Half Marathon Thoughts

Not me but this is what it feels like

• If you have never run in 40 degree temperature in a downpour, you've missed nothing. That was insane.
• You think everything is fine until you're forced to run through two inches of water. You have wet socks "and miles to go before you sleep."
• This is the first year I wore extra old T-shirts and just dumped them along the way.
• As much as I was impressed by all the runners, I was more impressed by all the volunteers (water stations, course directors, etcs.) In that weather? Way to honor a commitment. 
• My time: 2:05:53.  Last year it was 2:05:46.  That's pretty amazing. I was one-half of a second slower per mile. 
• The winner finished in 1:06:53. Such a show off. 
• My nemesis Barron Green didn't enter the race! Do I remember someone commenting that he had moved away?
• Funny sign: "Worst. Parade. Ever!"
• Funny multiple signs held by five people: "Knock knock" -- "Who's there?" -- "Yukon" -- "Yukon who?" -- "Yukon do it!!" 
• The run takes us right by the largest homes in Highland Park.  As I was looking at one of them, a gal beside me asked, "Is that yours?"  She was doing shtick. 
• The race ironically starts in Fair Park which ain't no Highland Park. 
• The first eight miles are fun and redeeming. The last five make me question why I'm doing it.
• I'm stunned by the lack of respect for the National Anthem.  In a crowd that is predominately white, committed to goals, has disposable income of at least $80 to enter the race,  I'd say 20% refused to stop walking when the Star-Spangled Banner fired up before the race.
• A sign which was a reference to The Office: "Hurry Up And Finish! (That's what she said!)"
• Yuck: The race offered free pancakes in a Pavilion after the finish. Some people just sat down on the cement floor and ate while nasty runners walked within a foot of them. 
• Half Marathoners from Decatur: Monica Brown, 2:31:54; Lilly Claborn, 2:10:58; Greg Harrison, 2:10:08; Katie Loveall, 2:35:05; John Smyers, 2:23:13 Michael Smyers, 1:35:55 (wow); Theresa Tucker, 3:55:39

And A Would-Be Obama Conqueror Is Done

Google news links.

The Evil Empire Comes To Waco

Luke Skywalker Confronting Evil

Someone mentioned yesterday that I didn't reference Texas vs. Baylor in Random Thoughts.  (Today at 2:30 on ABC.) You know, I didn't want to talk about it.  After over a decade of suffering (and I do mean suffering), Baylor has had a good to very good season. Eight wins including taking down TCU and Oklahoma.  Wishing for a win over Texas seems downright selfish.

But I want it.

A big offensive production and a win means a 9-3 record, QB Robert Griffin potentially becoming a Heisman favorite, and nirvana for me.  That's too much to ask, isn't it? We can't "spread the wealth" around that much. It's downright Un-American. In this 100th meeting, Texas holds a commanding series lead of 73-23-4. Sheesh.

Then again, Baylor fans have been wandering in the desert looking for the Promised Land for a long, long time.

Edit after 1st quarter: Baylor 14, Texas 7.  Get this: Baylor has run 7 offensive plays for 139 yds. 2 drives, 2 TDs

Edit after 2nd quarter: Baylor 24, Texas 21.  This is a bad Texas team depleted by injuries, and they may still win this thing. Baylor's defense is horrible. Secret tip to Mac Brown: Run the ball on every down.

Edit after 3rd quarter: Baylor 41, Texas 24.  How Texas cannot recruit a quarterback is beyond belief. McCoy is horrible. And a personal sidenote: UT Defensive back Blake Gideon is extremely overrated. Oh, and the game? I'm not comfortable at all. If UT would put Ash in but still run the ball, this thing gets tight. Huge. Quickly.

Edit after 4th quarter and end of game: Baylor 48, Texas 24. I'm weeping on my couch as I hold my Baylor pennant. (But if you didn't win after six turnovers, you should be crying for other reasons.) We have arrived at the land of milk and honey. And the college kids didn't even rush the field. Oh, how the might have fallen.  Did I say I'd be in nirvana? Cue Nirvana.



Edit: One final photo:

CiCis in Decatur got robbed.

Not burglarized. Robbed.
Developing . . .
Barry (from iPhone)

Edit: This came from a Facebook post that I thought was pretty reliable. They said it occurred while they were in the restaurant but didn't know it was happening at the time. They claimed that employees confirmed they had "just been robbed."

Since then, I've heard nothing about this. I find that odd.

Messenger Above The Fold

Anchor Has Hot Opinion About Santa. Gets In Trouble.

 A Chicago news anchor enraged parents when she announced during a segment on children’s gift expectations that Santa Claus isn’t real. During a conversation with her cohost about how long children should believe in Santa, Robin Robinson, a news anchor at Fox Chicago since 1987, argued that kids should learn early on that Santa isn’t real.  “Stop trying to convince your kids that Santa is Santa,” Robinson said to cohost Bob Sirott during a segment Tuesday night. “That’s why they have these high expectations. They know you can’t afford it, so what do they do? Just ask some man in a red suit. There is no Santa.”


For all you kids out there, of course there is a Santa. There is no way on Earth that your parents would lie to you about a fictional man who somehow is able to make iPads and x-Boxes in a shed at the North Pole, and then deliver those gadgets and toys all over the world in one night when the rest of us can't even make it past Denton because of all of the traffic. If they were going to lie, they'd do a heck of a lot better job than that. So don't worry about it. The anchorwoman is probably just grumpy because Santa gave her a hideous yellow jacket. 

But when you watch the video, she sounds just like Clair Huxtable on a rant. 

Something Else I Saw Earlier This Week That Stuck With Me

Sweet doggies.

Liberally Lean Weather Center

I have a very high placed source in the Wise County Sheriff's Office (I'll just call him "Sheriff David Walker") who will forward me emails that his office receives from the National Weather Service.  The NWS will create a Powerpoint presentation over the threat of a half inch of rain. Throw in the threat of snow, and they go crazy. They started off this time with a 5 page PDF report -- a portion of which is above. I like that confidence level.

The official forecast follows. Pete Delkus is probably learning the proper spelling of "Armageddon" at this moment:


The expected storm system is producing wintry weather in the Texas panhandle today. That system will continue to move northeast and will not play a role in our weather through Sunday. However, another strong storm system is approaching the Pacific Northwest today, and will approach our region late Sunday.  Colder air will begin to filter into north Texas around midnight Sunday night/Monday morning, giving parts of the area the potential for snow, or a mixture of rain and freezing rain.

I'm Changing My Name

God'sgift Achiuwa? You can be named that? Let me tell you, God'sgift Green rolls off your tongue a heck of a lot easier than this guy's name. (Technically, I think he spells it God's Gift Achiuwa. I'd probably just go with Godsgift and drop the apostrophe. I've thought a lot about it.)

And yesterday I thought God's Academy was a pretty bold name.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• There's a crazy trial going on in Waco where a lady is alleged to have shot her husband in the head, gone to work, and then came home and called the police. Oh, and she's also accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill him (before he was dead, of course.) Local connection? Bridgeport's Mike Simpson has a daughter who is part of the defense team.
• I dreamed I lived right by a busy freeway and saw, at least twice, a bachelorette party on foot walking behind a cement mixer covered in banners.
• There's a cold front coming in with 40 degree temperatures which will hit almost exactly the same time as the White Rock Marathon starts.  This will be my 10th half marathon and there's no way I'm going to miss it. 
• Obama's re-election chances are all based on the economy? That right wing explosion you just heard was the news released this morning that the unemployment rate had plunged to 8.6%! That's the lowest rate in 2 1/2 years. 
• I'd like to announce that there's a shortage of plastic lawn stakes for Christmas lights. I've got a project half done and I can't find those things anywhere. (I had some Clark Griswald going on last night, by the way.)
• Liberally Lean favorite Britney turns 30 today.  Sad to say, but I may have to upgrade in that position. 
• Tons of folks have sent me the story over the past couple of days regarding "Sheriff Incarcerated In Jail That Bears His Name".  I'm not sure why I haven't posted it. 
• We put the tree up but before we could put a single decoration on it, the Family Cat buried herself inside it. She was apparently bored with trying to claw a hole in the strong cardboard box it was packaged in. 
• There's a commercial for Academy Sports that features Emmitt Smith and Danica Patrick. With her being a diva and him having trouble delivering any line, I bet that thirty second spot took a month to film.  
• An appellate case decided this year involved a guy who won over $10 million in the lottery in the 1990s and got divorced in Wise County shortly thereafter. (You'll have to interested in assignments and child support offsets to read the whole thing. But I'll bet you click on it to see if you know the guy.)
• Long suffering Baylor fans will love this article that appeared yesterday in ESPN's Grantland.
• "Students [at Fort Worth ISD] will not be allowed to exchange gifts from student to student or distribute personal holiday messages during class this year, the district said . . . . [O]fficials announced Thursday that 'no longer can the district endorse or sponsor any religious activity or doctrine.'"  Those who will comment that "there ain't no separation of church and state in the constitution" in three, two, . . . 

Mrs. LL Found This In The Trash Can At A Car Wash

Now there has to be a huge story behind that.

Going, Going, Gone.

And Another

We've got us a strong -- to quite strong -- contender right here. Story.

Last Night

Girl's name is Taylor Young and she's fine despite landing on her neck.

We've Got A County Photography Crisis!!!!

But it would be nice to know where that shoot occurred.

 Pocketwizard Above (I think)

Viral Video Of The Day

Everyone says to look at the lady in the middle. Is she a bad dancer or is she just handicapped? Why is she in the video? What's going on here?

You know, I don't care. I can't take my eyes off the gal in the black tank top on the front row giving it the what for.  I guess that's what is mean by "everyone sees something different in a work of art."

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Local Fox affiliate exposes teacher's porn past. Gets him fired. World now safe.
• I was outlining the lawn with lights last night which required placing stakes in the hard ground.  I could have sworn I heard Pharaoh over me telling me to build bricks without straw once I was done.
• A guy jumped off the the Hulen bridge onto I-30 yesterday in Fort Worth, but somehow landed on the median instead of the freeway. If he wants to get attention, that's one hard way to do it. 
• Reflecting on past experiences with American Airlines, I always got the feeling that every employee tried hard at their job but couldn't wait for a break so they could talk about how much they hated management.
• American put some routes on sale yesterday.
• Anyone remember when Bridgeport's zip code was 76026? Why was it changed?
• Mrs. LL dang near ripped the front end of off the Family Gangsta Sedan by running over some sprinkler head in a parking lot. That was her explanation. 
• The Oregon governor stops the use of the death penalty for the remainder of his term.  I always go back to Justice Harry Blackmun's dissent in a case in 1994: " From this day forward, I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death."
• You wanted to see what our Christmas Lawn Monkey looks like? Here ya go. 
• New York Knicks TV reporter in a bikini  "Hey, Now."
• Goofball Dez Bryant has settled the unpaid $600,000 civil suit against him for unpaid debts. The settlement papers said,"The parties have determined that this controversy was the result of a mutual misunderstanding" -- a clause that was put in there solely for the media.
• Ticket Failed Bit: The radio station was playing a Fake Mavs vs. Fake Heat basketball game in Frisco this morning. This is the crowd 15 minutes before tip off. 
• I-35 around Alvarado will be shut down for three hours today so police can conduct an investigation of a "recent accident." What the heck is that about? 
• I don't want to cause a panic, but I saw in the Update that on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Santa will be at a breakfast at Young Elementary in Decatur and at the Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Department.

Murder Charge In DWI -- This Is A New One

It turns out that the wrong way driver in Fort Worth with the baby in her car had an alcohol level of .24.  It's a weird case because as cars left the roadway to get out of her way, one of those cars struck a man who died (he had stopped and had gotten out of his vehicle.)   The obvious charge was Intoxication Manslaughter (2 to 20 years) assuming the state could prove she "caused" that death (which they probably had a fair chance of doing despite the odd facts.)

But today the DA's office announced they would charge her with Murder (5 to 99 years). How? Murder normally means the intentional taking of another life. However, there's a fairly obscure provision of the penal code called "Felony Murder" that allows a person to be charged with Murder if (1) during the course of committing any felony, and (2) that person commits an act"clearly dangerous to human life and causes the death of another person."  There is no requirement of proving intent to kill.

The law has always been that the "felony" in Felony Murder could not be Intoxication Manslaughter. It had to be another felony. So what felony did she commit? Oh, that baby in the car! That baby becomes important! It is a State Jail Felony (the lowest felony on the books) to commit DWI with a child passenger younger than 15 years of age. So she is alleged to have committed a State Jail Felony and committed an act "clearly dangerous to human life" that caused the death of another person. The Felony Murder statute now kicks in.

Prosecutors first used the Felony Murder statute in a DWI case about seven years ago when someone had caused a death while committing their third DWI -- which is itself a felony.  This is the first time I've heard of the DWI With Child being used as the "underlying felony" in a Felony Murder Case