Decatur Gets A Little Love

The Dallas Observer food blog chimes in.

(Thanks emailer.)

Edit: And I would point out that the food blog throws out some Random Girls from time to time.

Someone Really Doesn't Like State. Rep. Phil King

Because they are walking around Decatur placing this flyer on cars and trucks.

"Phil King MUST be voted OUT of office this November!!!" it ends.    Heck, I didn't even know who was running against him in the Fall so I had to look it up:

Uh, if gambling wasn't illegal at Bushwood at Liberally Lean, I'd give everyone a million to one odds.

Crime Of The Century!!!

Dez Bryant's momma calls 911 on him. More info, including arrest warrant affidavit.

I think we've got some socialism at work here. You are paying for that dispatcher, for the responding officers, for the jailers who booked him in, for the court clerks, the judge, and the prosecutors.  There was once a time where Dez and his mom would be told to straighten up or stay away from each other.

From Richie Whitt's long article on Dez a while back:

Calling Bryant's childhood tumultuous is akin to labeling his grasp of grammar unrefined. His mother, Angela, had Dez at 15 and two more children before age 18. His dad, in his early 40s at the time, didn't much stick around. Saddened by having to feed her kids only ramen noodles and hot dogs, Angela turned to selling drugs for extra income. She eventually also began using—marijuana, PCP, cocaine—and in 1997, when Dez was eight, was arrested after selling drugs to an undercover policeman in Lufkin.

She was sentenced to four years at the Plane State Jail in Dayton, but served only a year and a half.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Dez Bryant turned himself in on an assault charge yesterday.  First round talent. Free agent brain.
• But we might want to tap the brakes just because you see the words "Assault - Bodily Injury - Family Violence." Yeah, it might mean he blacked the eye of a girlfriend. It also might mean he squeezed the arm of a roommate leaving no marks but causing the roommate "pain". It's a ridiculously broad definition under Texas law.
• The news footage on Fox 4 News of the city truck spraying some type of mist to kill mosquitoes in light of the West Nile virus "outbreak" always makes me think: Does that really work?
• Speaking of Fox 4, you probably had to see it last night but we learned that Heather Hays has no idea who the band No Doubt is.
• "17 people hurt in Tuscaloosa, AL bar shooting."  No one killed?
• It seems only fitting that billboard-advertising-DWI-lawyer Mimi Coffey was proposed to over the weekend via a billboard. I wouldn't do it that way, but to each his own.
• I don't think I know the difference between "business class" and "first class." Now "coach" -- that I understand.
• Had a local lawyer drop by my office yesterday and give me some home grown tomatoes. "Don't take this wrong, but I'm running out of people to give all these to."
• The fear of terrorism for those in charge of  the Olympics in London has to be off the charts.
• Mormon book update: I'm nearing the end of it and I finally got to the Mountain Meadows Massacre that a commentor kept mentioning. How in the world have I never heard of that before?
• And after reading the book, which examines the fundamentalist factions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas and the trial of leader Warren Jeffs finally makes sense.
• The President's remarks on Saturday sure does have the far right stirred up but to say it is a turning point in the race is silly.  Those remarks were great to think about and can be the subject of honest debate. But if his greatest critics want to parse them with the hope they'll hurt the President, they might want to remember the far more shocking "spread the wealth" comment to Joe The Plumber had no impact. Plus, it's only July.
• Just like you guys want the President to lose, I want David Dewhurst to lose in the Senate race. 

Paradise Teen Killed Last Night

Link.

Facebook.

Edit: The deceased driver, Paige Davila, had two passengers: Christian Gomez of Decatur and Paige Harkings of Paradise

I'm Not The Only One Who Looks Up Facebook Pics Of People Mentioned In The News

The Dallas Observer did the same after a report of a "45 year old grandmother" who was almost robbed last night after going to the convenience store at 3:00 a.m.    Guess what role this guy allegedly played in it?

Afternoon Pick Me Up

A girl and her puppy dog . . .

A girl and her puppy dog and TO?

Might Be Going To A Party

Kids Probably Had It Coming

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Watched the Hangover II this weekend. Meh. Some movies just can't be the subject of a sequel.
• I'm not sure why all the flap about the U.S. Olympic team wearing uniforms made in China. That is uniquely American.
• Wrong way driver death. And if you took 114 through Southlake this morning, you felt the effects of it. 
• Mavs Dancer tryouts.
• Messenger Letter to the Editor says an innocent man is in the Wise County Jail. There's probably  more than just one. 
• ESPNU is counting down the 25 best college games of 2011 and Baylor is in three of them. And won all three. I've got this weird feeling that this is as good as it gets.
• Mitt Romney is catching heat for releasing only two years of tax returns. As George Will said, he has made a calculated decision that the damage done from not releasing them is less than what would happen if he did. How rich is that guy?
• Mrs. LL proclaimed I've officially lost it this weekend when I did a Joel Osteen impression while using the Batman voice.
• Yesterday I saw a convenience store clerk yell at a customer, "I am not your servant!" I have no idea what started that. 
• The kid who was "carrying" the cross to Washington D.C. has made it.  What are the chances he cheated a little?
• I'm not sure how it made the news, but a federal disability discrimination lawsuit has been filed by a guy who used to work in Bridgeport.
• The Family Cat has calmed down. The Neighbor Boys have calmed down. 
• I agree with the President when he says successful people are successful merely because they are smarter or worked harder than anyone else. 
• Female MMA fighter knocks out opponent with first punch. I don't know if I'm jazzed or horrified.
• I enjoy weekends more than I used to. My limestone edging project is getting close to completion. I had a complete stranger stop yesterday to talk to me about it. 
• This minor league play was ESPN's #1 Play of The Day on Saturday.  Outfielder climbs wall. Glove goes over wall. Outfielder hits ground. Outfielder has ball in his throwing hand. How did that happen?

Random Family Cat Pic

Lake Dive Taking You Into The Weekend

Lady Yields The Hard Way To Bumper Of Squad Car

Video: Officer hits woman in crosswalk: kxan.com

Ouch. But not near as bad as the motorcyclist run down by the Austin cop later in the video.

At the very end of the video, the station reports on the very ironic program going on in Austin to catch vehicles not yielding to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Yep, just cops in plain clothes walking back and forth across the street waiting for someone not to yield.

I'll be honest, I'm not really sure I fully understood this crosswalk law. A few blocks from our house is one which is not at an intersection controlled by traffic lights. Just white stripes going across a road where motorists wouldn't otherwise ever have to come to a stop. Mrs. LL and I walked up to it one day and she just starts walking through it although there was a car coming a couple of hundred yards away.  I told her to wait. She told me I was crazy because the car had to yield. And I'll be dang, the car came to a slow stop just like a red traffic light had suddenly appeared. I still think that's a good way to get killed.

Kind of what I'm talking about

Not Sure What This Is Either

Edit: Nevermind

I Have No Idea What Is Going On Here

But the glance over her shoulder while running couldn't have come at a more inopportune time.

Temple, Texas Temperature?

This link was just posted on Drudge. That can't be right.

A Taste Of Mexico

The new paint job on Fuzzy's Tacos on the square in Decatur sure is going to brighten up the place.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Regarding the suicide of the Highland Park man, is there not a decent photograph of him? The only one released is grainier than a Taliban video.
• Of all ways to commit suicide, can there be anything harder than stabbing yourself? Pulling a trigger has to be hard enough but plunging a knife in you? Good grief.
• And I'll rant and rave against the Medical Examiner's office again. They officially ruled the death a suicide. They can't possibly know that. All they can say is the death was caused, for example, by a severed artery. The cops may be able to piece things together, but the ME's examination of a body isn't enough. 
• There's something not quite right about that case.
• Mark Cuban's brother, Brian, was on Fox 4 last night discussing the Penn State scandal.  He was wearing an untucked polo button down shirt and jeans as the guy next to him was dressed in a suit. That's the Cuban way: Trying to be cool over substance. (Cuban even acted like his brother when he through out such things as "you don't know the definition of 'lack of institutional control'.  "You have to look at the NCAA defintition!")
• Motorcyle chase death in near Saginaw.. 
• I was talking to a family member about my dental work and the fact that I have a trip planned to Mexico. After mentioning the drug violence, he said, "At least it'll be easy to identify your body." Pretty funny.
• A new poll has Cruz leading Dewhurst.  If I'm Dewhurst, I pull those Chinese ads now and fire my political consultant the day after the election. 
• The Kids In The House will sometimes refer to a gecko as a geico.  I know who to blame.
• Josh Hamilton is now selling Christian T-shirts.  As his wife said about his upcoming contract, "It's not about the money." 
• Radio is a brutal business. Longtime Austin sports talk host Chip Brown (who covers the Longhorns probably better than anyone) walked into the building this week and was told by the new owners he was fired.