Random Star Telegram "Cheers and Jeers"

Probably a minority just looking for another handout, right?

Edit:  Someone in the comments has posted a link to a Linkedin profile of someone from Arlington who has a similar name. I have no idea if that is the same person. But if it is, someone just spiked my snarky and sarcastic comment right back in my face. 

Index after 11/22/63

Above The Fold

Get Me This Baby Fox To Take Me Into The Weekend!!!

Source.

(Oh, come on. It's the beginning of the Holiday Season. That thing is cuter than most Random Thought Girls.)

Firing It Up For The Weekend!

Wise County Crime Report - 1954

I post this primarily for one reason: There was not one single drug case indicted for those six months. That got me to thinking. Was there drug use back then? When did marijuana come into play? Cocaine?

Ethical Rules To Now Be Amended To Prohibit Hypnotizing

I wasn't going to post this because it's a tad seedy, but I was torn because it is also so insane. Then I saw the guy's picture.  Holy, crap! Look away! Look away! I promise he can put you into a trance just by staring at the photo on your computer screen.

Side note: The ability to hypnotize would seem to be a pretty good skill that would be beneficial in the legal profession. Dealing with opposing counsel? Case dismissed.  Arguing to a judge? Motion granted. A jury? They'll demand the not guilty verdict form. Examining a witness? He'll admit to being Charles Manson.

Link.

Get Me This Gal Who Does Impressions!

Wait. I said that wrong. Watch this gal who does impressions.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• What a weird reaction to the President's immigration policy last night. The Far Right was all whipped into a frenzy beforehand, but when it came to challenging the merits after the speech, there was a whole How-Do-I-Denounce-This-Without-Coming-Off-As-A-Redneck-Racist vibe.
• But there sure were a lot of radio/TV guys who became instant Constitutional experts last night. 
• And what the President is proposing isn't radical. It's a prioritization of who gets to stay and who gets to go. It's analogous to what the Texas Parole Board does every day. (And if Gov. Perry told them, "Hey, for low level drug offenders, change your policy to give them 30 days to 1 good time if they qualify for good time so they'll be the first to make parole" -- there's nothing anyone could do about it.")
• Sheriff Joe immediately announced he'll file a lawsuit to challenge the new policy. So did Greg Abbott. Man, that . . . uh . .. what's the phrase? Oh, yeah, "Speaks volumes." 
• Was the Emancipation Proclamation an Executive Order? 
• Facebook page of the Alvord kid injured in the wreck last night. Page of his female passenger.
• There was quite the stir in Galveston yesterday when a guy was found not guilty of "keeping his son in the box." I'm not sure of the details, but it was interesting to note that the first trial ended in a mistrial when the judge wrote about the case on social media.   
• Somehow Mrs. LL and the Junior in the House were able to see the new Hunger Games movie last night. 
• When watching the silly action scenes in Man of Steel two days ago, I turned to The Junior and said, "Wouldn't it be cool if that gal from the Hunger Games showed up right now with her bow and arrows?"  From her confused expression, I need to work on my standup routine. 
• BagOfNothing emailed me a couple of weeks ago telling me about the Serial podcast.  (It's from the folks behind This American Life and, basically, examines a criminal conviction and its validity.)  It's getting a heck of a lot of buzz and The Ticket spent a whole segment on it yesterday.  I can't believe I've ignored it. 
• Country singer Ty Herndon announced he was gay yesterday? Didn't we kind of have a hint when he was arrested in the 1990s for exposing himself to a male cop in an Fort Worth park? 

Denton County Assistant Prosecutor Disciplined For Withholding Evidence

More.

This is an example of why the law was changed to require prosecutors to have an open file policy.  It's a felony case but it was not disclosed that the victim didn't actually see the defendant? You kidding me?

I'm almost more stunned that the State Bar of Texas is actually getting off its collective butts and sanctioning a Texas prosecutor.  Complete disclosure of evidence prevents travesties of justice from occurring. And Texas has a history of travesties.

Breaking: Florida State Gunman Was A Christian

Which is true but that's just a silly of a headline if it had been "Florida State Gunman Was A Muslim".

He was also a Texas Tech Law Grad and had the weird* work history of being employed at a huge civil law firm, as a public defender, and a prosecutor.
_________
*Disclaimer: I just happened to have worked at a huge civil firm and have served as a public defender and as a prosecutor. 

Ugh

Trip to Disney ends with tragedy for this North Texas family... 5 dead, 3 hurt in crash http://t.co/YHN8DIEjI5 pic.twitter.com/6kSvkd17pv
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) November 20, 2014

Hey, I Built A Catapult And Now I Just Found My Second Project.

I'm gonna be livin' the dream later.

1954: Decatur Guys Rob Krum Bank

• That's pretty good work by the Sheriff.
• Note they called in a state grand jury to indict him even though the Feds were already in the process of prosecuting him. 
• Loved, absolutely loved, what he said he did with the loot. 

That Would Have Been Terrifying

With all the campus killings in America, being huddled in the same building with a shooter on the loose would be chilling.

TALLAHASSEE — Three students were shot early Thursday at a Florida State University library before campus police killed the gunman, Tallahassee police said.

Officers confronted the gunman, whose name has not been released, and ordered him to drop his weapon. But he fired at them and they unleashed a volley of shots, Tallahassee Police spokesman Dave Northway said.

Dallas Police Blotter 1881

Source.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• There's an ad running on the Cumulus radio stations telling me to call if I have "at least $40,000 to invest" in oil because the commodity has "tripled over the last ten years" and "oil prices are rising and are here to stay." With oil at $74 a barrel this morning, they might want to do some fact checking. And investors need to keep away from an investment firm that only gives a phone number and not their name. 
• Another scam Cumulus ad that is running urges me to invest in the stock market and, to persuade me, used a customer proclaiming, "I make $8,000 a month in the stock market!" That's probably a lie. But, if true, unless I know how much you have invested in the stock market, that tells me nothing.   
• Man, the Fox News crowd is all riled up over the President's pending announcement tonight about immigration. Because of it, they've called him "Emperor" and "Boss" and, for the millionth time, a person who is "shredding the Constitution."  All that, and they don't even know what he is going to say. 
• Justified or not, the dog-pile of Bill Cosby is on.
• If there was an alternative channel for every sporting event that only showed up close crowd shots, I'd watch it. At least a split screen. 
• The Sixth Grader In The House asked me if I used get the whole week of Thanksgiving off from school when I was a kid. You know, I couldn't remember but I don't think we did. 
• The bicycle accident of U2's Bono in Central Park sounds brutal. How is there not a cellphone pic of the aftermath? You have Bono on the ground in Central Park on a Sunday and no one takes a photo? 
• There's a Letter to the Editor in the Messenger this week asking why so many Wise County government offices completely shut down for lunch. 
• Mrs. LL last night walking back into the house with a flashlight after her mother just left: "Mom backed into my car." Me: "What!!! Any damage?!!" Mrs. LL: "I don't think so."  I was too scared to go look. Still haven't.
• The new Tarrant County DA has named three lawyers for her "Senior Leadership Team" for the criminal division. They are all good guys and competent. But they are also all male, white, and around 60 years of age. 
• The Junior In The House was watching Man of Steel last night. It has a who's who cast of actors, but I couldn't get past the explosions and special effects which appeared to be 90% of the hour of the movie that I saw. (Man, they had to have money whipped Russell Crowe to be a part of that.) 
• Grace Fellowship Church took out an ad this week in the Messenger to promote "Dave Ramsey Presents Andre Gutierrez' Total Money Makeover". He'll be speaking at both the early and late Sunday services.  I don't understand this. 
• The snow in Buffalo had me actually tracking down the Weather Channel yesterday. 

Hey, A Music Post!

Beyond amazing.