Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I saw that Fuzzy's Tacos in downtown Decatur has a big sign out that says, "Now Hiring." Someone explain to me why twenty-somethings aren't beating down the door to get the job.
• The minor league baseball team, the Bridgeport Bluefish (of Connecticut), will leave after 20 years because the city is converting their stadium into a concert venue. The organization is now considering a move to a different state which includes Texas. I know the perfect town. There just needs to be a small baseball park that could be used for years to come for them and others. 
• I'm sure this device was accurate. But I love the name.
  
• I forgot to mention that the Dallas Stars officially came out against the "Bathroom Bill." It sounds like it won't pass in the Special Session because it is so insane. 
• One of my many regimented routines of mine is to watch the recorded NBC nightly news every day when I get home. I'm not sure I've ever been happier when the College Sophomore In The House put down her phone yesterday and got locked into it with me. And, to make my day even better, in the middle of it she asked, "Do you like Trump?" 
• Please tell me he is not talking about nuclear weapons this morning:
  
• I've noticed that in the last month he doesn't put a space after the comma. 
• Trump better mean ground troops. How do people not realize that using only ground troops that the U.S. or China could take over North Korea in 24 hours without using a plane, bomb, or missile? 
• I would love to be part of what goes on behind the scenes at a newspaper. The Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy wrote a column praising our local Sheriff for opposing DPS's decision to charge counties and municipalities fees for lab testing. Yet the paper ran an editorial that said "It’s reasonable for them to pay a portion of lab fees. They should get used to the idea and plan accordingly." Or perhaps they don't talk at all. 
• Texas Aggie play by play man David South will retire after this year. He was the first "homer" broadcaster I ever heard and I loved it.
• When the media reports that any Dallas Cowboy (or any pro player) "worked out after practice was over" or "played on the field before practice with his kids" they are doing it because the cameras are there.  It's like when the team visits a hospital. When you do it when the cameras aren't there then I'll be impressed.

Tone Deafness At Its Finest

The 8% references the Texas "tax free weekend."

The official organization of the Texas District and County Attorney's Association doesn't understand why some people would want to save 8% on a tax free weekend.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Scary: "State law enforcement regulators shut down the Lone Star College System's police training academy, the second time in four years the state has forced closure of the beleaguered police academy over failures to meet state standards." 
• And Another (North Carolina):
  
• I had someone tip me off, with documentation, that DPS will issue a ticket for not paying a toll to NTTA (technically a private entity?) and a criminal case will be filed in a Justice of the Peace court. What I saw was stunning. I'll do a post on it today or tomorrow.
• Wise County Constable Doug Parr took a plea deal yesterday and will resign. Two thoughts: (1) The plea deal was fair and appropriate but that 40 days in jail as a condition of the probation really jumped out at me, (2) the Messenger  needs to be congratulated for exposing all of this in the beginning. That is why a free press is so important in the country. 
• The Ticket finally went off on FBC Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress this morning and said everything I have said about him for years. And I'll never not love this photo. Gordon Keith said this about it: "Jesus's selfie in front of Caesar was the first thing I learned about in VBS."
  
• I was listening to the radio this morning and heard a commercial for "flavored" mouth guards for athletes. And it said that for everyone purchased one would be donated to a "needy athlete." I thought it was a joke, but it is real. 
• I saw someone else comment on the Decatur siren test at noon that, even though you knew it was coming, it caused a few seconds of anxiety due to the fear of nuclear war.
• The FBI raided the home of Trump's former campaign head as part of the Russian probe. That certainly is a witch hunt, right? 
• Some history: 
  
• The Mooch is about to start TV appearances. I cannot wait.
• There was a shooting in the parking lot of Stonebriar mall. I haven't read the story but I'll take a guess it was fighting over a parking space. 

I Can't Believe I Missed This

Column—Texas sheriff gets mad on Facebook, saves Texas counties $5.8 million via @RyanOsborneFWST @ToddWFAA8 #txlege https://t.co/KIF0XqXVNM

— Bud Kennedy (@BudKennedy) July 29, 2017

In this world of information overload, this column completely slipped past me. I was on the story of the DPS charges the moment it came out and complemented our Sheriff when the policy was revoked. But I missed this in the Star-Telegram. 

Nuclear War Talk

What do guys think about this article from 1981?

Above The Fold

Glen Campbell's Passing

I never thought much of him as a kid but he grew on me as time went by. And once he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, my fondness ramped up.

But I wrote years ago that this song has, in my very humble opinion, the two greatest lines in history.

And I need you more than want you.

And I want you for all time. 

Pure poetry. 

And who would have ever thought you could write a love song from the perspective of a county worker?

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Let's start today off with a few quotes from yesterday which should make us all fear like we've never feared before.
• Trump: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Uh, like the world has never seen? 

  

  Nagasaki on this day in 1945
• North Korea's state run media responded:  We will "turn the U.S. mainland into the theater of a nuclear war" at any sign of an impending American attack.
• Everyone feeling pretty good now?
• Let's check in on First Baptist Church of Dallas' pastor: "In the case of North Korea, God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong Un." That should make you fear this guy is a pastor.

• Maybe Trump was off his meds yesterday and we don't need to be concerned. Let's check on him this morning: 
• 
• Ummkay. And I didn't know you could update a bunch of nukes in six months. 
• Flashback to Trump from 2012: 
  
• There was an ad on The Ticket this morning paid by a conservative PAC which went after SMU for their 9/11 flag "controversy" and mentioned how Gov. Abbott was upset about it. 
• "If a baker doesn't want to sell [a cake] to a black person, I'm OK with that." - WBAP's Hal Jay yesterday at 6:54 a.m. You could almost hear everyone else in the studio stepping back. 
• Am I the only one who is surprised this is the same guy? 
  
• Road Rage is now creeping over to Valet Rage?: 
  
• I've got a Glen Campbell post going up in a just a little bit. 

My New Favorite Couple

Breaking it down to "Tipsy" like nobody's business.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• The Dallas Morning News laid off 45 people after they "outsourced" their advertising. 
• Heard in a courthouse elevator in Denton yesterday: "I'm sorry. It's just the voices in my head. I didn't take my medication."
• This is the result of a wreck yesterday of a spouse of a Wise County Courthouse office administrator. Not a scratch on him. And I heard a Decatur police officer went beyond the call of duty. Proof you should wear your seatbelt.
  
• Fox 4 News led with a story from over the weekend of yet another road rage case. A girl actually was shot in the arm. I'm now fascinated with watching how people drive and if there is a war going on between two cars. You can see it developing sometimes.
• There is a new arrest in the DART beating case. The easiest and simplest legal advice ever is this: Shut up. 
• 
• What an odd and horrible story: A sailboat on Lake O' The Pines in East Texas comes into contact with a power line and three Boy Scouts died. 
• This is a heck of a start for a court opinion that just came out. The result? Pay the man his money. 
  
• Trump has started his own network, "Trump TV". It's a modern day American version of Pravda. 
  
• I've dogged Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett for a couple of years for his "aww shucks" twitter account. It's a disguised and constant political ad.  Then he tweeted this out this weekend implying how poor he was back in the day. Uh, he went to private Baylor University for undergrad and went to the extremely high tone private Duke Law School. He is trying to con you. Being thrifty does not mean you are poor. And there are many, many people who could explain to him what poor is. 
  
• One of my favorite sayings when the kids (or Mrs. LL) keep an outside door open for more than five seconds during the summer: "Shut the door. You're letting the bought air out!!"

I May Have Remembered The Craziest Movie Of All Time

I had someone ask me, "If Siamese twins commit a crime and one is innocent and the other is guilty, do they both go to prison?" After the huge question mark which formed over my head was gone, I replied that I thought there was some crazy movie a long time ago which had that concept. 

It was then discovered this movie is what was in the back of my brain. I was really, really wrong about the concept.

But this movie definitely needs a remake.

Let's Check In On NFL Fans

This isn't even a game. It was practice.

Can't wait for the regular season.

Remember That Home Invasion In Fort Worth?

I haven't heard much about it since it happened. It was in a very affluent gated community. Here is the back of the house. You don't see one of those every day.

(Credit Mrs. LL for doing the double take.)

Edit: Someone pointed out this does not look like the back of the house of a high scale home. I agree. That is a screenshot from Fox 4.

This is the front of the home from the WFAA broadcast:

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• That was a crazy storm yesterday afternoon. I was able to catch a quick video of it at Lake Bridgeport. The wind made it look like the ocean. 
• I finally got to watch the 30 for 30 on the Lakers/Celtics. It was fantastic. I had forgotten (and did not know) so much of that. 
• A major Fox News personality has been suspended for allegations of sending inappropriate pictures of himself. 
  
• Uh, the requirement for grand juries is literally, and I do mean literally, in the Constitution. 
  
• Former Texas Governor Mark White died over the weekend. I learned that when he was governor the state's share of funding for public education was 67%. Today it is 38%. This whole front page is fascinating: 
  
• I've been watching the news on former Baylor receiver K.D. Cannon who left school early this year to enter the NFL draft. He went undrafted. He was then signed by the Raiders as a free agent and given $50,000. He was cut within one week. He then signed on with the Jets. Last week, he was cut on the first couple of days of training camp. I now see he has signed with Rams. He is a fantastic talent but he is incredibly wheels off. His Twitter feed is insane. 
• I've been preaching about how I've been seeing erratic driving and road rage lately. The Star-Telegram has this story of a guy pointing a gun at someone on the highway. Two things. What is that white thing on the end of the gun? And why wasn't the person recording the video paying attention to the road?! (There has to be a huge back story to all of this.)
  
• In other road rage news: 
  
• Jerry Jones' speech at his induction into the Hall of Fame was equally fantastic and crazy. (Mrs. LL was playing Hall of Fame Speech Bingo while she was listening.)
• Let's check in on Trump's mental health this morning: 
  
• I watched Crimson Tide for five minutes this weekend thinking I was watching The Hunt for Red October. But as far as "fear the Russians" movies go, they are now both really interesting to view.
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions statement regarding how he wants to stop "leaks" from the White House by going after the press is beyond astounding and shows a complete ignorance of the First Amendment. Sessions said,  "We respect the important role that the press plays and will give them respect, but it is not unlimited." That's not the way it works. That's not the way it works at all. 
• Speaking of interesting, I watched Frost/Nixon for the first time this weekend. Oh, my. If you care about the current state of politics and the press, go watch it now. Trump might just be Nixon but without the smarts.
• I loved this from King Barnett's obituary: "He lived life by his own quote, 'If you're not having a good day it's your own damn fault.'"

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

This is not from the Decatur Reunion. I repeat. Not from Decatur Reunion.

What every married guy sees before (and after) they apologize.

I don't care about her. I hope the ficus tree is OK.

More proof dogs are better than humans. 

I feel guilty for feeling so much joy out of this one. 

Are The Girls In The Back Horrified Or Impressed?

Bust a Move! The Dallas Mavs Dancer Auditions https://t.co/QeOGDWJlBK pic.twitter.com/bH8cSxX4cc

— Dallas Observer (@Dallas_Observer) August 3, 2017

Because I seriously have no idea.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Yesterday the girl who successfully encouraged the boyfriend to kill himself was sentenced to 15 months in prison. This may be one of the biggest free speech case since the flag burning decision in Texas vs. Johnson. 
• Heard a story on the radio yesterday (the Hardline) about how they were on a plane which was headed down the runway and, seconds before lift off, the pilot shut it down. That happened to Mrs. LL and I once and it is beyond unnerving. 
• They were headed to Canton for the Hall of Fame game. I went there a couple of years ago and getting to Canton ain't easy. And once you get there, your first thought is: "How in the world is this thing in Canton?"
• Dallas Morning News lede from yesterday: "A Houston police crackdown on men masturbating and exposing themselves in a park near downtown has led to the arrests of an FBI agent, pastor and a sheriff's deputy in recent years, authorities say." My head is spinning.
• I love the guy who called me out for posting the story about the grand jury being empaneled in the Russia investigation because "I" once said "a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich." First, did someone get indicted I don't know about? That story just means this investigation just got very serious. Secondly, that's a very old saying dating back to 1985 that I didn't come up with.
• Can you imagine Trump being called in front of a grand jury and being forced to testify before some of the best prosecutors in the nation? He would be advised by his lawyers to take the Fifth. But would he do it? 
• We had a guy flee a traffic stop in Decatur yesterday. Based upon the lack of information released, it sounds like he got away. 
• Did you know Kenneth Starr had never prosecuted anyone prior to going after Bill Clinton? And that he never personally talked to Monica Lewinsky? 
• The female doctor from Keller who died at the Grand Canyon after getting lost while going to look for water is referred to in every story as an "experienced hiker." It sure doesn't sound like it. 
• Sean Hannity's new attempt at humor with his "Final Word" is very puzzling. 
  
• Trump announced four more nominees for U.S. Attorney yesterday. That brings the total to 33. And 32 of them are men. Just 1 woman. 
• The more I hear people talk, the more I'm convinced people are having trouble making ends meet.  I don't know if it is suppressed wages or people spending every dime they make.
• When I worked in my dad's dry goods store as a kid, I got to learn the markup of everything that was sold. One thing I didn't understand was that the markup on Dickie's work pants was the smallest of them all. I asked my mom why. She told me that people who bought those work very hard and "your dad understands that."

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