Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

Edit: Ugg. A Repeat.

• It seems like the National Weather Service issues a hundred times more warnings and watches than they used to. I mean, they'll issue ten consecutive "thunderstorm warnings" for small areas as a storm moves across North Texas. 
• And if you watched Channel 8 at 6:00 p.m. you saw Pete Delkus in pure Fearmonger Mode. Their helicopter was over Corsicana and they spent 15 nonstop commercial free minutes watching a cloud claiming they could see some type of rotation. It, of course, was nothing.
• And I've heard that Delkus thought Ben Wheeler was on the phone instead of the name of a town. I hope that's true and not a joke. 
• Tech stuff: I'm a huge fan of Gmail, Dropbox, Evernote and Google Docs.
• College football: On Labor Day weekend, TCU/Baylor has been moved to Friday night and gets a national broadcast on ESPN. Aggies/SMU has been moved to Sunday night and will be shown on Fox Sports Net.
• Mrs. LL referred to my hand watering of the grass while listening to my iPod as "my therapy."
• Heard on the radio this morning that they used to have high school smoking sections (perhaps outdoors) for students. Really?
• Idiocracy headline: "Teen Mom stars Leah Messer and Corey Simms allow MTV to film their emotional divorce."
• As goofy as the Birthers were for claiming the President wasn't born in the U.S., I'm at a loss to understand why it took them so long to release the long form birth certificate (post below). It might have been pure stubbornness.
• "At least he'll have a future in gay porn." - Most bizarre thing I heard at the courthouse yesterday. 
• "Administration sources say President Barack Obama plans this week to name CIA Director Leon Panetta to replace Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Gen. David Petraeus, now running the war in Afghanistan, would take the CIA chief's job." The Defense Department and the CIA will now have a basic understanding of how the other one works? That is change I can believe in. 
• Saying the wildfires at Possum Kingdom are "90% contained" seems like a percentage that needs to have a huge margin of error associated with it.
• Charlie Sheen comes to the American Airlines Center tonight but they are only using half the arena, the upper deck will be closed off, and it is not sold out. (The Q and A session will be hosted by Kidd Kraddick.)

Breaking: At 7:57 A.M., The White House Released The President's Long Form Birth Certificate

Press Release (with pdf link to the form). Image below.

Edit: A summary of The Birthers attack on the document:

Edit: Now this guy makes a valid point . . .

Another Day, Another ....

Yep, another fast-food-violence video of the day - this time involving cops.  Was that guy in the wrong? Not so fast.

As proof that everyone is shooting video all the time, this same incident was was filmed from a different angle by some fine upstanding citizens or hood rats. Probably more importantly, it shows what happens in the moments that preceded the above video. (Here it is - language warning). When you look at it, the cops seem to be completely justified. The chick that gets arrested was reaching across the table and grabbing the cop who was trying to get another girl out of the booth.

(Man, when one these scenes breaks out at a Dairy Queen, you know we're doomed.)

Star-Telegram Parent Company Loses Money (Again)

I like the Star-Telegram, but I'm nervous for it. 


Today its parent company released its first quarter earnings. I'm no business guy, but when ad sales and circulation sales both drop, things aren't good. 

The company reported a net loss of $2 million and a revenue decrease of 9.5 percent to $303.7 million from January to March. Advertising and circulation revenue were down with total ad revenue decreasing 11 percent to $225 million and circulation revenue dipping 5 percent to $66 million. More.

The head of the company also said they "would experiment with a digital subscription model on one of its mid-size newspapers."  A list of its newspapers is here. I wonder if the Star-Telegram qualifies as "mid-size"? You would think its web site has benefited from the Morning News' paywall, but I can see it happening.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Smart phone "apps" that are nothing more than web sites aren't "apps" at all. Do you really need an app for an insurance company or a funeral home? 
• The Family Cat still has the inverted funnel around her neck to keep her from chewing on her stitches. But five days post surgery, she's back to acting like a fool. 
• A federal judge issued an injunction yesterday ordering the NFL lockout stopped and refused to stay her ruling. (That almost seems like a double negative.) Translation: "The players go back to work now and I'm not putting that decision on hold while you appeal."
• And with that NFL lawsuit involving a ton of male football players on one side and a bunch of Old Boys Club men on on the owners side, it seemed fitting that the federal judge was a woman. (She's an Obama appointment.)
• Just when I thought The Neighbor Boys War was over, we apparently had a minor skirmish yesterday. The kids ended the month long Cold War by throwing a ton of charcoal over the fence. Mrs. LL considered googling "Drone attack aircraft for home use" but instead made contact with the Man Of That House who has finally made an appearance for the first time ever. Developing . . . 
• Bonds were sold yesterday for the Weatherford College construction in Wise County with an interest rate just short of 8%.  Back in March, the county couldn't get a credit rating for the bonds which, we were told, meant they would have to be sold at a "slightly higher interest rate."  Isn't 8% a really higher rate? 
• Motorcycle death in Burleson. 
• And the Update is reporting a Decatur man, Mark Berube, was "critically injured" in a motorcycle accident yesterday evening. (A Mark Berube made a major stink about Decatur taxes back in 2005. I would guess it is the same guy.)
• Defense lawyer Mimi Coffey was on WBAP this morning opposing deferred adjudication for first time DWI offenders (a proposal in the legislature that probably won't pass.)  Although she's got a couple of valid points, I wonder if she also fears that people will be less inclined to hire lawyers in those cases. Edit: Many misdemeanor people represent themselves. If they can get a deferred plea bargain offer without a lawyer, they might be inclined to accept. 
• The counselor whose husband, a Belo executive, was killed in Arlington by a former patient reported to police seven hours earlier that she thought the guy was following her. Crazy.
• Jerry Jones is holding a "Pre-Draft News Conference" today. Why? You going to tell the world who you are going to take or who you are focusing on?  (Draft Hot Sports Opinion: Cam Newton will be a bust.) 
• Ron Paul pretty much announced his run for President yesterday. I've always liked his trailblazing Libertarian message but he was born 30 years too soon. 
• A Texas high school backed down quickly on making its students stand during the Pledge of Allegiance after the ACLU challenged the policy on behalf of two students. (WBAP's Hal Jay asked this morning if they were "fat and lazy?" and said "they should leave the state immediately.")

Pete Delkus Save Us!

Radar.

Wow: Motorcycle Non-Death

Last month on the Dallas North Tollway.

Found on D Magazine blog.

Since We Are On The Subject

And all of Wise County says together, "They've got rights?"

Apparently, yes. State law says if an individual has a sex change then that person can marry someone of the opposite sex. (Or, put another way, of the sex that person used to be.)

But this Republican dominated legislature, with the backing of Rick Perry, wants to change that. How this didn't become "emergency legislation" for those guys at the start of the session is shocking.

Side note: A Google search of one of the sponsors shows she has some priorities that don't surprise me:

Random Coincidence (Or Are All Coincidences Random?)

Yesterday I read that the New York Times had run a story on the long and continued life of Tiger Beat. The problem was that they had included a cover of the magazine (above) that wasn't real but was instead a spoof by The Onion. The Times subsequently noted the error.

Not a big story. Kind of funny. But my main thought was, "They still publish Tiger Beat?"

Then last night the Second Grader In The House suddenly posed a critical question to me: "Did you know Justin Bieber had a a little sister?"  For proof she walks over to me with a magazine in hand ....... yep, it was Tiger Beat.

That was kind of weird for a magazine I hadn't thought about in over thirty years.

Update On McDonald's Beating . . .

. . . from a couple of days back. He/She looks to be doing pretty well.

Man, this story has everything: race, violence, sexual identity, and corporate responsibility to name a few.

But I don't recall seeing this on any TV news show over the weekend, but I'm sure I missed it somewhere.

Edit: It gets crazier: "APRIL 25--The Baltimore woman charged last week with the brutal beating of a McDonald’s patron was arrested last year for assaulting a female patron following a dispute in the same restaurant, The Smoking Gun has learned"

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Odd: The ex-boyfriend who allegedly killed the Frisco fitness instructor jumped into the Grand Canyon before he was arrested. He only fell 25 feet because he hit a ledge -- causing one bystander on the news I saw to refer to him as "lucky." I'm not so sure about that. 
• But it's really odd how no one that knows that guy has a bad thing to say about him.
• Odd #2: A Belo exec was gunned down in Arlington while picking up his kid by a UTA student who had received counseling from the exec's wife. The shooter then killed himself. Man, there has to be a heck of a back story on that one. 
• The Johnson County deputy killed over the weekend was hit by gunfire three times. (That's the second Texas deputy killed this month.) 
• I'm about to issue a No Piddling policy in the household. Let's get a move on!
• Anyone else think that the phrases "there are reports of golf ball size hail" and "weather watchers in the area report a funnel cloud has touched down" are inaccurate 99% of the time?
• Don't forget, that the Skinny Dipper 5K in Decatur at one of our local nudist results is this weekend. Trivia? Last year the top five women in the 19 to 29 year old range were named Jessica, Emily, Heather, Tiffany and Megan. 
• K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band was interviewed at the Rangers game on Friday night by Jim Knox who had him sing a line of "Get Down Tonight."  He obliged. How he's not beaten down is beyond me. 
• Fox 4 weather man Ron Jackson's house burned. 
• Kate Middleton is about 100 times hotter than Princess Di was. 
• The Update this morning lists an obituary for someone who had the nickname of "Nig."
• News that just caught my eye: "Nearly 500 Taliban prisoners escaped from Kandahar prison in southern Afghanistan through a tunnel hundreds of yards long, officials said Monday." Good grief. 
• I felt like Michael Douglas in Falling Down this weekend when I actually uttered the phrase, "Yeah, I'd like the Mooyah burger . . . . "
• Had Easter lunch at the Gaylord Texan yesterday. Watching little kids all dressed up is really, really fun.
• Want to go on a cruise with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders? Well there was one but it was cancelled due to lack of interest (A Dallas Morning News story that's behind a paywall - a policy which has to be a failed bit.)

OK, Fox 4 Weather Guys, You've Out Done Yourselves

Just when you think there cannot be any more descriptive names for hail, we've got a new one. Pete Delkus, you better step it up. 

(9:00 p.m. newscast.)

Here We Go Again

6:40 on Sunday.

Funnel Cloud Near Bridgeport

A sixteen year old's pic  taken off of FM 2123 made it to KXAS Channel 5.

(Thanks Amy Lou for the tip.)

Edit: And hail in Runaway Bay (per Facebook report)

I Finally Watched A Mavs Game

The Head Coach aka A Miserable Human Being

The Owner: The Beneficiary of Yahoo's Stupid Money

Mrs. LL is out shopping for an Easter dress (it's not going well -- something about dresses being made for "short people") so I found myself with a drugged cat, puppy in my lap, and cloudy skies. Might as well channel surf. Oh, the Mavs are on? I'll stay on the channel while I read a magazine.

Oh, my.

The Mavs were up by 23 (23!!!!!) and then lost the game 84-82 (getting outscored in the 4th Quarter 35-15).  Same old song.

At 6:00 PM On Saturday, Bridgeport and Alvord Saw Something Called Rain

And it looks violent.

Edit: And at 7:00 pm Wise County got a purple box. I'm not sure what that means, but it can't be good. And Decatur joined the party.

Edit: A then they extended the Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 8:30 p.m. Man, that line of storns is not moving.

Edit: And then I get reports on Sunday that the rain, while heavy, wasn't anything over the top.

Free Antoine!!!

Story.

Taking Us Into The Weekend