4.20.2026

Random Monday Morning Thoughts





It became know as the "Tax Day Flood" since it occurred on Monday, April 17th. 

  • Good lord. 

  • That school was up near Robson Ranch.
  • Oh, no. 

  • Police said the dope was valued between "$1 million and $3 million." I'd tap the brakes on that. I'm guessing Walter White wasn't the one making it. 


  • Is it just me, or did all the passengers seem just a little too chill about all this? Any chance all this was staged? Video. Edit: And when you see the video from one of the passengers, I'm even more suspicious. 


  • Gift link. 


  • In case you are confused on the state of the Iranian War, join the club. Here's a handy chrono list. 
    • On Friday,. Iran said the strait is open and an agreement on the war was pending. 
    • Trump agreed, and even said that Iran would hand over their "nuclear dust" to the U.S.  But then he followed it up with the surprise that the Iranian ports will remain under blockade.
    • Iran then responded and said the Strait was closed again.
    • Iran fires on two ships (non-American) trying to navigate through the strait.
    • Yesterday, the U.S. fired on an Iranian cargo ship trying to get to port and seized it. 

    • On Sunday, Trump threatened that if “If Iran doesn't sign this deal, the whole country is getting blown up”
    • But he added that his "peace team" was headed to Pakistan to meet with the Iranians again.
    • In the last few hours, Iran says they aren't going. 
  • Dateline China. We're doomed. 
  • We are really doomed. 

  • Trump spoke at the Charlie Kirk founded Turning Point meeting on Friday evening and made a weird comment about a "widow's peak." Video.
  • Are there odds on whether he goes off script?


  • At the beginning of its spring football game, a sky diver crashed into the big screen at Virginia Tech and dangled in the air until rescued.  Video of impact. Video of rescue moment. 
  • The Ticket's George Dunham made the front page of the Dallas Morning News yesterday with quite the accompanyin headline. Gift link to the story.


at 8:30 AM

4.17.2026

It's Friday -- Let's Get Out of Here

at 2:30 PM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts





That was from 12/5/22.  


  • Horner trial:
    • The audio of the murder of Athena Strand was played yesterday in court.  If you want a detailed review of it -- and it is beyond shocking -- go to this WFAA link and scan down to "Here are some notes from Rebecca Lopez." She was in the courtroom yesterday as the audio was played. (That portion of the trial was not live-streamed, and I'm glad it wasn't.)
    • Gift link to the Dallas Morning News story about the day.

    • Video of Horner on the phone immediately after the killing and smoking a cigarette. 


    • Here he is preparing to wipe down the back of truck after the murder. He's at Love's in Rhome/Aurora and had gone inside to borrow the roll of paper towels.  Video

    • In another stunning video shown yesterday, Horner actually drove down the road of Athena's home the day after the killing.  He almost got trapped on his way out because of all of the police and search team traffic.  A woman informs him that a girl is missing. "Are you serious?" he replies. Video.

    • Athena's father took the stand yesterday.

    • If I heard everything correctly, the jury won't return until next Wednesday.  I think there will be non-streamed court hearings regarding the qualifications of the expected defense witnesses on those days. The defense is up next because the State rested yesterday.
    • The entire defense in this case is, "Give him life in prison without the possibility of parole instead of the death penalty." But I don't know how they can recover from yesterday. 
  • In other Wise County news.
    • Story.

    • The Messenger story about this, with a photo, is free. 

  • Pop culture death: Best known for that unforgettable car-wash scene in Cool Hand Luke (1967), Joy Harmon has died at 87 

  • There were a million crazy Trump quotes yesterday, but this might have been the funniest. 

  • Breaking: Iran just announced that the Strait of Hormuz is now open since Israel and Lebanon have called a truce.  It will remain that way, according to Iran, so so long as the truce is in effect.  So, good news, we are back where we started before the war. 
  • The Business Second™. 

  • Dateline Waco. A big factor was the State already tried him once and got a hung jury. (The AG's office, who were representing the government due to a DA conflict, offered one day in jail, credit for time served, but the judge was going to balk at it. That's why they came up with the 30 day offer.)


  • Extremely nerdy legal stuff: Yesterday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals held that the art. 14.01 et. seq. statues which allow a warrantless arrest for offenses occurring within the “presence or view” of an officer, actually means what it says.   Barber v. State, PD-0510-25 (Tex.Crim.App, 2026) That means the officer must “perceive the offense through one of his five senses” and not simply arrive at the scene afterwards and talk to civilians.  It's application seems to be pretty limited (i.e. DWI wreck where person transported to hospital before any officer arrives?)
  • Lauren Whitener Clock: 6 years and 288 days.


at 8:30 AM

4.16.2026

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts





It's been 10 years since the unsolved murder of Missy Beavers at Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian.

  • Horner trial notes: 
    • James Becker / VP Velocitor Solutions appears to be the man responsible for obtaining and safeguarding the critical video footage from inside the Fed Ex truck.  The case would have been very, very different without him. In fact, Horner might have gotten away with it. 

    • Kristen Cossota with the Texas DPS Crime Labs confused us all with her testimony.  I'm no DNA expert, but I think the bottom line is this: There was sperm DNA found in Athena's body, but the sample extracted was so weak that a positive ID of Horner could not be made. But he can't be excluded as the source either -- but neither can a significant portion of the population,
    • The mother of Athena finally testified. 

    • It seems very weird to me that sometimes the defense will seem to start asking questions which focuses on the possible civil liability of the subcontracting trucking firm. A relevance objection was even sustained yesterday.  I know FedEx settled with the family, but what about the subcontractor?
  • All we know is what is in the headline. 

  • The first meeting ever of the North Central Texas Sheriffs Coalition occurred yesterday in Runaway Bay with Gov. Abbott in attendance. The official press release from Abbott just said, "The Governor was joined by Representative Andy Hopper, Representative Shelley Luther, Jack County Sheriff Charles Hauger, sheriffs from across the state, and other state and local officials. "  But the Wise County Sheriff is in that photo, too. (I would love a roster of everyone in that photo. That's a ton of cowboy hats.)

  • Dateline New York. I really don't know if this will change anything.  

  • Overnight news.
     

  • Pete Hegseth, who is the most cringe-worthy member of the Trump Administration, went on a bizarre and long rant this morning against the press calling them "unpatriotic" as well as comparing them to the Pharisees in the Bible who discounted Jesus.  "I sat there in church, and I thought: our press are just like these Pharisees." Video. 

    • Also Pete Hegseth, Video.


  • Oh, yeah, that other war of one country invading another is still going on. From yesterday:



  • The Real Estate Second™. The most expensive home in Fort Worth is on the market.  Gift link. 


  • Messenger - Above the Fold

at 8:30 AM
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