Wow

The lady in the photo celebrating the new "Share The Road" sign in 2008 has been killed by a motorist on Monday in Palo Pinto County by a vehicle which struck her bike from behind.

This follows an avid Wise County Courthouse cycling enthusiast who posted to Facebook last weekend:

"PSA......To the driver who almost took me out on my bike at 60 per on FM 730...I'm a father with a wife and three kids.... So not slowing down over a hill is stupid and your breakfast burrito or diet coke or whatever is not as important as that. God loves you! ( I so do not want to say that) Please to everyone else just slow down a little bit it will only take about thirty seconds or less out of your day compared to the severe loss possible."

(Credit: Bud Kennedy for the Palo Pinto County story.)

Anyone?

The link in the graphic is inactive (it didn't provide any other info.)

If Google maps "live traffic" is accurate, here's the spot:

But What's The Gas Mileage?

They tried to solve the mystery in the story's comment section.  (That's in Coppell.)

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Some lawyer from Colorado (who I don't think I know) sent me this towel. Love it.
• Mitt is taking a beating on that 47% comment. And now I can't help but think about it every time he mentions how he will get the economy "going again" and put "struggling Americans" back to work.
• Romney was in Dallas last night appearing at a dinner at the Hilton Anatole for donors of between $50,000 and $100,000.  That wasn't the best timing. 
• There was a criminal trial in Decatur yesterday in district court where a guy with past felony convictions pled guilty to second degree theft and elected to have the jury assess punishment. The range was 2 to 20 years -- I think they were deliberating as I my DWI trial broke for the night. 
• Two guys were shot on an elementary school playground in Mansfield late last night. Cops don't know what happened, but there's no plan to cancel or delay classes today. 
• The Update says the Bridgeport "stabbing victim" from last weekend has been released from the hospital  I hope this is his Facebook page because that picture is fantastic considering the circumstances.
• Lindsay Lohan was arrested in New York last night for leaving the scene of an accident. Girl's trying to reclaim her title. 
• Former UT great Vince Young is on the verge of bankruptcy. He once received a $25 million guaranteed signing bonus?
• I don't think I've heard so many bogus ads on the radio. Heard one this morning for a "youthful memory" pill. 
• The NFL is using replacement refs and last week we saw more fights and almost fights than ever before. The theory is that the players figured out what they could get away with on Week One and then went after it on Week Two. I bet we see more personal foul flags in the first fifteen minutes of games this week than ever before as the refs try to reclaim control. 
• I ran by Fox News last night to see how those boys were handling the Romney news. Man, Sean Hannity was visibly angry. But I sensed he was angry because he sees this election slipping away. 
• I've known lots of people in my life who "don't pay taxes" because of their income bracket. Those people struggle. 
• There was a crazy murder-for-hire story last month in Carrolton where a guy alleged tried to have his wife killed. And it almost happened: She lost an eye when the bullet struck her. But yesterday in court there was talk of reconciliation. 

Messenger Above The Fold

As A Defender Of Civil Rights Everywhere

I oddly felt pretty good when "T. Barnes" pulled out the ol' Tazer and gave that guy the what for. I don't think Mr. Irritating thought he would pull the trigger.

Asian Chick Killin' A Whitney Houston Song At A Karaoke Machine In A Grocery Store

Didn't expect to write that headline today.

Lunch Time Links

• Remember the golfer (who had Decatur ties) who was attacked on a metroplex golf course with a broken golf club? He almost bled to death. Well, he's taking legal action: He's suing the golf course.
• NFL Films' Steve Sabol died this morning. I used to hate NFL Films (want to see a tight shot of a a slow motion spiraling football for 10 seconds?), but that outfit really improved over the years. 
• Today is the anniversary of the capture of Patty Hearst -- one of the strangest stories I ever heard. 
• There's a woman in Dallas who is said to be worth $13 billion. And she's the late Anna Nicole Smith's daughter-in-law. 
• There were three people on my jury panel this morning who had family members that I had represented in DWIs. 

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• ESPN had the most confusing online poll in the history of polls yesterday.
• Twinkies and Ding Dongs are in jeopardy because Hostess is at odds with the bakers union.  Wait, there's a bakers union?
• Someone asked yesterday if we are finally getting to the point that NFL players are too big and too fast to safely play the game. Maybe.
• For some reason yesterday, I watched the (deleted) scene from The Exorcist where Regan did the "spider walk" (walking upside down on all fours) down the staircase.   Last night, I looked up and saw the Fourth-Grader-In-The-House playfully doing the same crazy walk down our stairs. (And no, she's never seen the scene, I had not talked about it, and it was 100% coincidence.) But it freaked me out. 
• It surprised me to learn that Jerry Sandusky had not been sentenced. It happens October 9th.
• Yesterday was the 150 year anniversary of the Battle of Antietam -- the bloodiest day in America. Two things: (1) I'd love to visit Civil War battlegrounds, and (2) I have the hardest time remembering how to pronounce "Antietam". 
• Jim Carrey is dating a "Hey, Now."
• I finally read a chapter of a book using an e-reader. The part that allows highlighting and notes almost seemed like a game-changer for me. 
• I took a long walk around the neighborhood yesterday evening. I could do that for hours this time of year. 
• Paradise ISD is getting 250 Macbook Airs? It seems like the statewide school budget crunch from one year ago is now a distant memory.
• It'll be a little quiet around here today. I have a DWI trial unless we can reach a last minute agreement. (Speaking of, Atlanta running back Michael Turner scored a touchdown last night on Monday Night Football and then later got arrested for DUI.)

Stick A Fork In Him

Mitt Romney described almost half of Americans as “dependent upon government” during a private reception with donors this year and said those voters were likely to support President Obama because they believe they are “entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it.”

It's a modern day "Let them eat cake" moment. 

Source.  

From The Suburban Crime Blotter

Story. But there might be a question as to whether she was even there. She lives in the same neighborhood as the vandalized house, and that is one high tone neighborhood.

And not bad . . .

She is not amused.

Tear Jerker?

This kid gets reunited with his monkey toy and it gets filmed. The loyal reader who sent me this said it was a real tear jerker.  But I'm conflicted.  I'm an ol' softy at heart, and I've got more stuffed monkeys in Liberally Lean Manor than I can shake a stick at, but I don't know about this. I mean, how old is that kid?

Animated GIF Of Sean Lee Getting Killed

And the photo I referenced this morning:

A Bomb Threat Has Cleared Out LSU

This sign went up shortly thereafter.

Fox and Friends "Punk'd" This Morning

Fanning The Anti-Islam Flames

Newsweek joins in.

Pretty Extensive Video And Story

From WFAA.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• If there were an electoral college tie (and it is possible), the House selects the President and the Senate selects the Vice-President. Romney/Biden 2012?
• According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, LSU and TCU will meet in the 2013 Cowboys Stadium Classic at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  It will be like a home game for LSU with the number of people they will bring. 
• Students at Texas were griping about the text messaging system not working perfectly last Friday when the "clear the campus" message went out. Sheesh. I knew about the alert in Decatur moments after it happened. 
• And with that many buildings on campus, how in the world can they ever determine that a bomb was not in one of them?
• And that UT president is one strange looking guy especially when he holds a press conference in a Nike turtleneck shirt and a jacket. 
• The NFL Red Zone channel may be the greatest sports channel ever.
• First SMU date rape case in years to be prosecuted.
• Low moment this weekend: During my jog I was passed by lady with a stroller
• Federal, state and local government employs 22 million people. The number of people indirectly employed by the government (i.e. me, who has no job if there weren't cops, prosecutors, and judges) has to be many times more than that. And you think big government is a bad thing? Those people buy things and need services that keep the private sector functioning.
• Hockey is officially in a strike/lockout. Anyone care?
• Great picture of the moment of impact when Sean Lee of the Cowboys got crushed yesterday.
• The Talking Heads' David Byrne was featured in Time magazine. Make that a white haired David Byrne who still oozes coolness.
• If you would have taken my betting advice from Friday you would now own your home mortgage free (Alabama) but you would have to pay $20 (Texas).
• Wrong way driver in Irving last night (that's a lot of damage in that photo.)
• The Update reports a stabbing in Bridgeport over the weekend. This is the street.