Police State 2.1

I'm reviewing a DVD in one of the cases I'm working on.

I can't believe what I just saw! A trooper training another trooper told him to go get an arrest warrant for a driver and fill it out a portion of it with with "blah, blah. blah, blah."

(Then again, maybe I should have expected to see it.)

By the way, can you make my job any easier than this? And can you make an honest prosecutor's job any harder? By the way, this was an allegation of a misdemeanor: Lying to a police officer!

(Note to prosecutor: It's around 14:31 of the video)

Edit: And runner up for the day is another video where the officer reads the DIC-24 in a DWI and changes his voice when he reads the part of "your license will be suspended" and then ends it with that he is "requesting a simple breath test." (He had already told him that he would take his blood if he wanted to.)  Good lord. Who is training these people in Austin?

Edit: I'm on my fourth video of the day. A veteran trooper calmly and politely tells the guy, "This is not a game show" when he is asking if he will submit to field sobriety tests. You, sir, are a genius. And I mean that. Maybe the best trooper I've ever seen in Wise County.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I'm not sure I've ever been so sick as I have been over the last week and half, yet I have no fever. And I'm still barely able to type all this out. 
• I post ELO's Mr. Blue Sky and then I'm not sure we've seen the sun since then. 
• But I did wake up to the song, "I can see clearly now, the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way."
• I mentioned a few days back about the hippie contractor who came over to redo the floors. What first got my attention was how he talked so fondly about Baja Mexico with such incredible delight. He then talked about how he had been to the same small village in Costa Rica that he had been to that Mrs. LL and I went to a few years back. When we were down there, a guy told me about the book Searching For Captain Zero -- it's about a guy who went looking for a buddy who was hooked on meth. Do you know what weird route the author of that book and my contractor took to get to Costa Rica? The Baja.
• I also spent time during my illness reading Michael Morton's book about his false imprisonment, Getting Life, due to a prosecutor who withheld evidence. 
• Sports: (1) TCU beat Baylor fair and square. Baylor was down to its third team QB but TCU's QB was playing on on leg, (2) Remember before the season I predicted that an Oklahoma team would win the Big 12? Boom. (3) Every time a network puts "rules official" Mike Pereira on the air to predict how and official review will end he is wrong, (4) Nothing was more scored earth than LSU's Les Miles when he went after the school's president and AD after they threatened to fire him but the public backlash  was so great they backed down. He said he wanted to talk to some people in a "back alley", (5) The movie Concussion which has the NFL in its cross-hairs looks great. 
• Do you guys realize that our Texas Governor is meeting with Cuban Communists!! Communists!
• Fed Ex and Amazon need to merge. 
• Pastor Keith Craft, in my opinion, looks like he is on steroids. 

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I'm still battling sickness, but I think I may have turned the corner. Note to self: Don't try to run a Turkey Trot when you are sick. It will not end well.
• I'm probably not as sick as Tony Romo is this morning.
• I went and saw a doctor a couple of days ago who just happens to be African American and who has the attitude Wanda Sykes. We actually had a mini-war between the two of us and she said at least twice, "Don't you cut your eyes at me!" as I looked at her with slight disdain. (Even though she did tell me to, "Walk down the hallway past those people and turn around and come back" in which I told her "No, I will not." She replied with an angry voice of a black woman, "Oh, yes, you WILL." I did it.) I love that woman.
• There is one person in this world who thinks I'm faking this illness. I don't know how that is possible. And, as someone can confirm, you do not want to be in my figurative cross-hairs.
• If you camp out for Black Friday, you aren't very smart. 
• The floors in my house are a mess and haven't been replaced in 15 years. We had an independent contractor come over to give us an estimate to replace them and he was fascinating. Somehow we ended up talking about Costa Rica and I learned he had been to the same small village Mrs. LL and I stayed in years ago. He was an older an unusual guy and obviously a former hippie. I had a bizarre "feeling" and actually asked him if he was part of the book "In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer's Road Trip Beyond the End of the Road." He denied it but I'm not sure I believe him because he paused a little too long. The "end of the road" part of the title refers to the obscure village.
• Georgia Sheriff is catching some heat:
  
  
• The Texas Tech/Texas game was beyond fantastic. And the little-guy-hiding-behind-the-line play that Tech used to seal the game may have been one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen. (And watching Coach Bro celebrate made me smile.)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

"We are going to fight until you can't fight no mo'"

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• If I taunted the Flu God a few weeks back, I would like  to apologize. I think he may have struck me down with great vengeance and furious anger.
• I feel sorry for Mrs. LL having to take care of me. I'm not a good patient.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I just tortured you: I want you to have the above image embedded in your head all day while you also hear Dixie playing in the background. (But kind of hot?)
• The Taiwanese Student In The House thinks I'm funny. My life is now complete.
• The mistaken-clock-bomb student, Ahmed Mohamed, now has lawyers who are demanding a combined $15 million form the City of Irving and Irving ISD.  Note to the lawyers: You appear as morons to the public. And, in my opinion, you are morons.
• Donald Trump said he "saw" people cheering in New Jersey during the 9/11 attacks.  Ben Carson said he saw the same thing. (This guy is a brain surgeon?).  Chris Christie said it might have happened but he might have forgotten it. Can the Republican race get any more insane?
• If you want more proof that football will be dead in 50 years, look no further than the way St. Louis Rams quarterback Case Keenum was treated after being knocked senseless. That is simply horrifying.
• The Dallas Morning News has finally called out "pastor" Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. How the deacons of that church have not fired him is beyond comprehension. 
• Game Change and Double Down are great books about politics. It explains how some people never see what is coming. 
• Sports: When the pre-season AP poll came out there were six SEC teams included in it which are no longer even ranked in the most current poll.
• An incredible photo of a Russian plane being shot down over Turkey this morning. 

The Perfect Couple Has Been Found!

I think we found this season's Homecoming King & Queen thanks to SMU & beloved rival TCU https://t.co/H3QYSkU6ui

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) November 23, 2015

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The Chinese exchange student is now in the house and, once she arrived, I learned she was actually from Taiwan. That caused me to do some quick research which only led me to great confusion since Taiwan is part of China. Does that make her Chinese? 
• She is a sweet and respectful girl. But you know the first thing she wanted to know? Our wifi key. And she spends most of her time staring at her phone. She's basically an American. And she speaks English better than most of the people I know -- including me. 
• Wait a second. No, she's not like an American! She can speak a different language! She is of a different religion! She doesn't look like me! She doesn't think like me! She has penetrated our borders! She might be a terrorist!!!!! Someone call Homeland Security!!!
• I'm going to beat her down with so many questions over the next week. If she doesn't eventually turn to the Two Girls In The House and ask, "What's that guy's deal?", I'll be very disappointed.
• I watched five of the six episodes of Fargo's Season Two this weekend. It may be the greatest  TV show I've ever seen. And I will have to got back and watch it again because I know I'm missing so much. 
• I also watched the first episode of Amazon Prime's show The Man In The High Castle. I was enthralled. The premise is that the U.S. lost World War II. Now, in 1962, the West Coast of the U.S. is controlled by the Japanese and the East Coast is controlled by the Germans. The middle of the country is a "neutral zone" which is occupied by minorities and Jews. Throw in the fact that there is a revolutionary group trying to distribute an 8 mm news reel that shows that the Allies actually won the war and my head almost exploded.  I have no idea what is going on.  (Oh, and the Japanese fear the Germans will drop an A-bomb on them once the peace loving Hitler dies. Yep, he is alive.) And that was just the first episode. 
• I mentioned last week that I was going to file the craziest Motion in the history of ever (and it would reference Bonfire of the Vanities and the Salami Theory in footnotes.) I did it, and here it is. It will probably only interest some Wise County lawyers, the Wise County Sheriff's Office, some Tarrant County prosecutors, lawyers and judges (especially once they see the name of the prosecutor). Oh, and maybe the Wise County Messenger or Star-Telegram if they need some content on this holiday week.  What? Someone is fighting against the dismissal of a criminal case? Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm not being paid a dime for that Motion or for anything else that occurs in this case in the future. 
• But what do I know? 
• I also watched Lucy this weekend. It is a movie about what happens if humans could access all of their brain capacity. It was a little hokey but the concept was fascinating. 
• "Romans 13 teaches that Government's role is different than man's duty: it is to protect citizens & ensure justice. Texas will abide." - Greg Abbott tweet yesterday. I take great comfort in that. "The Dude [also] abides." (Man, I miss Rick Perry.)
• Sports: (1) I said there was no way Baylor would beat OSU and they did with their third string quarterback, (2) I said there was no way TCU would beat OU and they would have if the two point conversion pass had been six inches higher, (3) TCU coach Gary Patterson always implies Baylor's Art Briles has players that are thugs but that cheap shot hit by TCU's Ty Summers on OU quarterback Baker Mayfield was borderline criminal, (4) I had a buddy place a $100 bet in Vegas for me in August on the over/under for TCU's total wins this season. If Baylor beats TCU on Friday, I win. And Baylor is only a 1.5 favorite based upon the Vegas' opening line.
• The M&M comparison on the Syrian Refugees is beyond dumb. The attempted analogy is this: We don't need to take in Syrian Refugees because one in a hundred might be a terrorists. So the simpletons make this analogy: If you had one hundred M&Ms in front of you and one of them might be poisonous, would you eat any of them? Sheesh. This isn't about candy. Let's put it this way: What if you had one hundred scared and homeless individuals in front of you and all they wanted to do is live in the United States? Would you turn all those tortured souls away because one of them might be a terrorist?
• You had more of a risk to your safety by getting into your car this morning than from a possible Syrian refugee terrorists. 

It's Friday, Let's Get Out Of Here

But not so fast . . .

Nice effort but you can't change your mind and go back. . .

Here we go. Let's get out of here in style . . .

Sneaky Llama In Bridgeport

This was at the "Center for Animal Research and Education, a non-profit big cat sanctuary in Bridgeport, Texas."

Amazingly, I found it on The Daily Mail. 

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• What?
• DPS, in order to keep better statistics, will have troopers actually ask the driver their race during a traffic stop. Oh, that will go well. (Not to mention the driver has absolutely no obligation to answer. But they do have every right to be offended.) This order, of course, came from DPS Director Steve McCraw who seems to embarrass DPS every chance he gets.
• Wise County has had seven tornadoes this year?
• Donald Trump wants to have a U.S. database composed of the identification of every Muslim in the United States. And they would be required to register. Didn't Nazi Germany require every Jew to register as well?  Good lord, is this real life?
• And remember he wants to deport every illegal alien, as well.  That's small government at its finest! Yet, he leads in the polls!
• What a crazy case: A Fort Worth oil and gas man received a life sentence for gunning down his girlfriend's  ex-husband in Benbrook. One month ago he didn't seem to concerned when he tweeted: "I own Minerals in Western Okla. That I would Sale. If interested, pattonenergy@gmail.com or 817-994-1961., Thanks JohnnyP"
• Looks like Santa Claus was putting the move on the ladies yesterday in Bridgeport.
• Hey, what was the purposed of the vaccination that kids in the 1960s had to get which caused a scab and then a permanent scar on your shoulder? 
• It looks like The Family Unit is going to have a Chinese student stay with us over the Thanksgiving holidays. It's going to be a girl. If it would have been a boy, I would have had him go up to the Senior in the House for the first time and re-create a scene from Sixteen Candles by asking, "What's happening hot stuff?"
• I took a quick glance at an episode of Fargo last night but didn't have time to watch the whole thing. I like the feel of the show. I may go on a watching binge tomorrow when the temperatures plummet.
• Sports: (1)With TCU's quarterback banged up, I haven't heard anything about Decatur's former quarterback who is on the team. What happened? He was in the battle for second string in the Spring and now he's not in the top three. (2) I can't imagine Baylor winning at OSU on Saturday night with a banged up QB, and I can't believe the line is Baylor +1. (3) I can't imagine TCU beating OU, either, (4) But just when you  think there is no way a team will win, it happens.

I've Always Thought He Would Prefer A Glock 9 mm

JESUS WOULD FIGHT FOR OUR SECOND AMENDMENT Taking concrete defense measures (ie. arming ourselves) away from... https://t.co/CRqFVwFrYx

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) November 19, 2015

And I love Internet photoshop humor . . .

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Jeff Lynne's ELO stopped by "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Wednesday to perform a pair of tracks, including a web-exclusive rendition of Electric Light Orchestra's 1977 hit, "Mr. Blue Sky."

Always loved this song, and throw in the small string section and fantastic back up singers and you have one heck or rendition of this song.

Every. Single. Story.

Now that's one heck of a newspaper.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Another attempted ATM theft -- this time in Irving. The method of operation was the same as yesterday: Steal a vehicle and then smash that vehicle into a convenience store.
• Our Governor tried to justify trying to keep Syrian refugees by citing to a story on Breitbart.com. I'll say it: I miss Rick Perry.
• It is estimated that Syrian Refugees could cause 1,184 murders in Texas in one single year. I'm sorry, I got that wrong. That's the number of murders committed in Texas in 2014. The governor might want to focus on that. (By the way, ISIS claims it has killed a total of 800 people this year across three continents. And it's not ISIS we are talking about seeking refuge. We are talking about Syrians fleeing a horrible situation.)
• I've been told time and time ago I must watch the FX series Fargo and that the second season, which is currently ongoing, is fantastic. I'm assuming the episodes are available online. 
• There was a 4.7 earthquake in Oklahoma last night which has been reported to have lasted for several seconds. 
• I left early the other day for work and went back to the bedroom where Mrs. LL was still asleep. She woke up, looked at me, oddly told me my hair looked good, and even more oddly used the Chinese word for "hair". She would go back to sleep and later had no memory of the event. 
• I'm still not clear on the facts, but a cop tackling a female lawyer from a prominent Dallas law firm in her own Southlake lawn when she was not accused of a crime (her son had smoke weed) will lead to the Southlake PD getting sued. 
• I had a nightmare that bagofnothing.com has complained about recently. I actually bolted up from sleep because I dreamed there was a horse in the bedroom and he was leaning down with an open mouth to bite a sleeping Mrs. LL. Now that qualifies as a nightmare.
• A new lawyer got his feelings hurt by a blogging lawyer and fired off a "cease and desist" letter where he referred to himself in the third person. The response by the blogging lawyer is beyond entertaining.

Muslim Patent Lawyer Surprises Fox News With Outfit

Back story with with pictures right before it happened and why she did it.

(Donald Trump said he would shut down a house of worship in America?)

Edit: And for those who call it "flag desecration" you incorrectly believe that the "Flag Code" applies to private individuals. How else is it legal to burn your own personal American flag if you so choose? See Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989)

Get Me This Relaxed Dog!!!

HELLO LAND DOG! I AM SEA DOG, NICE TO MEET YOU! pic.twitter.com/dULWYrrQ5e

— Baby Animals (@BabyAnimalPics) November 18, 2015

The War On Christmas Got Off To A Big Start This Year

"Hail, Satan?"

I've been trying to figure out if they are saying something else, but I can't.

I'm insane now.