Liberally Lean From The Land Of Dairy Queen

4.16.2013

Lots Of Pop Culture Death

Yesterday:

Leave It To Beaver's Lumpy Rutherford

Today:

I Wouldn't Go To DFW Airport This Afternoon If I Were You

A "computer glitch" with the reservation system as American Airlines shut down nationwide until late this afternoon. And it looks like things just got worse.

I Don't Think The Decatur Livestock Market Is A Fan Of The President

Link.

Thanks, emailer.

Cheesy?

Couldn't you just write a check? In private? Without publicity?

New Video From A Runner

That would stop you in your tracks. So jolting.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

If you haven't seen the photo of the marathon participant in the wheel chair with a missing lower leg, I don't know whether to tell you to look it up (to understand the nature of the tragedy) or to avoid it (because it is heartbreaking.)
Fox 4's Clarice Tinsley said on the 9:00 p.m. broadcast last night that there were "five" unexploded devices discovered in Boston. Where did she get that figure?
And speaking of making things up, how in the world does the New York Post get away with announcing 12 were dead?
And what's up with this "Saudi National" who was a vague "person of interest." Wasn't there similar speculation after Oklahoma City? Do we not learn?
There were widespread reports after the bombing that the authorities had taken down the cell phone service to prevent a possible remote bomb activation. Others are now saying the system went down simply because it was overloaded with calls.
Within an hour after the explosions I sent a text to Thomas Aaberg who had ran the race. I appreciated the miracle of technology as a transmission came back from the depths of Boston during the chaos which read, "Yes, a little scared but in my hotel room."
I've ran in eleven half-marathons. Not once did I think about a bomb.
Lots of folks throw out the "what's the big deal" mantra pointing out that more people died yesterday in drunk driving crashes, gun violence, or cancer than because of the bombing. That mindset is amazing to me. If you don't understand the shocking nature of a bomb on a U.S. street, no one will be able to explain it to you.
April is a crazy month for America. Yesterday's Boston Marathon. Columbine High School. Oklahoma City and the Virginia Tech shooting.
Changing gears here, yesterday Greg "The Hammer" Williams, Richie Whitt, and Sybil Summers were fired from 105.3 The Fan. I could see Williams getting the axe because of missing work laterly, but I didn't see the other firings coming. And CBS Radio is a little callous as they began Williams' termination letter with "Dear Greggo:".
Local radio, TV, and print is a brutal business.
I saw an emergency vehicle going down 287 this morning. At least I think it was. Despite having the traditional red and blue emergency lights on the hood, it looked more like a pickup with a camper on the back. Anyone?
What's that huge building being built at the Tarrant County line on the east side of 287 at Avondale/Haslet road across from the Saginaw cutoff? Grocery store or a school?
Big oops from the Update: "CORRECTION – The substitute in Saturday’s story, 'Substitute dismissed after gym attack,' was misidentified. Billy Garvin, 44, of Bridgeport was not involved in the incident. The substitute teacher under investigation is Billy Garvin Sr., 66, of Bowie. The Messenger deeply regrets the error."

4.15.2013

Incredible

This is a New York Post headline. Everyone else is saying two dead.

Another video here and here.

It looks like this is where the explosion was . . .

Wise County Attorney Thomas Aaberg

He's fine, by the way. I exchanged texts with him. But now it sounds like they've shut down Logan Airport and cell phone service.

We've got at least one Wise Countian running in this

This sounds horrible.

Sounds Like We've Got A Developing Situation in Dallas.

Pregnant girlfriend shot. He's Now barricaded in house.

My Expert Masters Recap

It has manly spectators:

Dustin Johnson finished eight shots out of the lead. At least on the scoreboard. (With Pauline Grestsky.)

Video shows an assault which occurred on a public StarTran bus in Lincoln, Nebraska. According to the Lincoln Journal-Star, driver Troy Fischer, 43, was cited with misdemeanor assault, and has been fired following a city investigation of the incident. Fischer punched a 40-year-old man several times and physically dragged him off the bus, throwing him into the street and driving away.

A man can only put up with so much idle chit chat.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

Justin Beiber visited the Anne Frank House and signed the guestbook, “Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber.”
When Australian Adam Scott won the Masters yesterday, did I hear one of the commentators call him, "The Wizard Of Aus?"
I understand Tiger Woods being penalized for the illegal drop, but the PGA has to do something about the timing of violations. Every other sport has a violation called on the spot, whether right or wrong, and then the game goes on. To have a violation called the next day is silly.
One of my most embarrassing moments: When in my 20s I asked my buddies, "Where's the Masters being played at this year?" I still remember the stunning silence.
The Natalie Merchant concert was very good only because my expectations were lowered. Ninety-five percent of the concert was composed of songs I had never heard before. The encore, at least, had the crowd come alive as she sang These Are The Days.
But I heard people silently weeping during a song called, My Beloved Wife.
She initially walked out on stage to muted applause because most of the crowd didn't recognize her (me included.) A few more pounds and graying hair was the culprit.
As great as the Bass Hall is, they flash the lights to signal the show is about to start by having a lady with a long stick push a button by leaning over the bar.
A man shoots himself at the NRA 500 yesterday. Only in Texas.
Paradise model update.
The Mavericks celebrating by shaving their beards because they got to .500 is a testament to how far they have fallen.
You wake up one day and suddenly everyone is younger than you. And you really don't change that much from, say, 25?
Tourism alert: "Six strangled, one decapitated in Cancun."
My daily Dennis Prager rant: He had a show on Friday with this premise: "If you lower your expectations, you'll be happier." Despite being an obvious observation, he treated it like he had discovered electricity. And it's a childish basis to live your life by.
If that's all they've got on the Kaufman ex-JP who is a "suspect" in the Kaufman murders, they've got a long way to go. Here's the best coverage.
That Wise County wreck over the weekend makes me amazed at how safe cars are these days.
60 Minutes had a great segment last night on Marfa, Texas. There's a Prada shoe store on the highway which is always locked up.
What does this mean from the Update: "PARADISE CITY COUNCIL — A typing error will force the Paradise City Council to revisit last month’s decision to pay off the mortgage on City Hall at its regular meeting in that very building 6 p.m. tonight."
Steve Williams, the former caddie of Tiger, always knows where the camera is.

4.14.2013

I Can't Stop Reading This

As speculation grows that a former JP might be behind the DA killings in Kaufman County (I'm very skeptical by the way), Mrs. LL found this story about the JP's conviction from a couple of years ago.

Please grade the writing skills of the reporter. It's like a crash between John Grisham and a First Grade Reading Book.