That NFL Lock Out Of The Players?: Three Big Time Quotes

"I don't think we've got your attention," Jerry Jones said to the players [during the last negotiation session], several of whom recounted the incident to [Sports Illustrated]. "You clearly don't understand what we're saying, and we're not hearing what you're saying. So I guess we're going to have to show you to get your attention." Source.

"It's modern day slavery." -- Minnesota Vikings Runningback Adrian Peterson. Source

"Uh, don't expect the NFL to start on time this fall. And there goes my much anticipated, and universally expected, 2011 Wise County Courthouse Fantasy Football Championship." -- Barry Green

About that silicone dying snake in Random Thoughts? Not so fast

Source.

Random Texas Traffic Question

As long as I've been involved in cases that often begin with simple traffic violations, I've never had this come up: Are those yellow Texas signs (above) simply "advisory" or is it a violation to travel in excess of the designated miles per hour? I guess they could get your for reckless driving or some other offense, but the specific question is can they give you a ticket for speeding.

The DPS Texas Driving Handbook (pdf) - which is where I got the above graphic - doesn't really answer the question. (And there's no way I'm hitting the Texas Transportation Code when someone out there knows the answer.)

I brought this up to someone before, and they thought it was a no brainer that the signs were the equivalent of maximum speed signs on the highway. But if that's the case, why are they yellow?

Edit: And for you knuckleheads that think I don't understand the basic speeding statute, I at least educated myself four years ago.

Lady Gaga Fans From Last Night

More. (Dallas Observer)

It's like an episode of Glee exploded onto the streets.

Edit: Oh, and here's 170 more. (Star-Telegram's sister publication)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Mrs. LL got an early birthday present and went to see Lady Gaga in Dallas last night. That sounded like a scene (although I admit I didn't hear much about it because I went to be when she finally got home.) Uh, did I see face paint on the bathroom counter?
• One final Gaga thing: No one tours harder than that crazy lady. Scan down to the bottom of this Wikipedia page to see where she's been on the incredibly long The Monster Ball tour.
• Odd story on Fox 4's web site: "Snake Dies Of Silicone Poisoning After Biting Models Fake Breast" (with video).
• I don't have all the details, but the War With The Neighbor Kids might have escalated yesterday. Let's just say it involves outside nakedness. Good grief. 
• I've mentioned how much I like the writing of Skip Hollandsworth of Texas Monthly. (His Still Life article may be one the greatest things I've ever read.) Rumor has it that next month he has a story that is a guaranteed tear jerker.
• And the magazine needs to put Hollandsworth on the story of the guy that kidnapped the lady from Perrin, burned her house down, and then held her for 12 days.  (He is suspected in the deaths of at least two other women but the news story is so horribly written its hard to follow.)
• Speaking of confusing, are the leaking nuclear reactors in Japan no big deal or a potential catastrophe of biblical proportions? It depends on who you listen to, but the news this morning sounds frightening. (Ann Curry might want to get out of there after all.)
• An expert was on WBAP this morning to talk about it, and Hal Jay asked him, "If Comanche Peak has a meltdown, would we have to worry about it up here in Fort Worth?" 
• I had never heard of the word Tsunami before the big one that hit about five or so years ago. Did they used to be called simply tidal waves?
• Do we really want Justices of the Peace deciding when cops can stick a needle in your arm to draw blood? According to the Update, a representative of Wise County is in Austin today to try and accomplish just that. 
• “I was talking to my Japanese real estate agent. I said ‘is there a school in this area.’ She said ‘not now, but just wait.’” That Tweet got Gilbert Gottfried fired as the voice of the Aflac Duck. (Which causes me to ask: He was the voice of the Aflac Duck?)
• Reminder that the Liberally Lean Tournament Pick 'Em online competition is here.  (Despite some weird games today and tomorrow, the deadline is before the first game Thursday.) And it looks like we might have some pretty good prizes after all. (If any merchant wants to throw out a $100 or $50 gift certificate, let me know.)
• We picked up about 50 entries in the Tournament yesterday, and last year we eventually cracked 200. So get after it. 

This Was All Over The News Yesterday

But in case you missed it, you'll want to take a look.

Japan has one heck of a trifecta: Earthquake, tsunami, and now (it looks like) a nuclear meltdown.

Anybody Want To Bet On America's Future?

There are several of these videos, far more graphic, over at Youtube from last weekend. (You'll see most of them on the right.) It's some St. Pat's party from Albany, New York but that's about all I know.

I can't tell you how much this puts me over the edge. Just random violence all for the sake of "partying".

And did you notice that there is no looting in Japan right now? It's just not part of their culture to act like a fool.

Tournament Pick Em

I'm still looking for a sponsor who will provide the winner with gold and silver (or a gift certificate), but in the meantime you can enter here.

Edit: This link should work if the other does not.

UCLA Chick Rants About Asians

Just when she couldn't push it any further, she does a Fake Asian On The Telephone voice.  She can't possibly leave this video up.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The Texas Supreme Court ruled against some Wise County residents in a drilling case on Friday. 
• The Messenger's web site seems to have gone behind a pay wall. That's a dicey move.
• First a younger mother of five gets hit by a car in Dallas, and then over the weekend a pregnant mother of five gets gun downed in her car at around six in the morning. It was actually caught on survelliance tape (they knew each other.)
• I told you we should be concerned about those nuclear reactors in Japan. Now 17 U.S. navy men have tested positive for radioactivity over there. (Did you know that the best thing to do in that situation is to simply take a shower?)
• Dave & Buster's has a new item called "Chicken and Shrimp Tsunami".
• Should I be concerned that Mrs. LL, in her ongoing war with the neighbors kid, set up her phone in an upstairs window and streamed a video via Ustream to catch them taunting the dog? And it worked.
• Loved this guy's hair in the crowd of a basketball game. 
• I'll put up the Liberally Lean Pick Em Basketball Tourney later.
• Hal Jay on WBAP this morning: "It's down to the Sweet Sixteen after just one weekend?" 
• On my jog yesterday, I passed a family which in order was (1) a girl walking a dog who looked like the 7th Grader in the house, (2) the dad pulling a handicapped child in a red wagon, and (3) another handicapped boy walking in front who waived at me with biggest smile. For those that know me well, you can guess what happened to me next. 
• One of these days I'm going to the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Greenville Avenue. Then again, I say that every year.
• Mike Huckabee spoke at the First Baptist of Dallas over the weekend and the Dallas Morning News said he brought his "trademark humor." Really? If they mean trademarked-not-funny-humor, then I forgive them. 
• You might want to scroll down to March 5th in the Wise County crime reports.

Yahoo Twitter Fail

Wow

TCU Pro Day: Bridgeport's Colin Jones Runs A 4.32 Forty Yard Dash

I think I did that last week.

(Uh, I know the guy is fast but a 4.3 is crazy fast. I wonder if that's an official time.)

And You Wonder Why Ann Curry Makes Me Shake My Head

"Hey, I think I'll tell everyone I'm Ms. Big Time and headed to Japan. And that I'm willing to put myself in danger -- not to mention my underlings!!  And I bet it will make my fans feel good to ask them for their expert opinions on the consequences of a nuclear reactor core meltdown."

Rhome Is Burning

With the wind blowing like nobody's business, is that a grass fire I saw north of Decatur? I really couldn't tell.

But one could get out of hand in a hurry.

Edit: Based upon the comments, the worst of the fires is in Rhome. Some roads shut down. WBAP reports that the fire stretches about a mile and near a "subdivision".  This must be pretty big.

Edit: I don't know how long it'll be up, but Fox 4 is streaming its helicopter feed.

Edit: Fox 4 has put up an image gallery which is pretty good. All pics taken from helicopter.

Edit: At 1:47 p.m., the fire jumped over 287 (which had been shut down.) Wow.

Edit: Reader photo "From 114 looking West"

Edit: Wow

From Wells Fargo parking lot looking East.

On 287 headed into Rhome.

Edit: A faithful reader sent in a shot of the fire near Rhome @ 12:56 p.m. Don't know if this is the big one.

Edit: And some residents in Jack County had to be evacuated.

Earthquake Updated

Message From U.S. Department Of The Obvious

For a collection of amazing photos, see here.

For a few youtube videos shot when the earthquake happened, see here.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• If you haven't seen the video coming out of Japan this morning, you need to. Amazing. It's not often you get to see a wave which includes cars, trucks, homes, and flames. (And this quick loading video at CNN gives you  a pretty good idea.) Edit: Link fixed
• A huge fire at, and the evacuation around, a nuclear power plant should get everyone's attention. 
• And the death toll of "60" (which was being reported as late as 8:00 a.m.) is ridiculously low and ridiculously inaccurate. 
• It looks like there will be no damage in Hawaii as small waves hit the islands at around 7:50 a.m. CST.
• Rangers CEO Chuck Greenberg Will resign today. Kudo's to The Fan's Richie Whitt who about two weeks ago mentioned on the air that he had heard rumors that Greenberg's out-in-front style and hot opinions about baseball personnel decisions was irking Nolan Ryan and others.
• Car wreck in Fort Worth yesterday included four officers from Fort Worth PD in an unmarked car as part of a "Zero Tolercence Unit" -- whatever the heck that means. But that sure is a lot of cops in one car.
• About "two dozen community members" showed up for the Decatur ISD question and answer session last night about the budget. I don't think we know anything more than what we did -- and I'm not sure anyone cares. 
• I guess that Spring Break puts working parents in quite the bind, doesn't it?
• Viral video of the day: Tranny fight in a taco shop. Wait, what?
• By the way, the "anti-cat stuff" we sprayed around the house plants worked for only about half a day. 
• Most insane story of the year?: "ARLINGTON - Drivers on Interstate 20 reported a motorcycle without a rider flying by them at 100 mph Thursday night between Matlock Road and New York Avenue in Arlington."

Nothing Like Waking Up To A World Disaster

8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan causes massive Tsunami.  And it sounds like it's headed across the ocean right now. Dramatic, dramatic video.