Random Rant

As a prelude to the Hurricane Harbor post, I wanted to at least share this. As I pulled into my very expensive parking spot ($12 general parking), I looked over and saw the above trash under the truck next to me. (I tried to tweak with the photo's contrast to show it better.)  The best I could tell was that someone had a pretty good fast food meal and then dumped all the trash on the ground. They then made the effort to kick it a bit under the truck.

Nice.

I feel pretty good about making assumptions about the person or person(s) responsible. The most basic one being: You don't care much about anything, do you?  I understand eating fast food before going into the park (maybe not in 100 degree heat, but I do understand) because I don't really want to pay the inflated prices inside either.  But it came in a bag. Once you're through, there's a readily available bag for you to put the trash in. I mean the absolute best place to put the remnants of your Bahama Burger is in that bag.  From there, you just have to carry it a few yards to a trash bin.

This isn't a Going Green post. It's an Anti-Slob post.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• The Aggies have set a school record for season tickets sold for the upcoming season. I would predict big things for the Ags this year but I don't want to put a curse on them before the first game. 
• The lady who was struck and killed by the train in Alvord over the weekend had the same name, was the same age, and lived in the same city as this lady. (Facebook link)
• The entire Family Unit tends to sleep with various lights on but the Guest In The House, like a normal person, likes total darkness. The house has been unusually dark when I've awakened the last two mornings. I think she gets up in the middle of the night and walks around turning off lights.
• A coach for Prestonwood Christian Academy in Dallas (the private school associated with Prestonwood Baptist) collapsed and died on the field yesterday.  I heard on the radio that one of his sons was a player who was on the field at the time. 
• Even if you're the toughest Old School kind of coach, aren't you scared to death for your players in this heat?
• Got a report last night about a DWI, a golf cart, Runaway Bay, and Highway 380. Haven't confirmed anything yet. (No names in the comments please.)
• I went through the horrible where-are-my-car-keys experience this morning. Twenty minutes of searching later, I found them behind my alarm clock. That's a location for them that I never use.
• It's kind of crazy that I mentioned Gabby Giffords yesterday not being on the House floor for the Debt Ceiling Vote only for to her to be there for the first time since her shooting. And I hate to be a killjoy, but is anyone else skeptical about her showing up for a Feel Good Moment when the public's disdain for Congress was at the boiling point?
• And Ann Compton was back on WBAP this morning and Hal Jay triumphantly pointed out that three Democrats weren't present to vote yesterday. (Obviously stinging from yesterday's slap down.) Why is he obsessed with that? 
• Out Guest In The House, who I think is 12 or 13, announced last night that she thinks there should be a Flat Tax. I asked her if her dad watches a lot of Fox News. "Yeah," she said. "He hogs the TV a lot." Thought so.
• When I went to bed last night, Mrs. LL was belting out "Tell me what you want, what you really really want!"  on Guitar Hero in the game room.
• Never thought I'd be interested in Rihanna being in Barbados for Kadooment Day. But I am.
• Lower lake levels lead to the discovery of (probably) a piece of the Space Shuttle that disintegrated over Texas in 2003. 
• Lake Bridgeport is closing in on 10 feet low and dropping. If the lake went completely dry, I wonder what would be found?
• Alert: I went to Hurricane Harbor. A Pulitzer Prize potential blog post is forthcoming. 
• I intend to steal a lot from it, but someone has started a "Remember In Decatur When . . . " Facebook group which seems really active. 

Forgot: Last Sunday's Messenger Above The Fold

Lead story is about solar panels at Bridgeport High School.

Random Images

 Think that's a little false advertising?

The "hot dog girl" from Rangers Dollar Hot Dog commercial.

Decatur temperature at 1:11 p.m. 

Wise County Tea Party Going To Houston For Day Of Prayer

(1) And although Perry probably believes that quote, I don't think he said it. It's just part of the promotional material for the event.

(2) There may be plenty of room. There are reports of only 8,000 registered for the 71,000 seat Reliant Stadium.

(3) I had the leader of the Bridgeport Tea Party yell at me from his car the other day that "The Tea Party is an all inclusive organization!"  I think he meant ethnically, not politically.

I Can't Stand ESPN's "X Games"

But I didn't know they had a sport called Chick Motocross By Chicks That Can't Ride Bikes.

Does This Look Like A Man Who . . .

. . . would file a Class C "unwanted touching" assault complaint against a woman who touched him to complain about the light coming from his cell phone while he was texting in a Grapevine movie theater? He said he suffered a "little whiplash."

(Technically, he said the contact caused him "pain" which is all that is needed for the cops to file Class A misdemeanor charges. For some reason, they decided to go with Class C assault -- the equivalent of a traffic ticket.)

Edit: For the person who sent me "historical" information, it sure sounds authentic. But there's no way I can post it without verification.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• There was a chase early this morning around Alvord that ended with cops using spikes and the subject tased. Any updates?
• The Star-Telegram had a couple of stories yesterday reminiscing about the Cullen Davis murder trials many, many years ago. One thing that got my attention was the note that Racehorse Haynes cross-examined Priscilla Davis for thirteen days. That tells me one thing: The judge didn't know what he was doing or the prosecution never heard of a relevancy objection. I can't imagine that happening in Texas today.
• There was a story yesterday of four kids being left in a car for two hours in Dallas while their parents went to donate blood.  My guess: The parents, both in their early 20s, were giving blood for the money.
• We've got another week long teenage guest in the house who I'd never heard of before last week. You think that would drive me nuts, but it's really not that bad. (And the fact she stuck out her hand yesterday and said, "Very nice to meet you" either means we've got a respectful kid in the house or Eddie Haskell.)
• Because Mrs. LL had to make a long journey to pick the kid up, I was responsible for taking the Family Pup to the vet yesterday due to lingering issues. I don't think I've ever done that before, and that temperature taking kind of caught me off guard.
• Oh, and that long trip was sidelined when she tried to take the kids to the roof of a hotel in Rockwall only to find the stairwell door locked and blood on the floor. That sentence is confusing to you as it is to me. She'll probably now be a suspect in some murder.
• Maybe we're not a social melting pot: A guy was killed in an Arlington club early Sunday morning. The club was named Saigon Night. His name was Austin Nguyen.
• Curb Your Enthusiasm has become funnier. Entourage's season premiere made me glad the show was coming to an end.
• Radio topic this morning that I agreed with: I can't stand the "violent lane changer."
• The Kings of Leon stopped their show in Dallas this weekend right in the middle of it due to the heat, health, and/or intoxication. But, sheesh, the youtube clips of the event only prove that the lead singer is an over-cusser.
• I wonder how the bicyclist, Paul Edwards, who was hit by a car last week near Runaway Bay is doing?
• A compromise was allegedly reached yesterday in the Debt Ceiling Controversy and everyone I hear talk about it call it "complicated." Translated: Same old, same old.
• Awkward moment on WBAP when ABC's Ann Compton was on to talk about today's congressional vote on the Debt Ceiling deal. Hal Jay asked in a cynical voice: "Tell me, will all the members of Congress be there to vote?" Compton "Well . . . Congresswoman Gabby Giffords won't be there." 
• We are now 30 days into the 100 degree streak with the record sitting there at 42. We're going see that streak broken assuming we survive this week's 105 degrees every day forecast. Beating. 
• Yankee fan tries to catch near home run foul ball with his face. 
• High school football two-a-days have started for some schools. Prepare to get pummeled with news stories showing players drinking lots of water, coaches talking about how concerned they are about the heat, and "experts" talking about the way it used to be. 
• The Bridgeport City Pool will celebrate it's 45th birthday this week. That is, assuming they can get the "mechanical problem" fixed that caused it to shut down last week. 

The Cowboys New Defensive Coordinator

The man just oozes discipline and commitment.

"She Got Runned Over By A ...."

Another 100 degree day and someone decides to walk on the train tracks?

Edit: Wow. Death.  Anyone know anything?

Russia News Isn't Having To Cover A Debt Ceiling Debate

But what is up with this female anchor? I thought Russia was years behind us socially, but she's throwing down Hot Feminist Opinions like Nancy Grace. But listen lady, once Putin finds out about your rant, you'll be reporting on wheat farmers in Siberia by Monday. You're in Russia. Might want to remember that.

P.S. Hey, Mr. Hugh Grant Looking Anchor Guy: It's not gonna kill you to stand up to this gal. Tim Ryan wouldn't put up with that.

P.S.S.:  The Family Roadster was looking a little dirty this morning. Mrs. LL has some high heels. She's got some spare time this morning. Hmmmm.  I'll get back to you on that.

Texas Skewl Ratings Just Released (We Got A Couple of "Uh, ohs")

Source.

Here's the relevant (I think) Bridgeport Middle School breakdown:

That NASCAR Prayer Got Auto-Tuned

And God bless the Internet.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Me in the middle of the night as Mrs. LL crawled back into bed: "Where have you been?" Her: "Got a ladder out of the garage to pull the battery out of the smoke detector since it's been beeping for an hour, turned off the sprinklers in the front lawn because you've flooded the street, and picked up dog poop. You?"
• Tarrant County prosecutors dressed up as condiments. Good cause or not, doesn't professionalism have a line?
• Rick Perry champions "states rights". New York state approved gay marriage. Perry said, "That's fine because I support states rights." He then clarified by saying we need a federal constitutional amendment to ban the states from approving gay marriage. [*facepalm*]
• Vince Young is out in Tennessee although he should sign with the Eagles today. I bet he wishes he had stayed his senior year at the Evil Empire because it would have been more fun than every single day of his NFL career combined.
• Heard that Journey was performing on The Today Show this morning. So long as the band has the Triple Fake Steve Perry, it's just not the same (even if he sounds the same.)
• Bridgeport native and TCU footballer and 49ers sixth round draft pick Colin Jones has signed with San Francisco. I wonder if the new collective bargaining agreement impacts the salaries of late round draft picks like it has first rounders? 
• It seems like customer service in big chains has improved over the last couple of years: Best Buy and Home Depot come to mind.
• Former Tech coach Mike Leach has been on a book tour and making multiple radio appearances. Man, that guy has a Scorched Earth Policy. I don't see him getting a coaching job above, say, a UTEP. He's just too much of a powder keg.
• Mrs. LL and I had to judge an impromptu beauty pageant last night performed by the Girls In The House. (I told you that Toddlers and Tiaras thing has gotten out of hand.) "Amazingly", my ballot, despite a complicated scoring system they designed, had both girls ending in a tie. That obviously put the pressure on Mrs. LL. I think she panicked and went crazy because I heard her saying something about a "Grande" award and a "Mucho" award. It wasn't a Spanish themed contest.
• And then she awarded the dog the "Donde Esta La Biblioteca" Award. Yep, she went nuts.
• New Jersey governor (and Far Right Poster Child) Chris Christie was hospitalized yesterday and blamed asthma as the reason. I blame cheeseburgers.

Everyone is telling me about this fire near Bridgeport

Edit: Better pics (Thanks, Mark)

Post Walmart Post Pick Me Up

Woman Kicked Out Of Walmart For Wearing Bikini

Well, I'm tearing up my Liberal Card on this one.  When I saw the headline, I was already on the phone with the  ACLU getting ready to slap an injunction on Walmart faster than you can say "Associates Unite". Then I played the video.

I just can't do it.

Some things aren't worth fighting for and this is one of them. Go ahead, Walmart. Feel free to ban Sandy McMillin all you want.  For once, I'll stand shoulder to shoulder with Big and Greedy Corporate America.

But if little cub reporter Molly Blancett wants to strap on that little black bikini and prance into the Decatur Walmart, I've got the Wise County Bar Association lined up to come to her aid.

P.S. Sheriff David Walker got an anchor job?

AWOL Kentucky Soldier Who Made News Last Year Has Been Arrested In Texas With A Twist

From last year:

From today:

Pvt. Nasser Jason Abdo, an AWOL soldier from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was arrested by the Killeen Police Department near Fort Hood and remains in custody there. . . . . Abdo was allegedly found with weapons and explosives at the time of his arrest, a senior Army source confirms to Fox News. He was arrested at around 2 p.m. Wednesday after someone called authorities to report a suspicious individual. (Emphasis added).