Messenger Above The Fold

Something You Guys Might Like

There's a movie coming out called "Bernie" starring Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey based upon this fascinating 1998 Texas Monthly article about the murder of a wealthy widow in Carthage, Texas. This month's Texas Monthly has an article (I haven't read yet) about how for over 10 years they've been trying to turn that dark and grisly story into a comedy. They've finally done it.

And if you read the original article, you'll want to visit this site afterwards. It has pictures.

The Arlington PD Can Use Drones?

WASHINGTON - It's widely known that the military has employed drones to help in the war against terrorism, but there may be a lot of other drones flying around the U.S.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently released lists of organizations, agencies and manufacturers that have sought authorization to fly drones . . . .

The first full list, available [here], also includes police departments in several states.

That story was published today. If authentic (and I'm reading it correctly), I'd think that's newsworthy for the metroplex.

(Thanks for the tip.)

Edit: Well, it looks like the news covered the PD's application for the use of drones last year. I guess the news is that they were approved.

Just Had A Scene Break Out By The Tarrant County Justice Center

Still trying to figure out what he was running from -- besides County Law.

Edit: The story.

Edit: More bizarre account.

Random Friday Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• A popular song/commercial ("Oh, oh, sometimes I get a good feeling") actually has the female vocals pulled from this old song. I thought it was Adele.
• Mrs. LL loves her new glasses so much she replaced her Facebook profile pic to show them off. (The photo she replaced had me in it with her. Hey!!!)
• A Texas couple was awarded $13 million in Fort Worth in a defamation suit against people who thought they were posting anonymously on the web.
• I actually saw Nolan Ryan pitch with Pudge Rodriguez catching in the old Arlington Stadium. I'm not sure I appreciated what I was seeing at the time. (Rodriguez throwing the ceremonial first pitch from the plate to second was really cool last night.)
• There's a "UIL Lone Star Cup" and Decatur is currently sixth?
• I think Deion Sanders house in Prosper has been on the market forever. I remember a few years back he lowered the price to $21 million. There's probably a pretty small pool of potential buyers. 
• And remember Noel Devine? He was the football star of the future about five years ago who Sanders brought to Prosper to "mentor"  but then, being 18, left suddenly and without notice to return to Florida. He actually had a pretty good career with West Virginia but, after not being drafted, he walked out on the Philadelphia Eagles who had signed him as a free agent last year. 
• For what it's worth, I'm censoring most of Big Tex's comments. I do declare we understand certain beliefs that he holds. 
• An Alvord pharmacy was burglarized last night. You'd think, with the growing addiction to pain killers in this country, that would happen far more often. 
• There have been few politicians fall as fast and hard as former Democratic golden boy John Edwards. His criminal trial began yesterday. 
• I'm not sure which nickname for Mitt Romney will stick more: Gordon Gekko or Thurston Howell III.
• Other than jewelry, does the average person own anything made out of gold? 
• How long could the average Lockheed Martin worker strike before it begins to really hurt financially? The Union provides some income during the strike, doesn't it?
• I'll say it: It's getting too hot too fast.

Can This Marriage Be Saved? Nope.

Deion Sanders is live tweeting an assault on himself. #WheelsOff

Edit: Oh, man! I completely missed that his chair has cup holders built in! Prime Time, indeed!!!

Edit: Mug Shot. Hey, now.

Sofia Vergara Back In The Day

She was a model in COlumbeeya before becoming an actress.

“That’s how the game go. I got too many baby mamas. I did this to myself, you know. Straight up, you know,”

If you missed Fox 4's interview with the Dallas chase suspect from last week, you missed a good one. However, a certain line from the movie Airplane comes to mind.

Lawyer Ego Winner

I don't know who Bryan Garner is. I've never even heard of this guy. But apparently he writes books and gives seminars on legal writing. I know this because I just got a flashy seminar pamphlet in the mail offering three seminars from from him costing $295 to $385 each or all three for $795.  

What a deal!! But you know what the real selling point is? For signing up for all three I have a chance to win a Bryan Garner Bobblehead!!

Very Random Twitter Cover Picture Observation

Former Dallas Morning News sportswriter and Ticket weekend show host Jean-Jacques Taylor has a new menacing pic for his Twitter account. He's like the Unabomber. Even has a little reflection in one of the lenses.

Edit at commentor's request:

Unrelated edit: These guys both work for ESPN Dallas? Cat fight!!

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Crazy Texas Mommy got married over the weekend.
• I sneezed while walking to my car the other morning. I then got a text message that read, "Bless you."
• Mrs. LL bought one of those backstops which is supposed to propel the ball back to you if you can hit it.  Those are cheaply made, but a couple of tree stakes to secure it to the ground did the trick. (Me = Genius.)
• My consecutive throw-and-catch-in-the-air record now stands at 16. It's harder than you think. 
• Man, you've got to see that Ron Artest elbow throw from yesterday. (Replay at the 1:00 mark.) Wow.
• I bought a replacement weedeater head that doesn't spool but uses two short lines instead. Worked like a charm.
• The Hunger Games continues to dominate the box office. My household might be responsible for a great deal of it. (But, no, I haven't seen it.)
• Weirdness continues: Baylor's baseball team swept the Aggies this weekend bringing their win streak to 23.
• Barry Switzer used to tell top recruits: "If you come here next year, Oklahoma will win a National Championship. If you don't come here, Oklahoma will still win a National Championship."  He's one of my favorite guys to listen to being interviewed.
• Drives me nuts when reporters tweet, "I'll be interviewing [so and so] at noon. What questions would you like for me to ask?" Hey, you're the reporter.
• How did the Doobie Brothers get away with being named the Doobie Brothers?
• Another person who lived on my street where I grew up died over the weekend. Depressing. 
• There are still more facts to learn, but I'm thinking the prosecutor in the George Zimmerman case has bitten off more than she can chew.
• "Drunk Driver Sentenced To Wear Sign Saying He Killed A Man."  Sheesh. The story should be "Houston Judge Seeks Publicity."
• Sports Prediction: The Mavericks won't see Round Two of the Playoffs. 
• Somehow I stumbled upon  “Khloe and Lamar” over the weekend with the episode dealing with Lamar being depressed after being traded to the Mavericks. If that show is ever 10% true, he's the biggest baby in the history of ever. 
• Mrs. LL got some librarian looking glasses. 

Messenger Above The Fold

Chloe Sims Taking You Into The Weekend

"Three Second Roooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

And I think we'll all agree that the song hits its peak at 2:34.

I was going to make this a "Taking You Into The Weekend" special post but I just couldn't stand to wait.

George Zimmerman's Bail Set At $150,000

With GPS monitoring. The State had asked that bond be denied but, if set, be set at $1,000,000.

Zimmerman testified at the bond hearing, but I'm not sure how much they got into the facts of the case. I don't think it was very much.

Bonding companies normally charge 10% to 20% of the amount of the bond (they are on the hook for the bond amount if the defendant fails to show for court.)

SMU's New Basketball Coach

I care absolutely nothing about the hiring of 71 year old Larry Brown. But a picture of him coaching the Denver Nuggets in 1974 in overalls is gold.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• A wrong way driver on the Dallas Tollway again last night. She just managed to get into a one car wreck, however.
• I'm now generally in charge of running the scoreboard at softball games. I'm thinking about bring an amp and firing up a little play-by-play while I do it.
• The lead singer of The Band has died. I knew basically nothing about The Band yet everyone else acts like they were a household name.
• A picture of the bloodied head of George Zimmerman? ABC News thinks so.
• One of these years, the Main Street Arts Festival in downtown Fort Worth is going to get hit with a major storm that'll send all that art flying over I-30. That wind tunnel effect down there will do the trick.
• Steve Wariner is playing at the Festival. There was a time I loved Steve Wariner's music. I guess I still do. 
• It's 4/20. WBAP's Hal Jay said today he had never heard of the drug reference for those numbers.
• Ousted Secret Service agent posted a picture of him checking out Sarah Palin on his Facebook page. 
• A little kid ran out onto the field during the White Sox/Orioles game yesterday afternoon. To quote Latarian Milton, "It's fun to do hood rat thangs."
• I saw where a long ago neighbor -- two door's down -- who I played with as a kid has died. Time for reflection. 
• C.J. Wilson lost last night. That's the most important baseball news to me. 
• I bought two American Airlines tickets in February for travel in July. And in the news every day is about bankruptcy, union strife, and takeovers. And somehow I'm not worried. 
• Got another photo of the Decatur Beggar off of 377 in Keller yesterday.  He needs to remember his roots. 
• Mrs. LL, coaching third base last night, sent a runner home for a potential home run even though the ball was in flight back to the infield. Runner scored. I was so afraid she'd panic and make the kid hit the brakes, but I guess that's the way aggressive softball go. 
• That was fast: The parents of the kid who was mauled by a dog two and one-half months ago while they slept (and which gave rise to a great Lari Barager ducking out of the way video) have pled out to probation.

Afternoon Pick Me Up: The Escort Who Brought Down The Secret Service!

Source.