Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Yesterday a Texas House Panel considered the repeal of one of the worst set of laws on the books: Driver surcharges. 
• "Perry cites border security in Kaufman County DA's death." How the governor can speak with a straight face is one of life's great mysteries. What evidence is there that "border security" had anything to do with that?
• This Facebook post on the Kaufman killings borders on the bizarre. The author blames the killings on the backwoods justice system of that county and the utter disrespect shown defendants and attorneys by the judge and prosecutors. He even names the next prosecutor that will probably "perish". 
• One theory on the Kaufman murders that I haven't seen floated is that the killings are a retaliation for prosecutions that occurred years and years ago. The killer(s) and his buddies are now released from prison and now seek their vengeance?
• Someone commented yesterday, in regards to the Lake Highlands rape suspect who had been arrested, that we don't need to wait for DNA testing because he had confessed. Sheesh. If you had only seen what I have seen. (I also suspect you have agreed to various "terms and conditions" before you proceeded to the next webpage.)
• Two things we learned yesterday rhat the public gives a collective "meh" about: Threats from North Korea and a change of hosts at The Tonight Show. 
• I was a fan of Shakira's "Hey, Now" dancing, but I didn't know she was that good looking. (Observation from looking up and seeing The Voice on the TV.)
• Good point heard on The Fan yesterday afternoon: "For the first time, Mark Cuban will have to build a basketball team from scratch."  And we'll learn he has no idea what he's doing and that he has no interest in doing "work" that isn't "fun". 
• It won't even be a bullet in the War on Drugs, but here's a picture of over three tons of marijuana seized in South Texas two days ago. That's a lot of weed. 
• The only good thing about Baylor playing in the NIT Final tonight is that, on April 4th, they are still playing. 
• The baseball season is too long? Absolutely. Here's an idea: Start it later. Yesterday of the first eight open air games, seven of them had a game time temperature of 48 degrees or colder.
• I'm not sure there are many people who remember the Lake Waco triple murder, but I read a book about it by the great Carlton Stowers many years ago which had a great title:  Careless Whispers. (One of the guys originally convicted had his conviction reversed by, I believe, bad "bite mark" science. He was retried in Tarrant County on a change of venue where he was acquitted.)

Public Service Announcement

Assuming Lake Bridgeport doesn't dry up, it will soon be boating weather. And along with boating weather comes the inevitable story of Boat Breaks Down, Boat Gets Towed, Guy Towing Boat Wants Beer, Guy Being Towed Throws a Beer. It's a summer ritual. But you must catch said beer responsibly.

Language Warning.

The Star-Telegram Has A Bonnie and Clyde Slideshow Up Today

I don't think I had ever heard of the Decatur connection which is "local history" based.

Full slideshow here.

Baseball Flashback With A Twist

I listened to Steve Busby call Yu Darvish's pitching gem last night but, I'll be honest, I didn't know squat about Busby until people mentioned that he had thrown two no-hitters in his own right. I had no idea.

 But check out his clip at the end of his second no-hitter. I don't care about the game or the celebration, but I'm fascinated by the strange guy smoking a cigarette who shows up on the mound. He snatches the catcher's(?) cap off his head and tries to conceal it in his jacket until he's busted.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I was lucky enough to lock into the Yu Darvish oh-so-close-to-a-perfect-game last night early on. But I think I had a hard time explaining to the Girls-In-The-House why the game was important.
• As it came down to Batter #27 coming up to the plate, I made sure the Fourth-Grader-In-The-House (a baseball fan) got out of her room to watch. I couldn't see her because she was up on the stairs, but I heard her say, "There's someone on base." I corrected her as the tension of the game mounted. "No there is," she said. I saw Mrs. LL's eyes go wide as she looked up and yelled the kid's name and told her to "get off the phone" which, initially, confused me. Then it dawned on me: Somehow the game was on 10 second delay on my DVR and the kid already knew what I was about to see. 
• "If we run across white males dealing in drugs in Tarrant County, there's a good chance the Aryan Brotherhood is involved in one way or the other." - Herschel Tebay, commander of the Tarrant County Narcotics Unit. (Trying to get his name in the paper?)
• I got an online "video bill" from AT&T which went through my bill, highlighted it, and explained it. Not bad. 
• What is "Red's & Barney's Backyard Venue" that is opening in Bridgeport. 
• Out of nowhere, I had a bottle of "Tequila 512" dropped off at my office. Apparently it was created by a guy from Austin and now marketed by a medical professional in Decatur. 
• "Mavs owner Mark Cuban [last night] said he would consider drafting Britney Griner in the second round." Cuban continues his journey to becoming a cartoon. 
• Two guys, one a capital murder suspect, escaped from the Hopkins County Jail last night and are still on the loose. When I looked at the news this morning, I learned an inmate from the Dallas County Jail successfully made a break for it last night. 
• The Puppy-Saved-From-Death-Row also remains free since she was given to a happy home. (No, I didn't take her back to the shelter.)
• Ten death notices in the Update today.
• Fox 4's Heather Hays on the beach with a photo-bomber in the background. (Facebook). 
• Dallas Police say they have made an arrest in the Lake Highland's rapist case. I think I'd tap the brakes until the DNA comes back with a link (they've already screwed up one arrest which they don't like to talk about.) 

Above The Fold

Tuesday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Have You Ever Heard On Tango Blast?

DPS, in an effort to keep us informed or afraid, reports that the Mexican gang of "Tango Blast" is now the #1 seed in Texas gangs. Specifically, it "has superseded the Mexican Mafia to become the state’s most significant gang threat. The Tier 1 gangs in Texas are: Tango Blast (estimated at 10,000 members); Texas Syndicate (4,500 members); Barrio Azteca (3,500 members); and Texas Mexican Mafia (6,000 members)."

A google search doesn't really reveal that much although a grumpy old guy who lives around Lower Greenville in Dallas reported in 2009 that the gang had a presence in that area.

(How about this for unrelated trivia: There used to be a club in the 1980s on Greenville called Tango which had giant frogs on top of it. Those frogs were eventually moved to that truck stop called Carl's Corner on I-35E north of Hillsboro. That place burned down once, and I'm not sure if it was rebuilt. Not sure about the fate of the the frogs.)

April Fool's Prank: I Shot My Husband

"The next thing I know the law was everywhere. [Pause] The response was excellent." That's almost poetry.

And the guy sounds like the preacher at the end of Napoleon Dynamite.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I like the Star-Telegram but they are trying to make it big news that the Colleyville teacher/student scandal was initially discovered by the student's dad who used an iPhone tracker to find the two of them together on a park bench. I promise Fox 4 had that story, and that cell phone angle, over a month ago. 
• I bought Tim Cowlishaw's Drunk on Sports e-book. Good stuff so far. It's bizarre how so many alcoholics refer their condition as a "love affair." 
• Magic Johnson's son came out of the closet last night which normally wouldn't be a blip on my radar screen. But the guy went full throttle as TMZ has a picture of him on Sunset Strip carrying a purse and wearing a mink coat. 
• Before going to sleep last night I looked up and saw that Mrs. LL was watching Pineapple Express on some commercial channel. The networked had altered the cussing but didn't have any issue showing a guy getting his brains blown out. America is really weird about its acceptance of violence. 
• Well, we had to find a new home for the Puppy-Saved-From-Death-Row.  It wouldn't stop chasing The Family Cat (despite the cat giving it vicious right hook with claws out at the end of every chase), and The Family Pup wouldn't stop fighting with her. Throw in that she ripped the weather stripping off the back door frame and two replacement strips in two weeks, and she had to go.
• The more of I see of the multi-million dollar improvements to the FBC of Dallas the more I'm embarrassed for them. 
• BagOfNothing has a video of an Easter Pageant going up in flames. I tell ya, if there had been a curtain close to that fire, the whole sanctuary would have burned down. And the Double Fake Jesus wasn't going to let a fire derail his performance.   
• Sports: (1) Josh Hamilton went 0-4 yesterday but did walk twice, (2) Nationals' Stephen Strasburg went seven innings, gave up no runs, and struck out three -- that guy is great but I still can't believe they "sat" him last year at the end of the season, (3) The Ticket discussed whether the Mavs game against the Lakers is one of the most important regular season games in Mavs' history. They have to be joking, (4) Baylor is in the NIT Final Four tonight, but it is 100% understandable that no one cares, and (5) video of Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey going nuts on Sunday. 
• Fox 4 had a special segment last night on the 20th Anniversary of the Branch Davidian fiasco in Waco. I think I missed the first few minutes because I couldn't get over that it had been twenty years. 
• Seeing a few headlines and interviews where it is noted that "prosecutors say threats come with the job." That's a big, big stretch. I prosecuted for ten years and received one vague threat. Two at the most. 
• With no leads three days after the murder of the Kaufman DA, I bet who ever did it is going to get away with it. 
• Looks like a Sheriff is having a bad day in Kansas: 

Boyd Stinks. Literally.

CBS 11 story.

Just Because

From The Email Bag

Anyone with details?

Edit: Identified as Jason Webb. (But a couple of folks refer to him Jason Mitchell.)

Never Watched "Buckwild"

But I've been meaning to. Those West Virginians seem crazy.

Story.

And On Friday, The First Pitch at the Ballpark In Arlington Will Be Thrown Out By . . . .

Texas Aggie Johnny Football.

Edit: Bigger news . . .

Edit: Am I the victim of April Fool's Day? I think the Johnny Football story is legit. I'm not so sure about the second one.

Edit again: As a commentor pointed out, a father of a Sandy Hook victim has been scheduled for a couple of weeks to throw out the first pitch on Friday.  The above report actually read that Manziel will throw out the first pitch on Sunday. My bad. I still think that's true. If I'm duped, so is Sports Illustrated. 

The Gang Of Four

Perry, Cornyn, Cruz, Dewhurst, . . . declare united refusal against Medicaid expansion in Texas" this morning. There are protesters outside.

Someone explain this to me. I'm guessing if you are poor, this ain't good.

(Photo source.)

Liberally Lean Tourney Update

Complete list.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• What a Baylor women beat down last night. Louisville couldn't miss, Baylor seemed disinterested, Baylor takes the lead with eight seconds left only to let it slip away, Kim Mulkey went ballistic over the officiating, Britney Griner was the victim of a two hour mugging, and now its done. (And Baylor is guilty of Over-Bannering its basketball arena, and the hanging of a "Sweet Sixteen 2013" will only serve to remind them of a National Championship that got away.)
• When did Easter become a gift bonanza like Christmas? Seriously, one of the Freshman-In-The-House's friend got an iPad mini. 
• The Update leads off with a motorcycle death in Bridgeport. That man and I were in the same graduating class in high school. 
• Since 1960, there had been 11 prosecutors murdered. Kaufman County has added 12 and 13 this year. 
• And we are assuming that there is a connection between the DA's killing and the assistant's a couple of months ago, but, I guess, there's a chance it is just a coincidence. (The cops aren't willing to make the connection yet. The mayor of Forney, on the other hand, didn't have any problem with doing so.)
• The killings are so unnerving. I even glanced around the neighborhood as I walked out of my front door this morning. That is soooo not like me. 
• There is no way I'm watching the injury to the player for Louisville men's team who suffered a compound fracture of his leg on national TV yesterday. It sounds more than gruesome. (Well, I did look it up. I just refuse to hit play.)  And here's a comprehensive article of how the media handled video that most people didn't want to see. 
• Everyone, well it seemed that way, got angry at Google yesterday for having Cesar Chavez on its homepage instead of a reference to Easter. Someone eventually commented on Twitter that "just because someone doesn't reaffirm your beliefs doesn't mean they are trying to offend you."
• I was at an Easter Brunch yesterday when a lady, believing I worked there, came up an started asking me questions. I actually tried to fake it until she asked if I could get her kid a candy egg that other kids were carrying around. 
• Christian Arts Museum in Fort Worth (wherever that is) has a life-sized "Last Supper" wax display.
• WFAA did a poll on the popularity of Tony Romo's new extension with the Cowboys. 82% disapproved it. Note to those that think that has any significance: Any poll which requires action on the part of the public (picking up the phone, voting online, texting a vote) will always favor the opinion which is the more emotional. Those are the only folks that care to vote. 
• I could hire someone to do my lawn, but I really, really enjoy mowing and edging. 
• One more sports point: That 30 footer by Michigan of Friday night to send the game to overtime against Kansas was insane. 
• It's the Beating that is April Fool's Day. Here is a list of most of the major pranks being pulled on the Internet today.