America's Deadliest School Massacre

It was 80 years ago by the use of dynamite. I had no idea.

Today's article on Slate.

Wikipedia page.

Eagle Almost Swipes Kid

Wait for the slow motion at the end. (Brief profanity warning.)

Thanks, KH.

Edit: The eagle has a twitter account!

Edit: Man, if the following is true I'm going to be so bummed.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

Replacing repeat

• All the news organizations were all over the female trooper search story last night. I've seen crazier things happen during traffic stops over the last 25 years.
• I said I didn't think that lawsuit was going anywhere for this reason: Once the officer claims to smell the odor of marijuana he can search anywhere that the marijuana could reasonably be found. And it doesn't matter if he believes there is a misdemeanor or felony amount present. And, most importantly, it doesn't matter that he turns out to be wrong.
• You think the police don't have ridiculous power? Remember the Supreme Court case where they sanctioned the arrest of a Texas woman for the minor offense of not wearing a seatbelt?
• And remember the Supreme Court case which sanctions the strip searching of anyone arrested regardless of how minor the offense? Yep, he could have arrested both women for littering and they legally could have been striped strip searched at the jail.
• A lawyer on Fox 4 last night said it will be "up to the jury" to determine if the search was reasonable. I doubt a judge will ever let it get that far.
• How has police power come to this? Because you have elected "law and order" judges in Texas, and Presidents who haven't formed a Supreme Court that has valued civil rights since the 1960s. To use a quote that the Hard Right is familiar with: "America's chickens are coming home to roost." 
• Changing gears, I never dreamed that Cheaper Than Dirt would suspend online gun sales.
• None of these school shootings are committed by little girls. Always boys. 
• Our "elf on the shelf" was sitting on the kitchen counter this morning in front of what appeared to an elf made snow angle angel made in flower flour. [Edit: One of my greatest sentences apparently.]
• It's too long to post here, but I got an email from a lady yesterday who was upset with the law enforcement response she got in Wise County when she reported a dead and malnourished horse. 
• A Football Life on the NFL Channel is really good. Tonight they are doing an hour on The Immaculate Reception. 
• Few people remember that that playoff game occurred on a Saturday and was preceded by a famous Cowboys win over the 49ers where the Cowboys scored 17 points under Staubach in the fourth quarter to win 30-28. As a kid I remember my family picking my grandparents up for a Christmas dinner and my grandfather saying, "I think I just watched two of the most exciting games ever today."  I had no idea what he was talking about. 
• President Obama was named as Time's Man Of The Year this morning. Yeah, I know. That ol' liberal media.
• The Decatur home invasion guy will be charged with "burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit a sexual offense." Unless there is more to the story, that's a reach. 
• Mark Cuban passed a kidney stone last night and tweeted about it.  Good grief.
• Went to a high school band concert last night and noticed a uniformed officer standing by me in the back of the auditorium. I quickly learned he wasn't there for security but only to see his daughter perform. 
• Judge Robert Bork passed away this morning. (For those that don't remember, he was the first Supreme Court nominee to go through a confirmation process that looked like an MMA fight. He didn't get confirmed.)

Arrest Made

Arrest made in the "home invasion" case per the Messenger.

Hey, I said it was "fishy" not that it didn't happen.  A morning break-in in Decatur where there was no motive, no injury, and a girl was able to get him out of the apartment isn't something that happens everyday.

Sandy Hook In The Last Batman Movie?

I didn't see the last Batman movie (because I can never understand a word Batman is saying) , but apparently the plot involved some villain named Bane. Now someone has noticed that there was a scene in the movie where "Sandy Hook" (a fictional place within "Gotham City") was the first "Strike Zone" of Bane.

Add to it that the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting occurred during this Batman movie by a guy who had orange hair like The Joker and this becomes kind of weird.

Released Today: DPS Trooper Sued Over Search

It was released today. I don't think the lawsuit is going anywhere, though. It's a female trooper and the search of the girls begins at 3:15.

I think its more mind blowing that this was all over the alleged smell of marijuana.

Texas Man Finds Jesus' Face on Tortilla

Says he now wins the lotto every time he takes it to the store.

Uh, is it just me, or does anyone else see a puppy face?

Just A Reminder About 12/21/12

I'm not sure what location this is from, but they fear the Mayans.

(Side note: The Mayan city of Tikal discovered in a rain forest in Guatamala in 1848 looks really cool. And I've heard it is surrounded by a bunch of spider monkeys.)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Dick's Sporting Goods has suspended semi-automatic rifle sales. Wow.
• The NRA took down their Facebook page yesterday. Courageous or cowardly?
• Prediction: New Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles will be gone within 12 months. His inability to follow the rules and his arrogance once called out will be his downfall.
• The home invasion in Decatur yesterday (see Update) sounds fishy.
• It's the great Christina Aguilera's birthday.
• That's the best picture of Adam Lanza?
• Josh Hamilton might be slightly smarter than Dez Bryant but no one will ever question Bryant's effort. (And after Saturday's press conference, Hamilton needs to get some scene control over his wife.)
• In the 70s tomorrow with wind gusts up to 40. It is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
• The Stepkids In The House may be stepkids but they are good stepkids.  Respectful and sweet. I kept waiting for an explosion that never came (knock on wood.) 
• Prediction: The Dallas Cowboys will not make the playoffs.
• Great pro-gun caller on the Mark Davis show today: The Second Amendment is there to protect the citizenry from the government.  All of the Bill of Rights are there not to protect us from each other but to protect us from government intrusion and over-reaching. 
• "School Lockdown (Haltom City) Multiple PD officers are responding Code 3 to Birdville Elementary at 3126 Bewley for a reported person with a gun." Thirty minutes ago.

Alvord School On Lockdown?

Developing . . .

How The Gun Adam Lanza Used Is Marketed

Source.

Not Sure About The Connection

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• There was a discussion this morning about shielding elementary school children from the news of the Connecticut shooting. Really? There's no way they wouldn't hear about it. Right?
• But there was no reference to the incident at the elementary school choir performance I went to on Friday night. I would think a vague reference followed by Silent Night would have been a nice touch.  (They had time for it -- it lasted over an hour and a half.)
• After I wrote the above, I learned Saturday Night Live opened up with a children's choir singing Silent Night.
• And adults shouldn't at least talk about gun control? If not now, when?
• Will "Sandy Hook" have the same meaning as "Columbine"? I'm guessing the answer is yes.
• My favorite place in the world is my chair at home with the Family Pup beside me. 
• I'm into Season Four of Breaking Bad. I think I end ever episode by saying, "This show is so well done."
• The Cowboys game was really entertaining. But why was Josh Brent on the sideline?
• Did you see the Danny Amendola's spike yesterday that almost blinded an old guy?
• Warmest December ever?
• Mrs. LL and I were sleeping bums on Saturday and it was fantastic.
• From the Update today: "Fiery Sunday". Why is "fiery" not spelled "firey"?
• The "Elf on the Shelf" bit is pretty cute. Still a little weird, but very cute.

The Story Behind The Picture

Link.

Silence

Taking You Into The Weekend

I had a different post automatically set to go up but I deleted it. UNLV cheerleaders were cute but that just didn't seem to be appropriate on the day of the second worst mass killing in U.S. history. Especially with all of  the children involved.

On that note, I'm set to attend an elementary school choir's Christmas pageant tonight. It may turn out to be the most emotional unscheduled memorial service ever. At least for me.

New York Post's Current Headline

Kindergarten class?

The Killer ....Edit: Not So Fast

Per CNN based upon this Slate tweet.

Edit: What a screw up.  Online magazine Slate quoted CNN as naming Ryan Lanza the killer (which is true) but then Slate linked to a facebook page.

Turns out the Facebook page linked to was not him!!! That's where I got the photo above.

Amazingly, Lanza listed his "hometown" as the location of the shooting.

Edit: It looks like this is Lanza's real twitter account.  Edit: Heck, now I'm not even sure that's correct. This is insane.

Edit: Good grief. Instant news is instant inaccuracy.