Decatur Beggar Spotted

It's been a while, but an emailer sends in this pic of the Decatur Beggar spotted today in Arlington at Collins and NE Green Oaks. in Arlington. History.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Fog anyone?
• In case you missed it, a Wise County Constable ran a stop sign in Decatur and collided with one of the Hand clan from Chico and then took out a power pole.
• Jury selection begins today in former Cowboy Josh Brent's Intoxication Manslaughter case.
• I worked for a couple of years in downtown Dallas and used its little known pedestrian tunnel system all the time. (They were talking about the tunnel system on the radio this morning.)
• Stay with me here: The Texas Finance Commission oversees the Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner, the "state's lending watchdog." You know, things like payday loans. I was shocked to learn that the appointed chairman of the Finance Commission is the vice-president of payday lender Cash America! When an El Paso paper tried to talk to him (or even about him) by calling the Commission, the reporter was given the number of Cash America. 
• Everyone has been retweeting this photo of a fighter pilot taking a "selfie" photo over Kyle Field. It is so fake that it hurts. 
• His name escapes me, but twenty years ago a Wise County inmate was killed when a wall collapsed on him as he was helping with an expansion project. 
• The Decatur Beggar was spotted yesterday on 377 south of Keller and he had a lady friend with him.
• Modern Family, which had its season premiere last night, is still funny. 
• Fascinating: Drug Lord Pablo Escobar posing with his son in front of the White House in the 1980s. 
• I saw Sky Mirror at Cowboys Stadium over the holidays. I think that thing is really cool. And it is huge. 
• The Bobby Petrino story is amazing: Was at Louisville, abruptly leaves to coach the Atlanta Falcons, quits with four or so games to go to take a position at the University of Arkansas, gets in a motorcycle wreck with his twenty-something year old mistress on the back and tries to cover it up, gets fired, does a couple of years at Western Kentucky, and yesterday gets hired back at Louisville. It's the circle of life. 
• Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity's vehement opposition to the legalization of marijuana, which the majority of Americans approve of, borders on comical. 
• The death of the man in Wise County, possibly from the Swine Flu, was picked up by lots of media outlets yesterday. Even heard it on the local NPR on the way home. 
• Sports news: Jay, not John, Gruden will be RG3's new coach.
• The Chris Christie administration basically shutting down the busiest bridge in America because of political retaliation is right out of the Sopranos.

The Decatur Beggar Spotted In Metroplex With New Lady Friend

(Thanks, Patrick.)

New "Decatur Beggar" Photoshop

The emailer to me has talent.

Decatur Beggar Spotted In Metroplex

The guy that can often be seen off of FM 51 in Decatur has been spotted off of Hulen in Fort Worth (thanks to a camera carrying faithful reader.) He was last seen in Haltom City.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• On this day in 1962: 
• 
• In 2012, Joe Biden was refused service in a restaurant because the owner disagreed with him politically. The GOP then brought the restaurant owner to speak at a campaign rally. 
  
• There is one NFL player, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who has graduated from med school and still on a current roster. The NFL, in a massive blown PR opportunity, has denied his request to have "M.D." on the back of his jersey after his name. 
• There's a lot going on here: 
  
• Again? Someone might want to get this girl some help:
  
• Yesterday Mrs. LL told me "Happy Anniversary" which prompted me to reply, "It's tomorrow." At dinner, candles are out. I didn't say a word. She later hands me a gift, and I say, "Seriously, it's tomorrow." She pulls up a calendar, does some calculations, and then takes the gift back.
• Last week, Clarence Thomas was invited to the Oval Office on his birthday. Here is a picture including his four clerks. I'm not saying a word.
  
• I've heard there is Pittsburgh at one end and Philadelphia on the other and the equivalent of the Deep South is in between.
  
  
• Harley-Davidson, in light of Trump's Trade War, is laying people off and moving plants overseas. In the last 15 hours, Trump has attacked the company four times. 
• We've not had a "Decatur Beggar" sighting in quite some time. (He used to be spotted off FM 51 in Decatur and, oddly, off of 377 in Keller.) A faithful reader thinks he spotted him in Oklahoma City yesterday. Heck, why not up your game and run for judge?
  
• Why would anyone ever buy a Time Share?
• Still a great time waste: Can you ID the 50 states.
• Weird: "At 12:15 a.m. Sunday, the temperature was 85 degrees [in Breckenridge, Texas]. By 1:35 a.m., it had soared to 99 degrees, according to the National Weather Service."

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• A wrong way driver on the Dallas Tollway again last night. She just managed to get into a one car wreck, however.
• I'm now generally in charge of running the scoreboard at softball games. I'm thinking about bring an amp and firing up a little play-by-play while I do it.
• The lead singer of The Band has died. I knew basically nothing about The Band yet everyone else acts like they were a household name.
• A picture of the bloodied head of George Zimmerman? ABC News thinks so.
• One of these years, the Main Street Arts Festival in downtown Fort Worth is going to get hit with a major storm that'll send all that art flying over I-30. That wind tunnel effect down there will do the trick.
• Steve Wariner is playing at the Festival. There was a time I loved Steve Wariner's music. I guess I still do. 
• It's 4/20. WBAP's Hal Jay said today he had never heard of the drug reference for those numbers.
• Ousted Secret Service agent posted a picture of him checking out Sarah Palin on his Facebook page. 
• A little kid ran out onto the field during the White Sox/Orioles game yesterday afternoon. To quote Latarian Milton, "It's fun to do hood rat thangs."
• I saw where a long ago neighbor -- two door's down -- who I played with as a kid has died. Time for reflection. 
• C.J. Wilson lost last night. That's the most important baseball news to me. 
• I bought two American Airlines tickets in February for travel in July. And in the news every day is about bankruptcy, union strife, and takeovers. And somehow I'm not worried. 
• Got another photo of the Decatur Beggar off of 377 in Keller yesterday.  He needs to remember his roots. 
• Mrs. LL, coaching third base last night, sent a runner home for a potential home run even though the ball was in flight back to the infield. Runner scored. I was so afraid she'd panic and make the kid hit the brakes, but I guess that's the way aggressive softball go. 
• That was fast: The parents of the kid who was mauled by a dog two and one-half months ago while they slept (and which gave rise to a great Lari Barager ducking out of the way video) have pled out to probation.

Decatur Beggar Spotted At Vista Ridge Mall Yesterday

(Thanks emailer.)

OK, Boys: Give Me News

- Another wreck on 380 near the Sheriff's Office?

- Cops chasing down a guy on foot in Alvord?

Edit:

- Job related accident in the north part of the county where the JP has been called out (normally meaning a death)?

- There's a new beggar guy in Decatur by Jack In The Box?

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• The Swine Flu issue: Hey, people! Everyone who has contracted it in the U.S. simply gets sick and then gets better.
• Getting in your car this morning was a greater risk to your life than the Swine flu.
• Anybody else question whether 152 people have really died from that flu in Mexico?
• I never get a flu shot.
• Those paper masks? Do they work? I wouldn't think so.
• The 41 year old hot swimmer from last year's Olympics, Dara Torres, has written a book that she she promoted on WBAP this morning: Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life. Seriously, what could she possibly say that hasn't been said? And what if I dream to be an Olympic swimmer, can I "achieve" that "dream", too?
• And did her book publisher pay WBAP a fee for that 5 minute commercial described as an interview?
• Someone emailed me and said they saw the Decatur Beggar outside of Vista Ridge Mall over the weekend.
• Someone also emailed me that he saw a pickup in Boyd with a bumper sticker that read, "I Voted For The White Guy."
• Both apologized for not getting a pic.
• Some spare guy doesn't get drafted by the NFL last weekend and some blog posts a bunch of pics of his very hot sister. I love the Internet.
• Cancer is horrible. Every time I see a human interest story on the news about some guy battling the disease (and I saw one last night), you know they aren't going to win. I'll go back to a Dale Hansen quote: "My ex-wife lost her battle with cancer this year because it wasn't a fair fight."
• Heck, even I would have been freaked out if I had seen the airliner flying low over Manhattan with a fighter jet behind it.
• A guy was arrested for stealing Huggies in Grapevine. Anybody else thinking of the line, "I'll be taking these Huggies and any cash ya got."

That Had To Cost A Lot In Gas To Get There

The R and R blog (who has basically made me give up posting celebrity crap since he/she gets to it before me) had this gem from a day or so ago. Is that the Decatur-Beggar-In-A-Tie hanging out in Haltom City? R and R says "yes, it is."

An Astute Emailer . . .

. . . sends this pic believing he has found the famous Decatur beggar in an Obama picture. (That's as big as the pic will get. Somebody use some Internet magic and find a larger one.) Edit: A tad bigger

New Decatur Beggar Spotting

Today outside of the Walmart in Bowie. (Thanks emailer.) Past sighting here.

Army Guy Scares Fake Beggar Dressed As Army Guy

But you got to like his concern for the guy when he keeps stepping out into the street. It's like he was thinking, "I just want to scare the guy but the last thing I need is for this moron to get hit by a car while we are filming this."

Decatur Beggar Now Has Chair

Today near David's Western Wear.

Edit: Then a faithful reader sent me this one with the guy in the rain. I'll admit, even though this guy begs for a living, this is a little depressing.

Decatur Beggar Spotted Today In Decatur

(Thanks emailer.)

Wise County Beggar Spotting

From Hurst.

(Thanks S & S)

My Year End List of Worst/Fraudulent/Sparest/Self-Important People In America

• Sheriff Joe - If the KKK held an election for a sheriff, he'd win in a landslide
• Nancy Grace - If charges are filed against you, you're guilty
• Sean Hannity - Doing a bit all the way to the bank
• Rush Limbaugh - Ditto
• Mark Cuban - Living off dumb Yahoo! money for over a decade
• Lane Kiffin - He could make Baylor 0-11 next year as a head coach
• Dennis Prager - Thrice married pseudo intellectual radio host who thinks college will corrupt you because you're not smart enough to develop your own belief system.
• Ben and Skin - Sports radio personalities on The Fan who specialize in unfunny bits
• Joe Jamail - His days as a UT bully are numbered
• Judge Jerry Ray - Retired judge who didn't understand that a Fort Worth jury understood DWI law more than he did
• Sen. Lindsey Graham - He's a dumb Ted Cruz
• Joel Osteen - I'm finally on to this guy
• Harry Reid - The Democrats need him as a spokesperson like they needed Tip O'Neill
• Chris Berman - Even once he retires from ESPN, he will never leave this list
• George P. Bush - Trying to capitalize on a name that can't be capitalized upon 
• Greg Abbott - A bigger fraud and panderer than Rick Perry. And I didn't think that was possible
• The Family Cat - But she's better than she used to be
• Dan Patrick - the Texas Lt. Gov. candidate, not the sports guy
• Craig Watson Watkins- He became Dallas DA in a shocking Democratic takeover and, despite not being able to spell Penal Code, they may never be able to get rid of him
• Mark Levin - Right wing radio host who makes me think, "Why are you yelling? You're a foot from me." 
• Dennis Miller - realized he could avoid irrelevance by hate filled rants for the Fox News crowd
• Robin Thicke - Does he realize he'll have to sing that song for the rest of his life?
• Clarice Tinsley - I hold her personally responsible for that horrible Fox 4 bit of reading viewers' reaction on Facebook on a flatscreen and then reading comments from her phone

Edited with reader suggestions:

• Ken Anderston - Former Williamson County DA responsible for wrongful imprisonment of Michael Morton
• President Obama - The only shock is that it took the commenters over five minutes to add him.
• Me - For inaccurate sports predicting and ambulance chasing. (Obviously from someone who knows me so very, very well.) 
• Daniel Snyder - Redskins owner
• Rowdy - Cowboys' mascot and should be a Hall of Famer on this list
• TxDot engineer who designed 287/350 interchange
• Tom Bishop - former constable
• Decatur PD
• Justin Beiber - I should have thought of him
• Kathleen Sebelius 
• Rage 
• Michael Bloomberg - Billionaire mayor of New York who wants to deprive you of sodypop
• Martin Bashir - Basically fired from MSNBC for Sarah Palin comments
• Alec Baldwin - Fired from MSNBC for homophobic slur at photographer
• Richard Simmons
• Intern who made up the names of the pilots of the Korean Jet that crashed in SF - I couldn't disagree more. This guy was a genius.
• Montague County Sheriff Paul Cunningham - nominated by employee. Make that a disgruntled employee.
• Gretchen Carlson - Fox News blonde
• Ann Coulter - Can't believe I forgot about her, but she's got a much lower profile these days.
• Turf - The Bridgeport/Decatur rivalry never gets old
• Testosterone cream - Ok, that was funny.
• Doug Fulwood - former Decatur band director. (Man, we're getting deep into this now.)
• Eric Holder - What took you guys so long?
• Nancy Pelosi - Ditto
• Wendy Davis - Ditto
• Joe Biden - Ditto
• Piers Morgan - I really like this CNN guy.
• David Dewhurst - I would have put him on my list but it's just too dang obvious.
• MzChief - Her recent appearance guaranteed a nomination. 
• Repete - Call back joke regarding a WFAA weather graphic
• Real Housewives of [Anywhere] - Not a bad selection
• Toronto Mayor Rob Ford - How dare you nominate him, sir!
• Sarah Palin - She made a strong push to make my list with her War on Christmas book, but overall she was quiet this year. 
• Courtney Stodden - Oh, come on. She has something to offer. 
• John Cornyn 
• "Speaks volumes" guy and the guy who uses "Obammy"
• "Simon Cowell Nicki Minaj Lady Gag - not mispelled" - They are so far off my radar that I didn't even consider them
• Walter White - Don't even joke about including him. Especially since he died in that car and had that lengthy revenge dream. 
• Britney Spears - The official LL girl? No way.
• "And Another" Teachers
• The Decatur Beggar - It's not nice to dogpile at Christmas time.  
• "John Holmes Ghost" Guy - He pushes the envelope, but he's got a little something
• Wordkyle - Let the record reflect he finally made the list at 3:22 p.m. 
• "Snow monkeys - The Double Fake Nolan Ryan" - Hey, they may be your nemesis, but they are just lovable little creatures to the rest of us.