Fox News Wants To Remind You

Panoramic, Zoom In, Photo Of Inauguration

Really cool.

Link.

And from the Inaugural Address, there is the mention of gay rights:

"It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well." 

Shocking Assassination Attempt

Happy MLK Day

(I've been holding this post since May of 2011.)

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Mrs. LL and I went to the Stock Show this weekend. Verdict: Not bad, but I'm not sure I understand the fascination of doing it every year.
• We went with two other couples. One of the guys got invited to Rodeo Exchange by a 40ish year old stranger/lady.  I can't believe we didn't go.
• And we got to stay at a condo in the old Montgomery Ward's building. Fantastic. That may be an alternative retirement to Costa Rica, but Costa Rica may be cheaper.
• The rodeo competition was between actual ranch hands instead of professional cowboys. I felt like I was watching the equivalent of rocket scientists. Really. I have no idea what their world is like.
• And everyone loves the announcer at the rodeo but count me out. He reminded me of Hal Jay with an attitude.
• I would have loved to see Borat grab a microphone and address the crowd.
• I had a guy walk up to me in the Exhibit Hall and say, "I can't wait to read about this on the blog." Really.
• I stood amongst eight urinals and I was the only one without a cowboy hat on. 
• So we have brothers coaching against each other in the Super Bowl?  Get ready for a media beat down.
• A teen kills five people, including three children, in New Mexico.
• I'm addicted to beach volleyball on the X-Box Kinect.But I'm so angry at the girl avatar who keeps beating me. 
• The gangsta mobile is back in the garage after a $4,000+  transmission bill. Kill me. But it is running fantastically
• I think I'm worn out on the Manti Te'o story but here is my theory: He was initially duped, it was a casual online relationship,  but at the moment the media picked up the storyline of "his girlfriend" died he ran with it and began lying to promote himself. And he continues to lie today. 
• Former KXAS anchor Jane McGarry, somewhat, will debut on WFAA/Channel 8's morning show on Thursday. I only hope she is relaxed as she is on twitter. 
• I watched a documentary of the Presidents leading up to FDR.  There's a lot of similarity between FDR and President Obama. History, I think, will treat him well. 
• I actually watched CSPAN this morning for the inauguration prelude. Fairly fascinating. Especially watching the secret service agents as the President walked his way into church.
• Fox and Friends had a segment this morning on how the facts show show that a two parent household is better than a one parent household. Mrs. LL then quoted the ATT commercial with kids: " Really? What's better? One or two?" (And those commercials are funny! Tape a cheetah to her back?)
• Then Mrs. LL went back to bed (she had earlier got up to go pick up the Freshman-In-The-House up from some school sleepover.)
• Wordkyle mentioned the other day that I have a "blind spot" about a certain subject. I don't deny that. 
• Football thought: Turnovers will kill you.
• Nothing is worse than walking out of the grocery without a cart and carrying liquids.

Above The Fold

What's it cost to have an ad cover the masthead?

And an excerpt on CSCOPE:

Taking You Into The Weekend

Well, That Solves It

ESPN is trying to take the lead on the Te'o story by citing an unnamed source who says Te'o was duped. Really?  Can anyone associated with this whole mess be trusted?

ESPN got hit with a haymaker by Deadspin.com and they are trying to recover. This ain't doing it.

(P.S. I love this whole Te'o story.)

Edit: Nice headline . . .

Next Week's Newsweek Cover

Edit: And here is his official portrait for his second term:

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I'm very disinterested in the Lance Armstrong confession, but he was incredibly candid in his admissions to Oprah. But I've always heard he was a Class A Jerk, so I really have no sympathy.
• Sports Illustrated yesterday released the transcript of the interview with Manti Te'o upon which the magazine's September cover story was based. Read that and tell me that guy is not lying.
• From today's Update:  "Another [parent at the Decatur School Board meeting] called for the resignation of a school board member for an apparent post on Facebook regarding [the CSCOPE curriculum]." Someone point that out to me. 
• To the guy who always posts that I repeat "Gordo's Corner" every morning  (1) That segment on the Ticket is played after I publish "Random Thoughts", (2) How many news stories do you think there are to select from and comment on on a daily basis?, and (3) You try and do this every day without mentioning the top stories of the day and see how long you would stare at the screen. I feel better now. 
• The gal who drowned in the Trinity River seemed to be having a hard life: She was a teenager, pregnant, on the way to a job interview, and had walked from University Drive towards downtown after getting off of a bus at the wrong stop. Why do I think some of you will have no sympathy?
• The Dallas Boat Show has been cancelled due to a new boat show being held in the parking lot of the Rangers Ballpark. Outdoors. In February. Seems conducive to boat sales.
• Worst lawyer in the world with an immoral, unethical, despicable yet brilliant bit. 
• I didn't quite catch it all but I flipped over to WBAP this morning which was taking calls on the Lance Armstrong story. The first caller, if I heard it right, did a complete right turn by asking if Hal Jay was still going on a trip to Europe this summer when he had earlier been bemoaning the fact that a charity Hal was promoting was $1,200 short of its goal. Funny. Awkward.
• Dallas police released a video yesterday of a convenience store robbery where the clerk was beaten with a hammer. Vicious. But the next time you hear people say, "Unemployment? There are all sorts of jobs listed in the paper", think about filling out an application for the position of clerk in that store. 
• One thing I no longer care about: Predicted scores of NFL or college games. 
• I heard on The Fan yesterday this argument: What would the reaction of the metroplex be if the Dallas Cowboys drafted an openly gay football player? Would more than 50% of Cowboys fans no longer support the team? I think so. 
• Random arrest in Denton last night: A 53 year old man was picked up for "soliciting money without a permit."  More proof that the criminal justice system is out of control. 
• Funny proposed response I read if an alien asked us about our most advanced technology: "In my pocket is a device that holds, at my fingertips, all the information in the history of Earth. I use it to look at pictures of kittens."

And Another: Haltom City

Not much information so far. Edit: That's posted by a Star-Telegram reporter.

Random Facebook Of The Day

Here.

Rumors Are That Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott Might Run For Governor.

Sure looks like it per her Facebook page.

But not all are happy:

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• If you aren't interested in this Manti Te'o story you should be. It may be the greatest "you've got to be kidding story" since O.J. Simpson.
• I bet the story explodes today once the entire media starts digging.
• My guess: Te'o is in on it. But I do believe you could fall in love over the Internet (See Kip Dynamite.)
• He went to school in Indiana and lives in Hawaii. The girlfriend went to school at Stanford in San Francisco. How does he not stop there and see her on the way home? Heck, I bet most flights to Hawaii stop in San Francisco.
• She had a car wreck and then diagnosed with leukemia and he never goes to see her? 
• He's a college kid with a college girlfriend and he never goes to see her?
• He said he would talk to her at night and fall asleep waking up eight hours later hearing her asleep and breathing on the other end. Produce some phone records. 
• I bet Notre Dame doubts his story despite the fantastic news conference last night where the school supported him. Once Te'o gets busted, Notre Dame can say, "We were fooled just like everyone else -- we believed him."
• I say all that, and yet there's a small part of me that thinks he's some naive kid who got duped. 
• I made the Kids In The House watch the story last night to try and teach them about (1) never chatting with anyone online that you don't know, and (2) how lies can explode. I normally leave the lesson teaching to Mrs. LL, but to have the support of her nodding her head in agreement was a good feeling. 
• Theater of the bizarre: The fake dead girlfriend tweeted last night that "myths" and "truths" would be revealed at noon today PST. This is crazy.
• The fact that ESPN had to credit Deadspin.com was delicious. That web site has been attacking ESPN for years and to have to site them as the source had to kill them. 
• One thing is certain: The girlfriend doesn't exist. How in the world did not one single media outlet figure this out before Deadspin?
• Lance Armstrong should right Te'o a check for taking him off the front page. And how angry is Oprah right now?
• I mentioned the book-in photo of the "Improper Relationship" out of Denton County yesterday, and the story is in the Star-Telegram today. 
• How much did Bud Light pay Stevie Wonder use that "Superstition" song in commercials?
• Transmission in the Gangsta Mobile is getting rebuilt, and I think I'm getting screwed.
• Mrs. LL was watching The Bachelor the other day. The women are getting crazier, but I wonder how much of it is set up. 
• This hostage crisis in Algeria sure is slow to gain any traction. 
• A photo of Lee Harvey Oswald's second grade class in Fort Worth. He's front and far left.
• I saw where Richie Whitt of The Fan is doing the "Master Cleanse" along with his girlfriend. I did it once. I'll never do it again. 

If This Was A Hoax Then, Wow, Just Wow

Even if you don't care about college football, this is amazing.  It was hard to turn on a TV this fall without being told of the heart wrenching story of Notre Dame linebacker and ultimate Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te'o battling through a double tragedy: In a span of six hours in September, his grandmother died as well as his girlfriend. The latter from leukemia.  He fought on with the season and magazines and sports stations swooned.

Now Deadspin.com, in a rather lengthy post, delves into the story and concludes: There was no girlfriend.   If this was a hoax either he or Notre Dame created for the purposes of media attention in order to build up his Heisman chances, this may be one of the craziest stories I've ever heard.

And when you hear about "Twitter blowing up", it is stories like this that do it.

Edit: Notre Dame issues a statement saying Te'o was the victim of the hoax girlfriend.  That would be even more unbelievable.

Edit: And if you're into this story and you've seen The Usual Suspects, this photoshop is genius:

Not The Pecan Orchard!

No Background Checks

I didn't realize that the Far Right was taking the position that there should be no background check for those who wish to buy firearms. At the very least that is their position on gun shows and most seem to advocate that position for all sales.

I first heard Texas Congressman Jeb Hensarling say it on The Mark Davis Show and then there was the noon time buzz about Texas Congressman Steve Toth with Wolf Blitzer this morning. (Video).

Someone was not impressed:

Texas Republican congressman Steve Toth on CNN right now is everything that's wrong with America re guns. A stupid, dangerous man.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 16, 2013

That Dallas ISD Superintendent Thing

You may recall that when Dallas ISD chief Mike Miles was hired last year he brought in a "communications director" at a salary of $185,000.  That would be 31 year old Jennifer Sprague who was more than doubling her salary from Miles' old school system in Colorado.

Well, last week she abruptly announced her resignation. -- which might be good for Miles because he needs someone to direct his communications away from "snarky" and she wasn't doing that. At all. Still, you don't see many people walk away from a $185,000 a year job -- public or private.

Then I read today that she will receive a severance of $15,400.  I thought that was bad enough until I read this: "Sprague’s severance pales compared to deals received by others [who have left under Miles]. Former chief of staff Alan King received three months of pay, or about $56,000, when he left in October. Former assistant superintendent Shirley Ison-Newsome, who also resigned in October, will be paid through August, collecting about $145,000."

Mark it down: Miles is a short timer. But can you imagine what his severance package would be?