I Get Some Odd Mail Sometimes

That was it.

Irrelevant sidenote: Since the communication deals with "water" and "Rhome", I had forgotten that the top of the city's water tower looks like this from the air.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• There were thirteen death notices in the Update yesterday.
• Some guy in our district court, who was either there as a defendant or supporting one, looked at my shoes and said something like, "There's a lot of oil there." What did that mean? Something to do with leather? 
• These were the two most circulated photos last night: Johnny Football with hot chicks at Fenway Park, and Rick Perry looking like he was about to die sitting across from the President. But probably the craziest one was one of all those police cars that were on the residential street where an alleged killer was on the loose around Houston.
• My stomach is better. Not perfect. But better. 
• NBA: Mark Cuban was in a Florida club last night signing an offer sheet with Houston Rockets restricted free agent Chandler Parsons for three years and $45 million. The Rockets will have the absolute right to match the offer which they'll do if LeBron goes back to Miami with Chris Bosh, who the Rockets have a huge offer out to. Then Cuban will have gotten nothing. 
• Someone wanted me to read a Michelle Malkin article yesterday on the immigration process so I glanced at it and, as expected, it was the same basic rhetoric. But most of her facts on the issue were based on this: "An attorney who worked as a law clerk in the Fifth Circuit shared his firsthand experience with me several years ago." Look at the phrase in the Fifth Circuit and not on the Fifth Circuit court. That could be anyone. Isn't a private law clerk working in Decatur who later gets licensed and moves away "an attorney who worked as a law clerk in the the Fifth Circuit" (since Decatur is in the Fifth Circuit.) Not sure why that jumped out at me so much. 
• The Family Pig might be the most well behaved of all the living creatures in the house -- human or otherwise. And it likes Cheerios for snacks. 
• The President had a long day yesterday. And I'll agree that its crazy that we let presidents use so many taxpayer resources on fundraising but they all have done it. 
• Julian Castro, the Latino mayor of San Antonio, was overwhelming confirmed by the Senate yesterday to be lead the Housing of Urban Development. But Sen. Ted Cruz voted against him. Why? (Cornyn voted in favor of him.)
• Israel is blowing up the Gaza Strip. Or seems like it.
• I didn't know until yesterday that Sarah Palin has threatened to leave the Republican Party. With the exception of short interviews on Hannity, she basically doesn't have that big of a forum these days. 
• I didn't even know the Dallas Morning News had a dual paid website (that they are now shutting down.) But I think it's funny that the News' reporter supposedly interviews the News' Chief Marketing Officer and has to act objective with sentences like, "He declined to provide the paid website’s traffic and number of subscriptions or to disclose the company’s total investment in the project." Hey, that story is nothing more than a press release.  
• "Google exec’s heroin death on yacht brings arrest of woman police say is call girl." That'll make you do a double take. 
• If you watch an old episode of Hard Knocks when Wade Phillips coached the Cowboys, you'll be stunned at how uninspiring he was. Or maybe it'll all come back to. "Let the Cowboys ride!"

Everyone Straighten Up! We've Got A Guest In The Metroplex!

.@GovernorPerry will travel w/ President #Obama to @DallasLoveField http://t.co/oZERg9Xuli #dfwnews pic.twitter.com/e9f0eRaBM4
— CBSDFW (@CBSDFW) July 9, 2014

Air Force One is always an awesome sight. Welcome to #DFW, Mr. President! pic.twitter.com/m1sUDTEzAh
— DFW Airport (@dfwairport) July 9, 2014

From earlier this week:

Say What?

BREAKING - Cedar Hill officer set on fire at the Wingstop parking lot... more details to follow
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) July 9, 2014

Brazil Reactions From Yesterday

America

The President shaking hands with a guy wearing a horse head. In Denver.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Stomach ache. Day two. This is weird.
• Missed this yesterday: Wise County was selling around 100 foreclosed property at auction. Is a massive sale the best way to do it? Does that bring out the most buyers or is that too much supply at once?
• Wise County has suddenly turned into the War on Drugs capital of Texas based upon recent trials.
• Jesse Ventura's defamation lawsuit against the "American Sniper" is a little bizarre. No question Chris Kyle had trouble with the truth but he's dead. Let it go. 
• The older I get, the more I hate Texas summers.
• The right wing went nuts when Costco, for whatever reason, pulled the book "America: Imagine a World Without Her" off the shelves. Wait. Hobby Lobby has rights that deserve defending but Costco doesn't?
• I know nothing about soccer but that beat down of Brazil by Germany was crazy.
• I bought some new headphones for jogging. They arrived. They are pink. I have no idea how that happened but Mrs. LL will end up with a new present. 
• Now we have neighbors coming over to see The Pig In The House. 
• The Ticket's Craig Miller participated in a triathlon while he was on vacation. He wrote about it at length, and it sounds impossible. 
• I'd love to hear a conversation between President Obama and Perry.
• Me the other day to the Sixth Grader In The House: "I'm glad I don't have to put on a uniform every day." Her: "Uh, you kinda do." Dang it,
• I haven't thrown up this morning. I kind of wish I would.

Above The Fold

Not That What They Look Like Makes It Any More Tragic But Whoa

Bond set at $1 million for Josh Beard. Charged w/cap mrdr in death of gf's daughter - Tylea Moore. Pic from prom. pic.twitter.com/rSVuP6NbJD
— LARI BARAGER (@laribaragerfox4) July 8, 2014

Those Open Carry Folks Will Eventually Cause An Incident - Rightly Or Wrongly

They are technically correct in most states (this is said to be Vancouver, Washington) but, man, this is going to end badly one of these days.  I would think most of these folks are very politically conservative,  but I'm not even sure about that.

Some Gal From TCU Making You Miss The Holiday Weekend

Random Baseball Analysis

This was making the rounds this morning. I may need my Baseball Nemesis to clarify a couple of things.

Is this really a great play by Jeter? Doesn't the shortstop always move to second when the runner at first takes off? Isn't that what the runner expects? And wasn't that guy sprinting to second on this hit-and-run regardless of what Jeter did? I think he would have been thrown out any way even if Jeter didn't do the fake catch.

New Reality Show Has Strangers Getting Married

And they get to decide after four weeks whether to stay married or get divorced. Sign me up! I'll have three divorces in the months but, hey, it's all in the rules.

The contestants . . .

 No question. Might even try to talk her into week five. 

 Three weeks and I'm out. High maintenance. 

I'm sleeping with one eye open. Huge chance of being on the crazy train.

Midland On The Brink!

Story.

And Another - Houston

Story.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• My stomach is killing me this morning. That's unusual for me. 
• The pot bellied pig project is a success so far. I think. And the coolest thing is that The Family Pup and The Family Cat are very protective of it. I think they are very confused by it. 
• The head of the Dallas County Republican Party, Wade Emmert, is filling in for Mark Davis this week. Yesterday he said the most "compassionate" thing America could do to for those children south of the border would be to build a wall. Strange concept of compassion. 
• The Republicans will announce the host of next year's Convention which is currently down to Cleveland or Dallas. I think they'll chose Ohio for political reasons. The GOP needs Ohio. 
• A naked Prince Fielder in ESPN's "body" issue. 
• I just threw up. (Not from the Fielder pic, but from the stomach issue.) 
• Gov. Perry and President Obama issued dueling invitations for a meeting neither one of them cares to have. 
• Nothing wrong with fundraisers, but this sentence in the Update is vague: "All assigned tasks must be within reason."
• I jogged yesterday and got way too hot. I'm not sure I can do summer jogging any longer. That's depressing. 
• Low flying jet at England air show. Oh, my.

Ain't no party like a Southwest Texas State* party cause a Southwest Texas State party don't stop.

* I refuse to acknowledge the new name after the University of North Texas was denied the right to it. (Which I'm sure happened but can't finding anything to back me up.)

Crazy Scene On My Street Saturday Morning