Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

It was finally becoming real.

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• Last chance to enter the Liberally Lean Pick 'Em March Madness Tourney. Games start this morning at 11:15 a.m.   Just like the last two years, we've got a tricked up scoring system to reward upsets and the pick of the overall winner. 
  
  
  
• He would charge $3,000 to family members and then go visit inmates. (That's about all we know.)
  
  
  
• "Officials said Blake Bowman spent over $1 million of funds intended for Camp Thurman in Pantego, Texas for personal use. The exact total of misused funds isn't known."
  
  
  
• We've got a missing University of Alabama student in Spain.
  
   
  
  
  
  
• You need to get your head in front and close your stance, but otherwise that is a textbook tackle. 
  
  
  
• The War escalated yesterday. Big time. 
• Israel bombed a major gas oil field in Iran seemingly making Trump angry. 
  
  
  
• Iran then fired back by blasting oil fields in multiple surrounding countries. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• The consequences were immediate. 
  

  
• But let's go and ramp this thing up, right?
  
• It's only March. 
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• How that case even made it to the jury without it being thrown out, is a mystery.  Side note: I was surprised to see the Pledge of Allegiance being led by the judge. I've never seen the pledge said in any courtroom ever. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Since it was sold, I've seen a marked deterioration in the quality of the Dallas Morning News.  This won't help it:
  
• Legal nerdy stuff: Watch 1:27 of a lawyer squirm in front of a judge who is being way too nice to her.  She denied drafting a lower court order (something that is very common for a winning party) because the final signed order included hallucinated AI case cites. She said the trial judge amended the proposed order she submitted by including those AI fake case cites. But there was one little problem she hadn't thought about. 
  
• Legal nerdy stuff #2: The New York Post can mock the juror in this headline all they want, but this makes perfect sense.  You can think someone is probably guilty but still not be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. 
  
• Messenger - Above the Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

In what would end up being one of the most consequential battles ever, the Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell, would win it by preventing nominee Merrick Garland from being confirmed. 

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• Part of the Gatesville town square burned down.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Bad decisions.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Trump promised to quickly endorse either Paxton or Cornyn in their runoff with a strong suggestions that loser of the endorsement should drop out of the race. Trump still hasn't endorsed, and a deadline just passed. 
  
  
  
• Meanwhile, Cornyn is going crazy with a new digital ad targeting Paxton's affairs. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Racism on display at the Frisco City Council meeting. Video.
  
  
  
• Manhattan looked a little scary yesterday. 
  
  
  
  
• The Iran War is already a mess, and it's only going to get worse. 
  

  

  

  
  

  
  
  
  
• I've mentioned Kalshi before and how it will replace all gambling sites since it is technically "legal" everywhere. Well, Arizona doesn't agree. 
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• The Business Second. Gift link.  This is a part of the massive shopping area at 287 and Harmon Road. 
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff:  This might be one of the tenses exchanges between a judge and a prosecutor I have ever read. And it is wildly entertaining. (The 26 page transcript is included in this gift link.)
  
  
  
• Legal fun stuff: If you want to go down a rabbit trail, search for "Afroman defamation trial." A guy is being sued by a group of sheriffs deputies because of an online music video this guy made. The trial is being streamed this week. 
  
  
  
• The Evil Empire won its play-in game to make the NCAA Tourney of 64 with help from a last second shot last night, but they were lucky not to get a technical when a coach ran onto the court with time still left. The video.
  
  
  Speaking of, we are down to the last 24 hours to sign-up in the Liberally Lean Pick 'Em Tourney.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

I stand by my "Huh."

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• Fox 4 has pretty good coverage of the wreck that killed three from Paradise.  
  
  
  
• The Wise County Sheriff's Office did another prostitution sting over the weekend. Thirteen were arrested for soliciting prostitution from someone they thought was an adult. 
• Bodycams are as good for cops as they are for civilians. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Step right up. No experience required.
  
• The New York Post will use stock photos as a bit pretty often. This one is kind of funny.
  
  
  
• Calling her an ex-prosecutor really doesn't do her justice. She served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas from 2017 to 2021, and has been a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Dallas since then.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Guess what happens when you unilaterally hit nations with tariffs and bad mouth them in general?
  
  
  
• Trump quotes from yesterday:
• He claimed a past president talked to him about Iran.   There is not a single chance this is true.
  
  
  
• He might have been shocked, but no one else was.
  
  
  
  
• This was really, really bizarre.  Video.
  
   
  
• Let me save you some time: The answer is "no." 
  
• The Aggies getting a car sponsored at the F1 race in Arlington this weekend would a good marketing strategy -- depending on the cost, that is. 
  
  
• Liberally Lean March Madness Pick 'Em Tournament sign-up is here.  (Ignore the "2025" in the bracket's name.) You have about 48 hours left.