This Will Make You Happy

For the first time this year, Texas Governor Rick Perry leads President Obama in a national Election 2012 survey in the newest Rasmussen Poll.

You People Out There!

Chico broke a krillion game losing streak last Friday, and I casually referred to them as "rising from the dead" and bcoming "butt kicking zombies."   Now someone wants to make a T-shirt.  You think that will cause a few questions marks to form over some heads?

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• It's been dry and hot for months. So why were there big fires in both Palo Pinto County and Wise County on back to back days?
• One player didn't wear a tie to the Cowboys Kickoff Luncheon yesterday: Martellus Bennett. If the Cowboys want to rebuild, I'd start with that guy. Not because he won't wear a tie but because he's never been a team player. (And he can't catch.)
• We found a (new) home for the Skyler Dog, and it's all because of this blog. I'm saving the world -- one puppy at a time. 
• Mrs. LL was on the warpath last night about the Kids in the House "following the rules!!"  Who knew some Tootsie Rolls hidden in jeans in the laundry could launch such a storm?
• It was the 15th year anniversary of the death of Princess Diana this week. It seems much longer than that.
• An 18 year old on bond for murder charges in Tarrant County got arrested for drugs. Then a jury gives him 99 years in prison on the drug charge while the murder charge is still pending. I hope they were punishing him for the murder and not the drugs. 
• I don't have any trouble watching the 9/11 shows on the History Channel, National Geographic Channel, etc.  If cell phone video was widespread back then, that second plane hitting the tower would have been documented by thousands of people.
• TCU/Baylor tomorrow. My months of optimism has about 36 hours to live. 
• Have you been reading Jarhead's blog over the last week? He went on a rampage against a truck driver which turned into a rant against all truckers.  Then, a few days later, he gets in a wreck that was his fault. The "karma" word has already shown up in the comments.
• Former WFAA reporter Bert Lozano died of cardiac arrest at age 42. You might remember him from this streaker-in-the-background video.
• Yep. That's a death at a young age and that disturbs me. 
• Matthew Fox of Lost got arrested and then one of those "I cannot believe how bad he looks"  mugshots surfaced. Turned out not to be him, but it's still worth a look because of the crazy resemblance. 
• North Texas plays Florida International tonight in Denton which kind of sounds like the Mean Green will be playing against an airport. 
• I've said this before, but if you're one of those guys who works late at the office and has kids that go to bed at a decent hour, I don't know when you ever see them. 
• I finally listened to Troy Aikman's interview on The Ticket where he took a shot at Skip Bayless. Wow. There's something really different about him. He was honest, edgy, and a little mean. Then again, a divorce can turn someone into No More Mr. Nice Guy. 

DFW Media Sent The Choppers Up To Cover Wise County Fire This Afternoon

Between Paradise and Boyd. It's pretty big. And moving fast at 3:30ish.

Channel 8 live stream here. Pretty dramatic!

Edit: Channel 8 coverage Wednesday night: Five homes destroyed.

"Hey, I Know You!"

Story.

That's the actual witness who recognized the defense attorney.

Let me tell you, there's no attorney who doesn't sweat just a little when he looks out at 85 people on a jury panel as the judge asks, "Does anyone on the panel recognize or know the attorneys for the prosecution or the defense?"

Afternoon Pick Me Up

It's Sybil from 105.3 The Fan.  (Slideshow here. Her pics show up at beginning at  #118)

Edit: I'll be dang, that is Kim Fischer beginning at #82. I don't think I've ever seen her smile. (And the guy that comes before her looks like a, uh, handsome Dirk Nowitzki.)

Aggie Just Took Out Personal Ad Under "Married But Seeking Conference"

(More.)

Can we have one last hug before you go?



Guess not.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• The fire at Possum Kingdom reportedly has hit "The Cliffs" -- the fancy golf community.
• The fire is a big story, but Fox 4 spent the first 12 minutes of its broadcast on it last night. 
• The sonogram/abortion law in Texas has been mostly struck down. Although its proponents claimed it was about "informed choices", some of them -- like our own Sen. Craig Estes -- got a little honest once they got back home. He admitted in front of small gathering the purpose of the law was to get women to "change their minds" about the procedure. That's a big difference. 
• One of my softball girls tried to catch a long fly ball with her face yesterday. I'm thankful that she's OK. I also thankful that it was her dad who hit the ball. 
• Still no problem parents on the team. Fingers crossed.
• Dick Cheney has a new book out and, to listen to him promote it yesterday on Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, I was stunned they just didn't come out and tell him, "Dick, I'm in love with you."
• Karl Klement Ford has a fancy new electronic sign out on 287, but I could have sworn it read 184 degrees yesterday afternoon.
• Breast cancer rates are rising in Texas if you live where the Barnett Shale is being drilled. And Wise County is near the top of the list. 
• The Update says Bridgeport ISD cut its tax rate. I'm so confused about that School Budget Crisis everyone talked about. 
• It has to be all over the media if even I know that Lil' Wayne has a new album coming out. (I refused to say the album "drops".)  It's said that it will sell almost a million copies in its first week which probably means it would sell almost two million if not for the illegal downloads.
• The album cover has a kid with face tattoos which probably has some significance that I have no idea about.
• The Family Sedan is in the shop, insurance issue basically resolved, and Mrs. LL has a rent car. Let me clarify, Mrs. LL has a rent truck. And that's by choice.
• I noticed that the Star-Telegram lost a really good courthouse reporter who has now joined the Tarrant County DA's office as its Public Information Officer. What a smart move on the DA's office -- feed the press with someone who knows exactly what the press wants. That's a great way to get a positive spin on a story. 
• Depressing bullet point of the morning: A UT student fell to his death this week, a motorcycle death in Houston maybe one of the more bizarre ones of the year, and an out of state suicide method [link fixed] will make you cringe.
• Credit the BagOfNothing.com guy this morning with at least two interesting notes: (1) Troy Aikman questioned reporter Skip Bayless' sexual orientation on local radio yesterday, and (2) Fox News and Gawker are in a fight over Bill O'Reilly having a police officer investigated for allegedly having an affair with his wife. 

Messenger Above The Fold

"Hey, Now"

Hold the phone! I've never been more "scooped" in my life!! We've got a Miss Boyd competing in the Miss Texas USA Pageant and I didn't know about it? I've got sources all over the Southwest Proper and no one tips me off on this? I have to learn about it from the Messenger? I've never been so close to shutting down this blog in my life.

Edit: Hey, commentors, be nice. (But I will note that those not published seem to have similar theme.)

Time To Reflect on The Possum Kingdom Fires . . .

...wait.....this picture isn't from the Spring? It's from today? Oh, my.

Little Bit Of Idiocracy Creeping In?

Hey, I don't like seeing little boys hit in the face with a foul ball. I like little boys. [Ticket fans: If you didn't immediately think "mark", I'm ashamed of you.]  But I suppose an Internet video of a kid getting knocked loony by a pro baseball player isn't unusual in this day and time. However, this is an ABC News video. I might be able to let that slide but they do a replay of the kid getting hit three times.  That's Internet-like production sneaking into network TV.

(As a side note, those Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy Guys might have a field day with the way that kid's head snaps forward after being hit in the front. I hope Mrs. LL doesn't see it.)

That's Going To Cost More Than Fixing The Family Sedan

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• So the Skyler Dog did in fact go all Shawshank Redemption on us and made a break for it. I felt bad because I had shut the back gate but forgot to lock it so he was able to push his way out. I also felt a little guilty for having a tinge of relief that he was gone. 
• But my guilt didn't last for long because of Irony of Ironies:  A neighbor found the dog, saw the flyer that we had put up listing the dog as "Found", thought he looked familiar, and called us to return him.
• So Skyler is back to his happy self. **Facepalm**
• The Softball Experiment of 2011 continued on last night as we worked hard on batting. Did you know your arm will fall off throwing softballs non-stop for about 45 minutes? I had to call in a reliever.
• You know, I get most excited about those girls on the team who aren't very good but have so much potential. Cheering for Baylor for all these years has made me a fan of the underdog.
• Irene TV coverage note: Whenever a politician got in front of the camera to tell people to "evacuate immediately" (so they can't be blamed if the storm actually was bad), I found it amazing the number of underlings that stood in the background just so they could be on camera. Hey folks, isn't there some job you could be doing right now?
• There was the most feeble old lady in court yesterday in Decatur making her first appearance on a Hindering Apprehension of a Felon charge. She looked so sympathetically weak that one lawyer near me was overheard as saying, "I don't know anything about that case but I think I could win it even if we picked a jury in thirty minutes." 
• The Commissioners Court abruptly shot down Constable Tom Bishop's request for a Tahoe instead of a pickup yesterday. Now they are waiting to see when he he will turn in his patrol car for a pick-up he does not want.  Now this could get juicy. 
• Football note: The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is undergoing a shake up which is unheard of. They'll start, at least,  three rookies (two true ones and one guy who might as well be.)  Prediction: A very rough start but a strong finish. And then the next two years they'll be very, very good. 
• Football note #2: Michael Vick just signed a contract with the Eagles with $40 million guaranteed. They are out of their minds. Don't rule out last year being a fluke.
• Motorcycle death in Fort Worth yesterday.
• Radio talk: Anyone remember your parents warning you of "getting worms" if you ate bad meat or, in some cases, went outside barefoot?
• Any 9/11 worker who claims to have health problems but is being denied benefits pretty much as a force field surrounding him.  Does anyone dare suggest that maybe, just maybe, any health problems aren't related to 9/11?
• And a guy on a Harley split me and another car as the light turned green this morning. Hey, Harley guy: I expect you to annoy me with the sound of your engine, but I don't expect you to ride like an idiot. 
• Odd obituary at the end of the Update today: It's the Paradise murder victim who is listed as being from Bridgeport but with services in Missouri but with a local funeral home handling the services.

Another Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo

What are we looking at? I'm not sure other than it was described as a "truck fire on 380 near 7 Wires."  But if that guy lost some tread back on 730, I'd like him to know I ran over it for him.  Fortunately, my sweet ride survived. The Family Unit's cars are under attack!

My Day Just Got Better: Nancy Grace To Be On "Dancing With The Stars"

Break a leg, Nancy. Source.

I Don't Know If Such A Remark Helps Her Or Hurts Her

The exact quote: "I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?'"

I understand offhand remarks but this was a speech by a presidential candidate. So she's either (1) joking or (2) she believes that God intentionally causes natural disasters and that the earthquake and hurricane indicate God is unhappy with Washington. (And we do have a number of deaths due to Irene.)

Messenger Above The Fold From The Weekend

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I didn't do a complete search, but the Skyler Dog was strangely quiet this morning and I didn't see him in his normal place when looking out the back window. I wonder if we've had an escape?
• One of the funnier moments of the over-the-top Irene coverage from the weekend.
• Overheard on the radio: "Why is it called the eastern seaboard?"
• A juror tried to "friend" a female defendant in Tarrant County in a civil lawsuit/car wreck case.  He got in trouble. The defendant's name was Courtney Downing and I'm guessing she's hot, but my Facebook is broke this morning.
• Never thought I'd read an email from a Wise County school official rejecting "Butt Kicking Zombies" as an official slogan for a football team. But I did this weekend.
• I might be wrong, but I think Chico's football win this weekend broke a 26 game losing streak dating back to September 18, 2008. That's before President Obama was elected. 
• There was a wrong way driver on I-35 at 114 over the weekend that killed one and injured ten. I fear the wrong way driver. 
• One of the girls has quit the softball team. I hope it's not because of me.
• I just thought I was joking when I told Mrs. LL that the over/under line on us filing a divorce petition due to the stress of the softball season would be six weeks. Did I mention it's basically her and I running that team?  Edit: We've got a grammar war breaking out in the comments!!!!!
• Of all the "water restrictions" placed on Wise County, this is the most bizarre one: "Hotels, restaurants and bars are asked to serve drinking water only when requested."
• Did you see that a guy fell at the Ballpark in Arlington on Saturday over the railing of those high stairs in the concourse behind home plate? As of this morning, all I could learn was that he was unconscious after the fall, 24 years old, and wasn't identified in the media. 
• I monitor a criminal defense lawyer message board and am constantly stunned by the number of times I see posts like, "I'm starting trial tomorrow and I need to know [insert most basic question ever]." It's like a surgeon asking, "Which one of those sharp knife thingys do I used for ACL surgery? Need a response. Surgery tomorrow at 7:00 a.m." 
• Once student tickets are counted, the Aggies will have sold a record 73,250 season tickets for the season. Baylor goes there in November October and it might be the last time in a long, long time with the Ags expected to announce this week they are joining the SEC. They are just trying to negotiate a payout of $10 to $15 million. 
• More proof LeeAnn Rimes needs a sammich.