Above The Fold

Five Minutes From Announcement To Cancellation

Friday evening.

I'm guessing it had been cancelled before the first tweet. 

Babes In Toyland Taking You Into The Weekend

And Another - Pennsylvania

And 2013 comes in with a knockout blow right before the deadline. Story.

He'll Never Win, But He'll Be Entertaining

Fund Obamacare? Whose side are you on? https://t.co/SPbe20LS1A #tcot #teaparty #gop #txsen #DuckDynasty #PajamaBoy pic.twitter.com/b4XCtyD3Xv
— Rep. Steve Stockman (@StockmanSenate) December 20, 2013

The Gift Of Receiving Gracefully

A wage is earned. A reward is deserved. But a gift is neither. 

Thoughtful column by Gordon Keith in today's Morning News.

"The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty"

That's the name of a movie that's about to be released which is based upon the (very) short story which appeared in the New York Times on March 19, 1939.

You can read it here. It's quirky and good. And you can just see Ben Stiller while reading it.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The President freed two Texans who were serving life sentences because of our insane War on Drugs.
• A public relations challenged DA in Pennsylvania issued a press release announcing he had arrested Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer for Flying While Intoxicated )which explained why his nose was red.)
• It's Constitutional Law 101 that "Freedom of speech" protects your from government sanctions but not private retribution. Yesterday Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and even Ted Cruz didn't understand that as they cited free speech in the Duck Dynasty controversy.
• And that Duck Dynasty controversy turned into a beat down yesterday. Still the best thing that ever happened for that show and A&E.
• In what must have been an afternoon delight, the Wellington Skyrockets won the Class 1A Division II state title yesterday at Cowboys Stadium. (Rimshot followed by "rock me")
• The Sophomore in the House came in with oversized sunglasses outlined with flashing Christmas lights. I asked her, "Who are you, Elton John?" Her response: "Who?"
• We've got family staying for the weekend including a ton of kids. Mrs. LL told me what events I had to attend but, other than that, I'm free to disappear. 
• Three of my last four Petitions for Discretionary Review to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals have been granted --  including one in a DWI case this week. (If you know what that means you'll probably be impressed.) Last year, the court only granted 6.4% of all Petitions. 
• Isn't it that special time of year where riots break out over Air Jordans?
• I haven't received a speeding ticket since 1991.
• There was a big motorcycle chase in Wise County last night.  Jail records indicate it was 23 year old out of Krum. 

Let Me Make An Exception

I was getting a little worn out of news crews covering surprise return home visits by veterans to their kids in school.  Just seemed to be cheapening it somewhat.

This one gets a pass.

Random Football Violence From Last Weekend

This resulted in a season-ending broken jaw and a fractured vertebrae for one guy, and a $25,000 fine for the other (but no flag.)

Law enforcement news

	WFAA TV (@wfaachannel8)
12/19/13, 1:33 PM Central Texas deputy fatally shot while serving warrant bit.ly/1dSI1AT

And, Meanwhile, In India

Story.

Pajama Boy?

How do you plan to spend the cold days of December? http://t.co/Rwf5AYc3bG #GetTalking pic.twitter.com/PBQ397yLf4
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 17, 2013

Man, I completely missed this. The President sent out this tweet a couple of days to encourage people to sign up for Obamacare.

I had no idea this guy dressed in a onesie had become the object of conservative humor. But he is a pretty easy target.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• So some guy on Duck Dynasty makes anti-homosexual remarks so the network suspends him? I'm serious when I say this: I think the A&E Network was caught off guard by the comments but then decided to do a publicity stunt with the suspension. His words come as no surprise, and his audience will rally to support him. So why else suspend him other than to grab headlines? The publicity that the show is getting this morning is both outrageous and priceless.  This is all an orchestrated charade. 
• In the last eight years, only four of almost 2,700 UT Law students have failed the bar exam at least two times.  Two of those four students are children of state lawmakers who may have peddled their influence to get their kids admitted to the school in the first place.
• Kidd Kraddick is on the cover of  D Magazine's January issue with an accompanying long article about "his secret". It is fantastic, riveting, and a must read if you have any interest in the guy at all.  But I've got a feeling that article only scratches the surface of a complicated and tormented guy.
• There was a wreck on 380 in Bridgeport yesterday and, if my math is correct, there were seven people in one of the cars. 
• A Waco Grand jury cleared Baylor football player Ahmad Dixon of any wrongdoing after a September arrest. He was suspected of assaulting a guy he thought broke into his apartment (no medical attention was needed) . TCU coach Gary Patterson is not impressed. (Patterson thought Dixon should have been suspended.)
• Funny line heard on the radio yesterday about the "Jesus was white" controversy: "If God could pull off the virgin birth, it's not hard to believe he could make Jesus white, too." 
• I'm not a basketball fan, but I love  rules and their interpretation. That's why I find this full court pass and shot with .3 on the clock (which was made but waived off) so fascinating. Who knew there was a specific rule when there was .3 or less on the clock?
• A positive sign for Republicans: A shocking number of people (72%) consider "big government" the biggest threat to the U.S.  They've been preaching it for years. They would be smart to run with it.
• The Dallas Observer blog got tons of hits, and sucked in The Drudge Report by claiming that Texas highest criminal court had approved search warrants based upon "future crimes." And although the Minority Report type headline gets attention, nothing could be further from the truth. That was one line from the dissent, and the majority opinion didn't address the issue. 
• I think Will Ferrell is funny. I liked Old School, Step-Brothers, his bit in Party Crashers. his very small role in the greatness that is Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, A Night At The Roxbury (very underrated), and Talladega Nights (his best).  But here's a confession: I thought Anchorman was average at best, and I may be giving it too high of a ranking.
• Stumbled upon the old Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song last night. I promise that if you played that for a 20 year old today, she/he would have no idea who 90% of the people referenced in the song are. (Dinah Shore, Rod Carew, Bowzer.) We be getting old, people.
• Probably the greatest ending to any TV show was that of Six Feet Under. 
• We've got a new "And Another" out of Wylie but with no details and only a bad book-in photo.
• UT has appointed an eight person "advisory team" to help the athletic director in selecting a new football coach.  It looks like they chose people who are in fields completely unrelated to football.

Why We Need Obamacare

(Source) A former Cirque du Soleil acrobat broke his neck instead of a world record when he attempted to flip through 10 panes of glass.  Jesus ‘Half Animal’ Villa, from Las Vegas, slammed head-first into the glass in July and has spent months in hospital recovering.  The daredevil now hopes to raise $100,000 to help pay for his ‘ultimate comeback’. He already had a successful operation in July this year and but needs help with the costs which would also cover nursing and physical therapy.

If a hard working American -- who just happens to be the worst at what appears to be a noble profession -- has to beg to get his medical bills paid then there's something wrong with this country.

(It's a good thing I didn't know about this before it happened. I'd bet big money that a guy named "Jesus" and "Half Animal" would have pulled it off.)

For Ticket Fans Only

I know I've got a lot of Ticket fans who visit so I thought I'd point out that D Magazine just released an article from its December issue: Twenty Years Of Ticket Radio

Pretty Funny Coach Rant From Last Night

It gets pretty good around 2:40. Although there's a pretty funny line around 1:40.

That's Barry Hinson of Southern Illinois.

My Year End List of Worst/Fraudulent/Sparest/Self-Important People In America

• Sheriff Joe - If the KKK held an election for a sheriff, he'd win in a landslide
• Nancy Grace - If charges are filed against you, you're guilty
• Sean Hannity - Doing a bit all the way to the bank
• Rush Limbaugh - Ditto
• Mark Cuban - Living off dumb Yahoo! money for over a decade
• Lane Kiffin - He could make Baylor 0-11 next year as a head coach
• Dennis Prager - Thrice married pseudo intellectual radio host who thinks college will corrupt you because you're not smart enough to develop your own belief system.
• Ben and Skin - Sports radio personalities on The Fan who specialize in unfunny bits
• Joe Jamail - His days as a UT bully are numbered
• Judge Jerry Ray - Retired judge who didn't understand that a Fort Worth jury understood DWI law more than he did
• Sen. Lindsey Graham - He's a dumb Ted Cruz
• Joel Osteen - I'm finally on to this guy
• Harry Reid - The Democrats need him as a spokesperson like they needed Tip O'Neill
• Chris Berman - Even once he retires from ESPN, he will never leave this list
• George P. Bush - Trying to capitalize on a name that can't be capitalized upon 
• Greg Abbott - A bigger fraud and panderer than Rick Perry. And I didn't think that was possible
• The Family Cat - But she's better than she used to be
• Dan Patrick - the Texas Lt. Gov. candidate, not the sports guy
• Craig Watson Watkins- He became Dallas DA in a shocking Democratic takeover and, despite not being able to spell Penal Code, they may never be able to get rid of him
• Mark Levin - Right wing radio host who makes me think, "Why are you yelling? You're a foot from me." 
• Dennis Miller - realized he could avoid irrelevance by hate filled rants for the Fox News crowd
• Robin Thicke - Does he realize he'll have to sing that song for the rest of his life?
• Clarice Tinsley - I hold her personally responsible for that horrible Fox 4 bit of reading viewers' reaction on Facebook on a flatscreen and then reading comments from her phone

Edited with reader suggestions:

• Ken Anderston - Former Williamson County DA responsible for wrongful imprisonment of Michael Morton
• President Obama - The only shock is that it took the commenters over five minutes to add him.
• Me - For inaccurate sports predicting and ambulance chasing. (Obviously from someone who knows me so very, very well.) 
• Daniel Snyder - Redskins owner
• Rowdy - Cowboys' mascot and should be a Hall of Famer on this list
• TxDot engineer who designed 287/350 interchange
• Tom Bishop - former constable
• Decatur PD
• Justin Beiber - I should have thought of him
• Kathleen Sebelius 
• Rage 
• Michael Bloomberg - Billionaire mayor of New York who wants to deprive you of sodypop
• Martin Bashir - Basically fired from MSNBC for Sarah Palin comments
• Alec Baldwin - Fired from MSNBC for homophobic slur at photographer
• Richard Simmons
• Intern who made up the names of the pilots of the Korean Jet that crashed in SF - I couldn't disagree more. This guy was a genius.
• Montague County Sheriff Paul Cunningham - nominated by employee. Make that a disgruntled employee.
• Gretchen Carlson - Fox News blonde
• Ann Coulter - Can't believe I forgot about her, but she's got a much lower profile these days.
• Turf - The Bridgeport/Decatur rivalry never gets old
• Testosterone cream - Ok, that was funny.
• Doug Fulwood - former Decatur band director. (Man, we're getting deep into this now.)
• Eric Holder - What took you guys so long?
• Nancy Pelosi - Ditto
• Wendy Davis - Ditto
• Joe Biden - Ditto
• Piers Morgan - I really like this CNN guy.
• David Dewhurst - I would have put him on my list but it's just too dang obvious.
• MzChief - Her recent appearance guaranteed a nomination. 
• Repete - Call back joke regarding a WFAA weather graphic
• Real Housewives of [Anywhere] - Not a bad selection
• Toronto Mayor Rob Ford - How dare you nominate him, sir!
• Sarah Palin - She made a strong push to make my list with her War on Christmas book, but overall she was quiet this year. 
• Courtney Stodden - Oh, come on. She has something to offer. 
• John Cornyn 
• "Speaks volumes" guy and the guy who uses "Obammy"
• "Simon Cowell Nicki Minaj Lady Gag - not mispelled" - They are so far off my radar that I didn't even consider them
• Walter White - Don't even joke about including him. Especially since he died in that car and had that lengthy revenge dream. 
• Britney Spears - The official LL girl? No way.
• "And Another" Teachers
• The Decatur Beggar - It's not nice to dogpile at Christmas time.  
• "John Holmes Ghost" Guy - He pushes the envelope, but he's got a little something
• Wordkyle - Let the record reflect he finally made the list at 3:22 p.m. 
• "Snow monkeys - The Double Fake Nolan Ryan" - Hey, they may be your nemesis, but they are just lovable little creatures to the rest of us.