse has changed a lot over 20 years. And not in a good way.
• I still haven't seen Inception because all I can think of is that it will be like Memento and Memento hurt my head. 
• Are we headed for record breaking low temperatures around Monday, January 17th? Some people think so. 
• Forgot to mention how weird it was to see that the Rose Bowl was on ESPN. 
• The new House of Representatives will read the Constitution out loud. Let the showboating begin. 
• And then they've scheduled a vote to repeal Obamacare. Let the showboating really begin. 
• We got news yesterday of another wrongful Dallas County conviction -- this one caused a man to be incarcerated for 30 years. Hey, the next time you're on a jury and the judge tells you to find the defendant not guilty if you have a reasonable doubt about his guilt, do it. 
• Ended up watching most of the original pilot of Six Feet Under last night before I went to sleep. Greatness.
• Edit: Forgot to mention Rick Perry throwing millions of taxpayer money at one of his buddies.

Fatality At 287 and Business 287 South Of Decatur

Traffic is backed up big time (especially northbound.) But WBAP called it an "hour backup" which is, uh, very wrong.

Story.

And Channel 5's Tammy Dombeck wins the "I don't know those small towns" award as she took about 30 seconds this morning to talk about the wreck and pointed out the Saginaw cutoff in Tarrant County. She even warned people in Newark who would be heading into Fort Worth to look out for slow traffic.

To make the morning weirder, there were a series of about five fires on the east side of 287 about a mile away. If it was a controlled burn, someone forgot to tell the local fire departments.

And Now The Beating Officially Begins.

Story.

And if you thought that was just for tonight, think again. The westbound lanes are closed for several months! The westbound lanes will be diverted into eastbound lanes (separated by a concrete barrier) which means a logjam in both directions of biblical proportions.

Wait For It

 Edit: In defense of the kid, a commenter points out the lyrics to Jesus Loves The Little Children. Interesting.

Lunch Time Pick Me Up: Chloe Sevigny Delivers Sandwich

Education Getting Scoped

Hey, I have no idea what CSCOPE is (and after reading this story in the Star-Telegram yesterday I might need to use it to increase my own comprehension), but the story mentioned "Region XI Education Service Center" (which services Wise County) had "began supporting" the program.  This was actually called to my attention by a former Wise County teacher who called it "the worst thing to ever hit the classroom."

Hey, it's not field turf, but you guys seem to get bent out of shape over local school issues.

Breaking: A Man Just Agreed To Accept A 40 Year Sentence

I think this is a record for Wise County.

Morris Scott Burcham, who had been scheduled for trial tomorrow in the 271st District Court in Decatur, accepted a plea "bargain" this morning of 40 years in the pen to the offense of Aggravated Sexual Assault of Child. He doesn't become eligible for parole for 20 years.

Such a plea of guilty to a very high sentence is yet another result of a change in the law from a few years back which created the offense for which Burcham had originally been charged with: Continuous Sexual Abuse of A Child (two or more acts of abuse within 30 days.). If he had been convicted of that offense, the minimum sentence was 25 years (maximum of life) and, get this, there is no possibility of parole.  After looking at that, he decided that 40 years with at least a chance of getting out is a better deal. (So far the law has survived repeated attacks.)

He showed up for the plea in a jacket and tie, shed a few tears, and then took his seat with the inmates. He was indicted in March of 2009, and it sounded like he sat in jail for quite a while before making bond.

I remember a plea for 30 years back in 2000, but I'm not sure I've ever heard of one for more than that. Until today.

I'm Losing My Pop Culture Edge

This guy died over the weekend and today the Internet is full of "Oh, I loved him in" this and "I loved him in" that. I'm thinking: Who?  I noted he was in The Usual Suspects but with that cast of characters, I don't remember him at all.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Well, here comes another year. 
• Remember this when politicians talking about fighting the "spill over violence" at the border: There is none. El Paso had its lowest murder rate in 46 years in 2010 with only five murders. (General reports put the murder rate at over 3,000 across the border in Juarez.)
• I became a drill sergeant on the morning of January 2nd: All the Christmas stuff was going to be down by noon. It was a rousing success. 
• Here is the final top ten for the 2010 box office. Obviously, the day of the traditional movie is over.
• Mrs. LL finally has the wrist surgery on Thursday. Man, is she looking forward to it.
• I think the Family Cat has finally calmed down some. She's still a terror but only half the time.
• I'll admit I thought TCU was going to get rolled. And after that first play (a Wisconsin running back took off for about 35), I was even more sure of it.  The Frogs next game? 9/3/11 at Baylor. 
• That Steven Tyler scream on those American Idol commercials is like fingernails on a chalkboard.
• There was a commercial yesterday offering a coin "clad" in gold with the advertisement showing a chart demonstrating the value of gold. Then they disclosed the gold content was 15 milligrams which, by my calculations, make the gold content worth less than 75 cents.
• If you're a fan of ESPN's Ron Franklin, an incident cost him a radio gig. 
• It was kind of fun to walk outside at midnight on NYE and listen for nutcases. Yep, they were out there. 
• My office is cold. I just watched a youtube video on "how to relight a pilot light." I hope this isn't a terrible way to start off the new year. 
• That Cowboy game was worse than a pre-season game. And I'd take a higher draft pick over a meaningless win any day. (They dropped from 6th to 9th.)
• A parade for TCU? I'm not sure the turnout would be all that great. 
• Link to story of a former Bridgeport woman killed in an unusual accident in Denton.

Fantastic Photo Of Rose Bowl Yesterday

Credit.

TCU: I"ll Never Doubt You Again

 Brent Musburger Mentions Bridgeport, TX

And Bridgeport gets a little pub.

This Year's Stats

Cracking 120,000 a month for seven months is a record.

And just for grins, here's what last month looked like:

Sneak Peak At TCU's Rose Bowl Helmet

One thing about college football: It's an advertising gold mine. As I've said before, Nike will spend a fortune just to get the Nike swoosh in front of you.  Over the last couple of weeks, and especially today, the TCU brand has been plastered all across America. It's literally millions of dollars of advertising that has been handed to them because of football.

Random New Year's Thoughts

• I'll give the Daily News credit. That's a great cover. (I had been completely oblivious to that famous photo having been taken in Times Square.)
• No matter what, I always wake up at 5:00 a.m. Weird.
• 2010 was uh, eventful: Began the year with an absolute dream vacation in a remote part of Costa Rica, got engaged and married within less than three weeks in between, had that marriage in a Las Vegas, went to Jamaica, hiked Palo Duro Canyon, completely revamped my house for two kids,  completely changed my lifestyle, sat in a school drop off line for the first time in my life, sat on a curb waiting for a school bus for the first time in my life, ran two half marathons, lost 20 pounds (stress?),  and bought two cars.
• Found myself actually thinking, despite the boatload of new responsibilities and pressure, that I don't want my life to change. 
• One year ago today, we checked into a hotel late at night in San Jose, Costa Rica as I looked down at my wallet to realize I had only $50, no debit card, and the only credit card I owned had been left in a restaurant at DFW Airport. That created a minor, no major, internal panic. 
• I learned that someone could deposit cash into my bank account in Decatur and that the updated balance would immediately  be recognized at the only ATM in a jungle town in another country.
• OK, I drank one of those Five Hour Energy drinks last night. Oh, my. W.I.R.E.D.
• TCU has won so much that I'm inclined to root against them this afternoon.
• The 2nd Grader in the house had a friend over last night while the older kid spent the night elsewhere. I was working with "friendship bracelets" at 10:00 p.m.
• Did Channel 8's local coverage at Victory Park trump Dick Clark? Couldn't find him. (But, man, Gordon Keith is funny, although Pete Delkus and Dale Hansen together is pure TV Anthrax to me.)
• I must be getting old, because MTV's coverage bordered on obscene. 
• I think I'm going to sit Mrs. LL down today to plan our year. 
• I've gotten weird by buying crazy stuff at the grocery store on holidays. Yesterday I bought a shrimp platter and a huge (and elaborate) bean dip platter for no reason. Right before midnight, with hardly any of it gone, Mrs. LL (somehow) managed to cause the bean dip platter to land upside down on kitchen floor. I've never picked up food with a dust pan before.
• No matter how hard I try, I can't get her to laugh at the British The Office.
• 2011. Man, that doomsday 2012 guy must be getting giddy.