10.26.2016

Let's Check In On Mark Cuban's Mavs




I've told you this mess was coming for years.
at 7:04 PM

This Couple's First Kiss Was At Their Wedding


I'm not sure how I discovered this. She tells the Twitter world that they were 29 years old and dated for 11 months.
at 11:46 AM

Always Interesting




I remember when we all freaked out when the Aggies agreed to pay Jackie Sherrill around $1.7 million on a six year contract.
at 10:16 AM

Above The Fold


Full readable page.
at 9:00 AM

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts



  • Former NFL player Dennis Byrd died last week. He was famously paralyzed for a time after an on the field which  at the time, as Sports Illustrated recounted, the first player to speak to him was Bridgeport's own Kyle Clifton. 
  •                         
  • There was a story making the rounds yesterday of a Whataburger mascot being a girl's Homecoming date. That's a planted, paid ad. Someone check the girl's family tree and see if anyone is associated with Whataburger's PR department. 
  • I didn't realize Boyd was having a beer and wine election.  At this point, why not? 
  • Frisco building four schools but not having the money to open them is beyond bizarre. 
  • Losing my desire to care about professional sports is something I wish never happened. But it finally dawned on me it makes no sense.  I can be entertained by a professional sport, but I no longer care who wins. I think age 35 was my point of transition. 
  • I might be out of pocket this morning as I tend to Mrs. LL who is having, uh, what I will refer to as the "Katie Couric Procedure." There will be no live telecast.
  • There was fake news about voter fraud in Tarrant County yesterday. Get back to me after 11/8 and tell me the Democrats won in Tarrant County via voter fraud. 
  • In this day and time when you can watch any type of entertainment on any type of platform, why is the only place you can watch Tower, the documentary on the UT shooting, is at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for three days in early December? Put it online and I'd buy it. 
  • I just learned this week that I have mispronounced "gyro" all my life. Fortunately, I think I've only said it three times. 
  • Man, Megyn Kelly of Fox News and Newt Gingrich got into it last night. Gingrich told her she was "fascinated by sex" (her expression was great) and she ended the interview telling him he could go work on his anger issues. (Political advice: A man berating a woman and mentioning sex is not exactly what the GOP needed right now.) 
  • Remember Wendy Davis? 
  • The ex-wife of Jared Fogle sued Subway and alleged on Monday that the sandwich chain knew about its former spokesman's interest in minors as early as 2004 but didn’t do anything to stop it. Am I missing something? Why is she suing? I think I missed that class that says an employer is liable to the spouse of an employee for not telling the spouse her husband is a bad guy. 
  • The former producer of Mark Davis' radio show is a Never Trumper as she reiterated last night. 
  • Whatever happened to Kay Bailey Hutchinson?
  • I'm a baseball idiot and looked up last night at the World Series game to see a pitcher for the Cubs with "Wood" on his jersey. My gut reaction was "Is that Kerry Wood?" whom I quickly discovered retired in 2012. Random news: While paddle boarding the next year near Chicago, Wood came upon a dead body the next year.
No Front Page
Because They Weren't Available
When I Left The House Before Dawn




/
at 8:30 AM

10.25.2016

Let's Analyse This, Shall We?


Baltimore Sun — A Connecticut man was charged with drug possession Saturday after Maryland State Police say they found 124 pounds of marijuana in his car.

John Paul Demorest, 67, of Waterbury, also faces drug kingpin charges and is being held at a Baltimore County jail on a $1 million bond. No attorney was listed in court records.

Police said that shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, officers pulled over a Chrysler minivan on northbound Interstate 95 near White Marsh, which was going above the speed limit. The trooper saw "several indicators of criminal activity" and called for a K-9 to inspect the car.

The K-9 alerted officers to the presence of drugs, and police said five loaded trash bags containing suspected marijuana were found in the van. The street value of the marijuana is about $620,000, police said.
 So what have we learned?

(1) There actually is a charge in Maryland called "Drug Kingpin"? That's a first. And you know, that's not a bad charge as charges go.  If the government is going to go after someone its only fair they formally call him a "Kingpin". I'd probably get a tattoo of the name later on.
(2) That phrase "several indicators of criminal activity" needs some exploring. They stopped a guy for speeding and then detained him on a drug investigation. That detention is only legal if they developed a reasonable suspicion in order to hold him for the drug dog. If they didn't have it, this guy is going free.
(3) Everyone have confidence in a "drug dog"?
(4) Why in the world are you speeding with 124 pounds of weed in the vehicle? That's enough to get his Kingpin card revoked. And if that's not enough, driving a Chrysler minivan should be.
(5) A million dollar bond? You kidding me? The Fort Worth middle school teacher charged with double murder has a million dollar bond.
at 2:52 PM

Story Is Mildy Entertaining But The Brief GIF Ad Is The Real Star





at 11:03 AM

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

  • I used to ask people if they recognized the vacation spot by looking at the background in the pic of the Random Thought Girl. Anyone? 
  • Oh, Walmart: 
  • A middle school teacher in Cedar Hill was arrested for a double murder in Fort Worth. Almost no facts have been released but I'm guessing that it is far from a cut and dry case. It involved a neighbor dispute, police originally detained a different person, the teacher wasn't arrested until the next day, and the teacher is a 13 year Air Force vet. (Side note: Fox 4 told me this morning that the victims had not been identified. The incident took place on Sunday! The ME's office would have published the names within hours. Heck, a 22 year old Azle man was shot and killed last night and we already know his name.)
  • Whether you agree with it or not, the interactive and constantly updated map of the projected winner of each state by FiveThirtyEight.com is fascinating. It doesn't take long to understand how the presidential election is all about a handful of states and which ones they are.
  • If Florida goes to Hillary, I bet every network will project her as the President the second that state's polls close. It could be a very early night -- as in 7:00 p.m. (Did you know Florida covers two time zones?)
  • There's a long read in D Magazine that looks interesting: Dr. Death - "Plano surgeon Christopher Duntsch left a trail of bodies. The shocking story of a madman with a scalpel."
  • I couldn't have named the lead singer of Dead or Alive (Pete Burns) who died yesterday, and I certainly didn't know he looked like this:
  • I'd like to know the amount of the settlement received by Ebola nurse Nina Pham. The lawsuit was a bit iffy to start with and her damages seem small (she's been healthy and back at work for a long time now.). I bet it's not that much. 
  • Former Tech coach Mike Leach had a hot sports opinion on Cubs fans: "Every yuppie with a BMW or some special attachment to its computer or some designer set of jeans or something like that is a Cubs fan, and refers to it as ‘my Cubbies'."
  • My nemesis Sheriff Joe may finally get beat in two weeks. 
  • I'm not real sure why a criminal defense lawyer running for DA is worthy of Texas Monthly's attention. That happens all the time. The fact that he's a Democrat and could beat a long time Republican incumbent is the story. 
  • I don't know what to take from the record breaking early voting that we are seeing. 


at 8:38 AM

10.24.2016

Tree Arrest News




The cop looking through the branches at the very end is my favorite part.
at 3:25 PM

Would Have Loved To See Clarice Tinsley Handle This


at 2:59 PM

Get Me This Dragon!



Daily Mail story.


at 11:33 AM

Gary Player and Yao Ming This Weekend



Not photoshopped.
at 9:47 AM

Random Monday Morning Thougts



  • Channel 5 had a story on . . . 
  • Compare and contrast: College football: Oklahoma 66, Texas Tech 59. NFL: Arizona 6, Phoenix 6.
  • Talk show host Mark Davis this morning told his listeners to vote straight ticket Republican. I'm stunned by the straight ticket part. Incredible. But so many people who should know better do it.
  • First overall draft pick Jared Goff has not played a single play. And the guy starting ahead of him is horrible. There was an episode of Hard Knocks which showed Goff working after practice on the end zone fade. Without the a defense, Goff took about 10 attempts before he actually made a completion. He may be just that bad. 
  • Trump this morning: The election and the polls are rigged.

  • I replaced the outdoor wall light fixtures this weekend. You know, that's a pretty good bang for buck investment. Side note: Any of you guys recommend a particular outdoor sealant?
  • I never watch The Walking Dead but based upon the buzz this morning the season premier may have crossed the line last night.
  • "The reward for information on Zuzu Verk's whereabouts or her safe return was raised Friday to $100,000."  Two things: (1) I can't find the actual details on providing information on her "whereabouts". It's got to have some qualifier or someone could just say, "Texas" and hope she is found in Texas. (2) Who in the world would now come forward when the reward reaches $100,000 when they wouldn't do so when it was at $1,000 or lower? You would either do it for free or not at all.
  • Baylor has played an easy schedule, had two bye weeks, is unbeaten and #6 in the Coaches Poll.  Hey, they could lose every remaining game because they may not be any good. But its fun being in this position all the way through October when almost all teams have at least one loss.
  • Amazon has an ad on the front page of the Star-Telegram website where it is seeking employees. I'm not sure I've seen such a high profile "help wanted" ad.


at 8:38 AM

10.21.2016

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

 In honor of the WNBA season coming to an end
 When ATVs Attack
 "Back and to the left"
"Respect"
I'm not sure the Five Second Rule works here
at 3:15 PM

Netflix Made An Original Movie About Me?

Presenting: Barry
at 12:38 PM

Watch For This Impending Texas Disaster


There's a lot of talk about education this week in Austin with much focus on school vouchers. Forget about vouchers. Remember the following two things which could rock Texas.

First, we are horrible at providing special education:



But what if the legal obligation of Texas not only to provide those services but what those services are to be has been wrong, inadequate, and illegal? The U.S. Supreme Court this term just decided to hear a case which might throw education in states like Texas for a loop:

If Texas is currently cheating the system by preventing students from having special education services, is there any question that the services they do provide is woefully inadequate?  It's simply refusal to pay the money. And the Supreme Court may tell schools next spring that they need to open up their pocketbooks.
at 12:01 PM

P.S. I Screamed Like A School Girl



From youtube: I was traveling from Indianapolis to Whitewater, WI for a practice weekend with Machine Ultimate. I was going 70mph (speed limit) on I65 north. I travel the 3-4 hours by myself every time and use singing as a way to pass time, and critique it later. At this point I was practicing a nasal type voice on a Casting Crowns song when the crash happened. I was watching the road and saw nothing that caused me to worry. Simply hydroplaned in a heavy rain. My car slid sideways, and then was completely backwards by the time I slid off the road and went down a small hill. I hit a mile marker sign (230) on my way off the road. Here are two of the most amazing parts: I sustained NO injuries. Not even a scratch. And my car took NO mechanical damage and is completely driveable. Only body damage.
at 11:23 AM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts




  • That Al Smith Charity dinner last night was better than all three debates.  I had it on and really didn't intend to watch it but it suddenly became can't miss TV. Mrs. LL noticed my "Oh, my!" face when I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 
  • Overall, Hillary and Trump took great and funny shots at each other. Trump's routine, however, had about a three minute section which caused him to be booed and some speechwriter to ultimately be thrown off the Trump Tower. Lines like “Here she is tonight, pretending not to hate Catholics,” did not play well. 
  • But the unintentional star of the show was Fox Business reporter Maria Bartiromo. It was mesmerizing. 
  • It used to be really weird that within a couple of days of when a guardrail was damaged there would be "Warning: Guardrail Damage" sign put out and then repairs would be almost immediately made. (It was weird because guardrail damage shouldn't be someone's #1 priority when driving.) Anyway, now guardrail damage lasts for months and months. The guardrails around the 380/287 exchange in Decatur look like a battle ground.
  • Former Tech coach Mike Leach said publicly that Arizona State steals signals and was promptly fined $10,000.
  • If you have any interest in whether the Cubs can reach the World Series, you have to find and see the 30 for 30 "Catching Hell" on the Steve Bartman incident. It covers everything from who Bartman was, how he ended up sitting there, what the rules are for fan interference, how the media inadvertently made him a target for horrible Cub fans, and where he is now. 
  • "Arlington police say pictures taken with phones stolen from a car were apparently backed up to the victim's computer."
  • The Supreme Court Effect of this election is in play because of the elderly age of some of its members. We all just assume that those positions are kept until death. Even I had forgotten that David Souter simply retired from the court seven years ago and is still active today.
  • Someone give me the names of the three Tarrant County assistant DAs who have left over the last couple of weeks. 
  • A girl claims to have found Bryan Cranston's new book in a bookstore at Love Field which was signed by him with an inscription and a receipt saying the book was free. Being the skeptic, I thought it was a genius publicity stunt by his publisher. (And it could be done in other airports as well.)  But Cranston was in Dallas on that date so it could be a single quirky gesture. 
  • The Palo Pinto County Sheriff was indicted. He was involved in a car chase that ended in a death that seemed a bit odd to me at the time. (I'll have to find my old link.)

at 8:39 AM
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