Free Christina!!!!!

She was in the unfortunate position of allegedly being drunk last night as a passenger while her boyfriend was arrested for DWI.

It's really not that unusual for a passenger to be arrested for Pubic Intoxication in that situation. The fact that you are in a car doesn't mean you're not in public. (But I have seen some videos where the passengers initially refuse to get out of the car because "Once I do, you'll arrest me for PI!")

But Wise County law enforcement seems to be pretty understanding in these situations. More often than not, they'll give the passenger a chance to call someone to come pick them up. If they can't find someone, then they'll be arrested.

Edit: Christina's book-in info has her at 100 pounds.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Our garage door went on the blink in an odd way. I diagnosed the problem by discovering that the wires to one of the safety sensors had been pulled out. Worth mentioning? Heck yeah! I'm almost never able to solve problems like that and, if I do, it takes me five hours instead of 15 minutes. Winner.
• Not to beat an (almost) dead horse, but Charlie Sheen on Piers Morgan last night was some of the most fascinating TV I've seen in a long time. Morgan actually asked him "are you on some type of controlled substance right now?"
• Crazy/Funny moment was when Sheen was asked if he had "taken a lot of cocaine." Sheen: "Taken? I had to pay for it."
• UT is doing the same thing in basketball as it did last year: Go to #1 in the nation and then fade down the stretch (they have lost 3 of 4). They end the season at Baylor on Saturday and ESPN's College Game Day will be in Waco. I hope someone shows up (Baylor will be on Spring Break.)
• A Fort Worth officer shot and killed a man last night, and a Garland officer killed a man in his front yard over the weekend. Hide yo wife, hide yo kids . . .
• Skier falls accidentally falls off a climb and films it. (:55 mark.)
• Mrs. LL grinds her teeth at night. If it takes a mouth-guard, that has to stop. 
• The Supreme Court bent over backwards yesterday to issue a a pro-police opinion in the area of the admissibility of out of court statements. How bad was it? Ultra Conservative Justice Scalia issued a dissent saying that the majority's characterization of the conduct of the police is "so transparently false that professing to believe it demeans this institution." (And with Obama appointee Justice Sotomayor writing for the majority, I feel like I'm in Bizarro Legal Land.)
• Overhyped story from yesterday: A Texas group offering $500 scholarships to white men. (Buried in the story is that a potential recipient qualifies if he is 25 percent Caucasian or more.)
• Jane Mansfield Russell died yesterday. I really just remember her from bra commercials. Edit: Now I'm not so sure who is who. 
• Our carpets have been steam cleaned. Of all cleaning projects, that is by far my favorite. 
• The Star-Telegram sold its office building last week and, the publisher says, they plan to move but they just don't know where yet. Am I the only one that has a bad feeling about this?
• It's March 1st and I saw blooms on trees this morning. Fantastic. Let the Post-Christmas Depression end.

If You Like A Person's Wheels Flying Off

Charlie Sheen did an interview with NBC this morning (he wants his salary raised from $2 million to $3 million per episode for Two and a Half Men) as well as one with ABC.

But based upon the way the Internets are blowing up, he's doing an interview right now with TMZ which is uncensored.  There has to be some gold coming our way. Edit: They've posted it. Edit #2: Compilation of best quotes here.

And, as a self-proclaimed TV critic, I think Two and a Half Men is funny, but not funny enough to record.

Viral Video Of The Day

A video camera catches the terrifying moment a driver in a black VW Golf rammed his car into a group of cyclists participating in a Critical Mass event in Porto Alegre, Brazil. No one was killed.

Incident is at about the 50 second mark.

I Want To See Lari Barager Do This

I guess it was a legitimate fight, but it wouldn't put it past someone to stage a fight/breakup like this to get a little publicity.

But if it were a real fight between a couple of stangers, I'd keep out of it. I've seen some those brawls on youtube, it can get nasty.

Pics From West Texas Wild Fires

The Amarillo Globe-News has some pretty good coverage. 68 homes destroyed. 110,000 acres burned.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I asked a couple of weeks ago if that young mother from Poolville was still missing. Channel 8 did an update over the weekend. 
• I'm not sure what has gotten into Charlie Sheen over the last few days, but he's going on a scorched earth policy. But you have to like a quote like, "I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen."
• Gov. Perry has blocked some media outlets from following him on Twitter. That's a silly move. (Anyone not "following" him can still view all his boring tweets. The only difference is that his tweets won't automatically show up on your timeline. -- How's that for techno talk?)  
• But that's what KXAS Kim Fisher did to me a while back. I'm pretty sure her career stalled once she did that. 
• I ran the Cowtown Half Marathon yesterday and never felt stronger or faster. And then I find out I ran six minutes slower than last year. I guess there's two reasons: It was a different course with different elevations and, perhaps -- just perhaps -- I'm getting older.
• Wise County Commissioners attorney advisor Thomas Aaberg ran the full marathon at 3:13 which qualifies him for the Boston Marathon. (He had to come in at 3:15 or under.) 
• One frightening sight were five runners who had surrounded and were aiding another runner who had collapsed. They had his shirt up, looking for a pulse, and he was completely limp. I thought he was dead. (But I haven't seen any news reports of even the collapse.)
• That kind of made me think about my own heart as I reached mile twelve. 
• If you look off to the West this morning, it looks like you can see the smoky haze from those incredible West Texas grass fires. 
• And don't drop a match out there today, the whole Southwest Proper will go up in flames. 
• I say it every year: The bang to hype ratio of the Academy Awards is completely out of whack. 
• Harsh but funny tweet last night: "Could Kirk Douglas be the first actor to be a Presenter and 'In Memoriam' in the same year?!?!"
• It's a small news item but I noticed the CVS is seeking a variance for its signs from the City of Decatur. I think it was about 10 or more years ago when the city passed a silly, multi-page sign ordinance and all they've done is grant variances time and time again. 
• Dumb question: Are the four precinct lines for Wise County ever redrawn based upon population shifts? 
• The Star-Telegram had an article yesterday about something I had never heard of: "The Slocum Massacre" wherein 8 to 20 blacks were killed near that Texas town in 1910. (But the comments will make you wonder if we've evolved at all.)

It's Criminal Justice Show Biz

From Fox 4 tonight: "At the Lubbock County Courthouse [sic*] any suspect escorted by the U.S. Marshals are typically taken in through a side door in the sally port. It's fairly low key but that's not how it went down this morning. The FBI was in control of this one and they led [the] 20 year old . . . in through the front door in front of dozens of photographers and reporters."

The FBI/CIA/Homeland Security are just as pathetic grand standers under the Obama Administration as they were under W's administration. They did a decent job in this case, but they don't have to act like they are taking a person to a public hanging in the Old West. Hey, guys, act like you've been there before.
___________
*It's a federal courthouse, not a county courthouse.

Did They Forget To Tell Alvord's Football Coach He Was No Longer Coach?

A loyal reader just called my attention to a story in the Messenger about Curtis Enis going back to Alvord as Athletic Director and football coach. And then came this . . .

Edit: Potential commentors - I'm not going to post allegations that aren't part of the public record or can't be readily verified as true.

New Denton Book In Photo

He's charged with "Assault by Contact" which is generally used to describe the lowest level of Assault - the type that occurs due to "offensive touching."  And that might be correct because it looks like someone did indeed take offense.

Source.

Friday Morning Pick Me Up

We've Been Part Socialists For A Long, Long Time

I just saw this story, so I thought I'd fire off a hot opinion I've held for quite a while: America is, to a great percentage, socialist.

Start with this premise: The economy is nothing more than people having money and then spending that money. That's true.  Well, the government forces this to happen all the time. Whether it be federal income tax, state sales tax, state property tax, or a car emission fee, that money is collected by government by force and then (wait for it) put in the hands of others.

It does that by taking those funds and buying things or employing people who will then go and buy things.

 I'm just thinking about the courthouse: Those offices spend tons of money that goes into the private sector (office supplies, phones, computers, cars, etc.)  And there are a bunch of government employees (prosecutors, judges, clerks, probation officers, and their staffs) who are going to take their paychecks and run down to Walmart,  David's Western Wear, or Lowes and spend it.

Simply put, our government forces citizens to hand over money and then turns around and dumps that money into the hands of others. We think of socialism as the government taking money from someone productive and putting it in the hands of a bum, but it's actually taking that money and employing your neighbor.

Heck, the government indirectly employs me! My entire paycheck is government produced: The government takes your money, spends it on criminal justice, those employed in criminal justice arrest and prosecute people, and some of those people come to me and hire me. I, in turn, spend that money at Walmart, David's Western Wear, or Lowes.

But whether it be criminal justice, schools, fire protection, the military, health services, or road construction, (the list is mind blowing) the government is a major player in the economy.  Think about all the people you know who work in some form or fashion for the government. We complain about Big Government, but I'm not sure our economy wouldn't collapse if is wasn't so big.  I'm not saying it should be that way, I'm saying that's the way it is.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The Messenger blog is about what you would think, but there was actually a good post yesterday condemning the proposed lack of federal funding of Planned Parenthood -- and it's not for the reason you would think. 
• I can't tell you how many clients I have, once the case is over, who thank me but then tell me "I hope I never see you again."
• Also, if I ever ask them how they are doing as we walk back to the office the first time, I routinely here hear, "Not to too good." Edit: Sheesh. I was half asleep. 
• I do 100% criminal defense. 
• Someone who works in my office told me it would be "Ok, to yell at" her sometimes. I don't yell. I don't even get angry. 
• I like looking at old pictures. I like visiting places of my youth. But when I hear "classic rock", it drains the life force out of me. (Think about The Steve Miller Band's Abracadabra and you'll be right there with me.)
• I refuse to explain why I used zip ties to do minor body work on the Family Low Rider last Sunday, but Mrs. LL decided to crash into a curb again yesterday so I had to do it all over again last night. #dontkillher
• I don't think I've ever seen as many links posted for a movie trailer than yesterday for The Hangover 2. And I haven't even watched it yet. 
• How can you possibly run a story about the principal of Decatur's Young Elementary resigning without telling us why. 
• Another wrong way driver in Dallas last night led to a fatality. 
• Technology Fail: I've tried to post an item on Craig's List twice. It's not hard. It's simple. They send you a link to activate it which I've done. And then it never shows up in their listings. Am I the only one?
• I bet you're going to demand a Pick Me Up after today's girl. 
• This guy sounds more like Axl Rose than Axl Rose does.

I'm Insane Now

TurtleCalls.com

Just A Normal February Afternoon

@ 2:17 p.m.

And if you go outside, you'll understand how a Burn Ban can go into effect after a morning thunderstorm. The wind is blowing a gale. (And there's a report of a massive grass fire near Poolville.)

Feds Just Arrested Someone They Didn't Bait In A Chatroom

Yep, someone who actually was working towards a terrorist act without the government searching him out and providing fake bombs to him. That's progress.

And this Saudi wanted to hit George W's home? I thought Bush and the Saudis were tight.

Story.

Edit: Bud Kennedy pointed out that this guy's blog is still online.  I checked it out. No random thought girls.

Edit: We just had an award winning comment posted:

Kim Kardashian Was In Dallas Yesterday. Hippies Protested.

More.

But they may need to protest the owner of this truck on the Decatur courthouse square. (Thanks, Trey)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• I was surprised by the lack of reaction you guys had to the Bridgeport graduate turned Dallas PD officer who had made some questionable postings on Facebook. (Story was posted about a week ago.) Normally, we'd get a ton of "I know that girl and . . . " responses. 
• There was a truck upside down under the 114/287 overpass (Dallas bound) this morning. Cops were on their way but I saw one overshoot it and head eastbound on 114. 
• That video of the Dallas cop beating a handcuffed suspect that I posted yesterday was indeed a bad scene. Whenever you see one cop restrain another, you know it was over the top.
• Lindsay Lohan's latest court outfit. Not bad. 
• Mrs. LL this morning: "If it is to wet to practice softball, they'll practice in the parking lot and use a [voice changes to a tentative and unsure tone] waffle ball."
• But the judge in the Lohan case made the oddest statement yesterday: "If you plea in front of me . . . you will go to jail." How in the heck can he say that? The case is simply pending and no evidence has been presented to him. In Texas, a judge can't even tell a defendant who is receiving probation that if he violates that probation he is guaranteed to be sentenced to jail. 
• Miss San Antonio can't keep away from the cheeseburgers so a judge ends up stripping her of her title. Viva la justice!
• Hot sports opinion: I don't think Tiger Woods will ever break Nicklaus' record for most Major wins. (He got booted in the first round of some match play tournament yesterday.)
• Baylor and Texas Tech will play at Cowboys Stadium this fall. I really like this DFW neutral site thing they've got going.
• I caught the last part of a documentary on Caddyshack last night which included the video of NBC film critic Gene Shalit originally ripping it to shreds
• I let a couple of jabs between MzChief and Kathleen go through yesterday. But that's it. No more. (All you other guys stop sending me comments about it.)
• Tried to teach the 7th Grader in the house about healthy skepticism last night when she freaked out about a report of Facebook shutting down. That's a little tricky. 
• The Dallas mayor resigns yesterday but fails to mention a run for the Senate which we all know about. Hey, you're trying to manufacture drama about a subject (you) that no one cares about. 
• Gas has busted $3 a gallon with some predictions it will reach $4.50. (And a barrel of oil cracked $100 briefly yesterday.) Get ready for Wise County Oil Boom 2.0.