Liberally Lean From The Land Of Dairy Queen

5.31.2011

Bet Miami! Bet Miami!

Story.

Edit: The Mavericks say, "Un. Uh."

(Thanks, Michelle.)

Obviously, A Country's Justice System Is Screwed Up

Nope, just a headline to catch a reader's eyes.You would think the story would be about how some Sunni government pasing judgment on this gal and then taking her to the courthouse square for a ritualistic stoning. But that's not true at all.

It happened in the Ukraine where three thugs not associated with the government killed this girl and left her in a forest.

And anyone else think this paragraph is horribly written?:

.
Finally, a comment on the story:

Hippies Arrested For Dancing At Jefferson Memorial

I saw this clip floating around over the weekend, but didn't watch it. There was just too much to think about: Free Speech, Dumb and Useless Dancing Which Technically Is Speech, and Potential Police Over-Reaction all happening right under the marble nose of a Founding Father on Memorial Day Weekend. It was just so, well, American.

But you knew there had to be a back story: The hippies were protesting an appellate ruling upholding the cops' right to prevent silent dancing without a permit at the Jefferson Memorial in order to celebrate Jefferson's birthday. Of course, now we need another court case: Do the cops have the right to prevent silent dancing at the Jefferson Memorial when that dancing is to protest instead of celebrate. And I'm only half joking.

Cue: Little pink houses for you an me.

Hot Model Crashes Through Window Of High Toned Hotel

Missed this one from the weekend. (Thanks, Dan.)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

Prosecutors vs. Tea Party? A proposed bill (with Wise County ties) that would allow Justices of the Peace to issue search warrants for blood and other evidence got killed big time near the end of the legislative session when conservatives, of all people, raised Big Government concerns.
You know somewhere there was a new boat owner who excitedly gathered up everything and went to the lake this weekend only to realize that high winds and a boat is the ultimate beating.
I spent hours working on the Limestone Edging Project for the flower beds. Killing me. But I might have lost my mind when I got to the point where I was filing down the sides of the brick and bought a chisel for more detailed work. Texted Mrs. LL during the middle of it that I think I had the Statue of David just about completed.
New home rule: We're not starting a new project until we finish the last one.
State Senator Wendy Davis stopped a Texas school budget bill by going into a filibuster as the session wound down so now Texas has no school bill nor a budget. Not sure what that accomplished since a special session, which has already started, will now get it passed.
Some say it would be an "injustice" if Dirk Nowitzki does not win an NBA title. If earning $141 million over the course of his career for playing a game is an injustice, then hit me with it.
And as tons of local media head to South Beach this week for the NBA Finals, they might want to take note of the gunfight that just took place during "Urban Beach Weekend" on the famous Collins Street. (Six years ago I went to South Beach during that exact same weekend. You could have picked me out even if you didn't know me.)
Weird Tony Romo wedding note: The bridesmaids were Cowboy Jason Witten's wife, former Cowboy spare Bobby Carpenter's wife, and Tony Romo's sister. That gal got any friends of her own? (More details.)
Former Texas Governor Bill Clements died over the weekend. He had been out of the news forever until last year when ESPN's 30 for 30 on the SMU recruiting scandal came out, and his son became the victim of a bizarre murder.
The Ticket covered the Decatur Walmart Upskirt Photographer this morning and spent most of the time discussing why in the world he would pick the Decatur Walmart.
A couple of folks who probably didn't properly observe Memorial Day weekend: (1) Carrollton man gets into wreck, gets naked, drives off, and then crashes into a tree and dies, or (2) Dallas guy takes drugs (allegedly), talks of walking on water, then drowns in a pond
A video of a crazy texting while driving wreck looks more like a drunk driver than a texter. (Language warning.) How someone wasn't killed is amazing.
Dreamed the U.S. was under a missile attack. It was so real and so bizarre: You could see the incoming warheads from miles and miles away and then hear the explosions in the distance.
The Decatur car/pedestrian collision on Saturday night mentioned in the Update sounds a little weird.

5.30.2011

And Then There Was A Golf Tournament Over The Weekend

Let's Work On That Trajectory, Fella

Or you can watch a Baylor softball player foul a ball off into her face.

Memorial Day

This one has always stuck with me.

5.28.2011

Deputy Slain In San Antonio

But instead of dying while involved in an altercation, he was shot while sitting at a red light. Bizarre.

Location in Google street view.

5.27.2011

Tort Reform Flier Gets Out In Austin . . .

. . . which depicted breastfeeding while urging Texas not to become a Nanny State. (Fairly clever if I do say so myself.)

But this caused an uproar with the women folk in the legislature and caused Rep. Senfronia Thompson to break down crying as she addressed the House: "And I find it hard to believe the Texas Civil Justice League would go so low that they would put out this kind of hateful, resentful, bitter, despicable, despiseable, violent fliers toward women just to get at a piece of legislation."

Which should have prompted a response of, "Hateful? Violent? What the heck are you talking about? You do know that's a baby, right?"

Austin American Statesman.

Crazy News Day! The Far Right Is Coming! The Far Right Is Coming!

Every word he says is calculated . . .

Please, please, please . . . .

And from the biggest nut we don't hear a lot about in North Texas . . .

Friday Morning Pick Me Up

More.

Search For Tickets Written By DPS In Last 24 Months?

It says "you" but if you know someone's DL and date of birth, you're good to go.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

Slowly dawned on me that the metroplex will be home to the World Series, a Super Bowl, and the NBA Finals in about a seven month period. I suppose there's someone who bought tickets to all three.
Went to a luncheon yesterday out at the Civic Center for a reception for the Court of Appeals. They told us about how hard they work and how fair they are. (And the Decatur Civic Center gets a thumbs up.) Edit: In the mail this morning was a handwritten note from Justice Sue Walker thanking us for our hospitality. Thumbs up to her.
Kind of lost in the news this week was the Fort Worth railroad worker who lost both legs and an arm in a work accident.
Not sure who Sasha Jackson is, but she's a "Hey, Now."
I end up announcing the time in my house like a public address announcer a lot. (i.e. "("9:14! 9:14!")
A news story about a homeowner who shot a teenager in Fort Worth trying to pry open a window had the Tarrant County DA tell a reporter that the self defense laws about home protection are "complicated." Actually, the laws are so vague there's almost no law at all. With words like "reasonable force" scattered throughout, it's basically whatever a jury thinks is justified.
Failing the TAKS test will prevent 22,578 Texas seniors from receiving their diploma. I wonder what percentage of those just give up.
Just found out about a 1991 movie called Rush which is based upon dirty undercover drug cops in Tyler in the last 1980s. Actually, it's based upon the book by the same name which was written by one of the dirty cops. I was surprised to find it for free On Demand on my TV system.
Construction workers are putting on a new roof on the building beside my office. I could have sworn I heard one yell yesterday, "I gotta go peepee."
Provisions of the Patriot Act were renewed late last night. For as much as everyone gripes about it, it never gets repealed.
They have "select" softball teams for Second Graders? Somehow that just sounds expensive.
Lawyer in small claims court objects because the opposing paralegal's breasts are distracting. (I'm getting old, because I was more interested in why in the world there were three lawyers and one paralegal in a small claims court case.)
Heat in six.
Tony Romo gets married this weekend on Saturday. Is it rude to have a wedding smack dab in the middle of Memorial Day Weekend? (Side note: What does "smack dab" mean?)
Don't ya just love this quote from the Romo Wedding planner: “They’re just really neat people so I think the party is going have an effervescent feel to it,” Todd Fiscus told CBSDFW.com. “We did lots of man food. I have a lot of football players to feed.”
Meet Todd Fiscus. (I'm going to talk my law partner into re-creating that photo near the bottom for a new law firm brochure.)
Deferred adjudication for first time Texas DWI offenders in now a dead proposition. We never go back to reasonableness because lawmakers never want to be painted as "soft on crime."
Guaranteed to get your office workers to stop and look at you: "47 Of Maria Sharapova’s Grunts In Her Second-Round French Open Win."