8.22.2015

That "Crazy Texas Mommy" Can Be Silent For Months


But when she gets pissed about something she is at her best and reminds us again that she is a fantastic writer. Why? She writes from the heart and has a tortured soul.

Excerpt:

And because, six years later, I am still ashamed. I forgive him (or at least I tell myself that), but I still fear him. I hate that the ordeal caused something to twist off inside of me that makes me know, without a doubt, I will end the damn life of any other man who hits because I know the local police won't help me— just like the Waco police didn't help the girl at Baylor. They already proved that to me twice. They don't get a third chance. 

Full Post

Rangers Need To Sign This Kid




Yeah, there's some comedy in this video but that is one heck of a swing. The form is perfect.

Trump 2016 Gains Steam!



He spoke in front of a raucous crowd in . . . Alabama last night in a . . .  football stadium. (This is getting too fun.)

But if I had a Liberally Lean Hall Of Fame Photo Gallery, this pic would be in it. There is a lot going on there.

8.21.2015

Taking You Into The Weekend

(1) "Get me this dog!"



(2) "Kill this cat!"


I'll Be In The Storm Cellar For A Bit



This is kind of a big story this afternoon in the sports world.  I'm OK. Really. I'm fine.


And get ready for the Art Briles sound bite of "Let's talk about football" from this morning. That will not play well.

Random thought: I'm in the criminal law business. The power of a verdict has consequences for many, many people other than those involved in the trial. A guilty verdict is considered as conclusive proof of guilt. A not guilty verdict is interpreted as a conclusive finding of innocence. Both propositions are incorrect. Baylor and Briles are now in the media's cross-hairs. A guilty verdict yesterday prompted this. A not guilty verdict yesterday would have brought news today of how an innocent man was wrongfully accused and Baylor supported him through it all. This isn't to diminish the crime if one was committed, and I'm not saying this jury was wrong. I am only saying a jury's decision changes everything.

I tell every jury panel: "There are no second chances. There are no do overs. You cannot afford to be wrong."

I Missed This Press Release From The Wise County Republican Party

I'll call it "interesting." It's basically:  "Republicans aren't mad enough about this same sex ruling!  But I'll tell you one thing, preachers on TV are telling me to take a stand. And Robert Jeffers is one of them!"



Friday's Supreme Court really did not come as a huge surprise, we all suspected it was bound to happen. What was really surprising is the response, or lack thereof, by the GOP leadership.

Facebook is awash with those who are blatantly against it (as well as the whole rebel flag controversy), and those who have changed their profile photo to a rainbow.  However, we are in a time where we truly must know what we believe, and actually take a stand.  Not get caught up in the issues that may take away from the importance of things that speak to the very heart of our belief system.  

I happened to be in a store on Sunday and saw a headline on the TV screen that said "GOP Split over Same Sex Marriage."  I was a bit shocked until I saw it was CNN... so you have to take it with a grain of salt.

Then I read an article and realized that we are not hearing the huge outcry one would expect from the leaders of a party that is supposed to STAND for traditional marriage.  You see the article stated that the GOP is split on the issue because many are leaning more toward the younger conservatives acceptance of gay rights.  To read the entire article, click here.

You see, the Republican leaders are more concerned about the issues with the health care law among other things.  While the health care law is extremely important, why aren't our leaders being more vocal on this vote and the real impact it has on their constituents?  We do have some, like our Governor, who is being very vocal, while many at the national level are not. 

Wise County will be issuing the marriage licenses soon, and other counties are seeing their County Clerk's refusing to issue the licenses, and either resigning or having to go into hiding due to threats. 

Many officials will be forced to choose between their moral conscience and the law, while the Southern Baptist Convention is calling for civil disobedience because of this ruling.  See complete article here.  16 million people in the US are being called upon to stand up.  This could have far-reaching implications in the work-place, in cities, towns, and governments, the likes of which we haven't begun to see.

While driving home from East Texas Sunday morning, I heard the live sermon from Dr. Jeffers, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, preaching on Civil Disobedience.  His basic message was how to know when it is proper.  Bottom line, Civil Disobedience is appropriate when the laws of the land go against the moral laws of God.  He used Martin Luther King as an example. 

MLK knew that civil rights were the rights God ordained for all men.  He also knew he would pay a price to stand up against the laws of the land, and he did, with his very life.  But Dr. Jeffers wasn't the only one preaching this message, many on TV and on the air-waves preached the same sort of sermon, stating we must take a stand.

Before too much time has past, I wanted to share the actual GOP platform on the issue so you can decide if you are willing to stand as a true Republican, much less a true conservative.  The statements are in the section below with a link to the entire platform.  Hopefully, you have already decided within your own conscience on the issue, understanding the full spiritual implications. 

Only time will tell what this decision will fully mean for our nation.  Now, however, we must decide what it will mean for Wise County.  If we don't think it will impact us here, we are only fooling ourselves. 

Connie Swain
Communications Director


I Would Pay Money To See This If It Had Been That Tweeting Texas Judge



(Source) A woman made quite the scene in a Broward courtroom this week when she flashed the judge. Susan Surrette, 54, of Fort Lauderdale was arrested on Wednesday for disorderly intoxication.  When Judge John Hurley asked Surrette what she does for employment, she said she works as an escort and porn star named Kayla Kupcakes.
While the judge was reading her charges in bond court, Surrette made some disturbing claims about being roughhoused by police. What she did next, however, left the courtroom in shock.

I don't know what gets my attention more. A gal trying to prove she's been injured and pulls no punches to make her point, or a judge who acts like he just seen something he's never seen before.  And think I'll take her side simply because of the name Kupcakes.

(Very random thought: If anyone else thought of a court scene from the very old movie Night Shift, we are kindred spirits.)

Random Friday Morning Thoughts



  • Man, Baylor got dog piled yesterday even before and after a "football player" was found guilty of sexual assault.  So much is weird about this. First, he has never played a single play for Baylor after transferring from Boise State. Secondly, the real story, other than the crime, is the lack of press about this case up until now. That prompted Deadspin to write a few days ago,"The Baylor Sexual Assault Trial You've Never Heard About." That's not Baylor's fault, that's the press's fault. Note this: The police never arrested him -- they just turned the case over to the grand jury so I'll give the press a pass at first because it's hard to report about a non-arrest. However, there undoubtedly should have been some news once the indictment occurred but the Waco Tribune Herald reported nothing (odd) and Baylor kept quiet (understandable - why do they want to announce it?)  A few years back I could have sworn the publisher of the Tribune-Herald became a member of the Baylor Board of Regent's but said it would not be a conflict of interest. I think he left the board shortly thereafter but that relationship was too cozy. But my memory might be wrong. 
  • That being said, it is Baylor, and not the media, which is getting destroyed this morning by the, uh, media.
  • And I hope the jury was right. This is a He Said/She Said case (by what I can gather from the little coverage there is) and the victim and defendant had been friends. 
  • His defense lawyer "Claimed the sex was consensual, and called his client the 'victim' and said the woman had 'buyer’s remorse.'" Buddy, you should have stopped at "consensual." 
  • I just looked at the lawyer's home page. He touts that he is the son of "Senator" David Sibley (that would be a state senator.) And there is this: "If you have found our website from a letter we sent after you have been charged with a crime, we want you to know that we understand what you are dealing with. We can provide you with aggressive representation." (Emphasis added.) 
  • Speaking of trials, I had a bizarre one yesterday. Jury selection followed by four witness in a blood test DWI case that ended up with a hung six person jury at 3-3. All this in one day. 
  • Shout out to the pastor on the jury panel who was aware of Liberally Lean and said, "I think my wife fights with you from time to time." 
  • I'm still conflicted about a prosecutor in my cases bringing up Liberally Lean during jury selection -- even in passing.  I used to make me uncomfortable, but you can learn a lot of about a potential juror just by their reaction. Whether it be a smile from a potential jury member who looks at me with a "That's you!?" expression or the guy who suddenly glares at me.  The key is: I'm learning who I'm dealing with.  And full disclosure: It's rare to have anyone on a panel who is even aware of this silly blog. 
  • One thought about trying a case all by yourself: It's all on you. Every brilliant move. Every dumb move. There is no hiding. You own it. 
  • I feel like I'm the only one who has no idea who Josh Duggar is. Side note: I feel sorry for any girl out there named Ashley Madison. 
  • In my never ending quest of exposing news stories commercials disguised as ads, there was a great one last night on Fox 4. There was a a very newsworthy story about a missing teen who was found via a GPS device. They showed the device and said the product's name. Ok. No big deal. But later, when Clarice Tinsley was doing her inane reading of Facebook comments, she read one that said, "That a great product. I own one." Tinsley then looks at the camera and tells the price of it and says, "It's well worth the price."  Come on. 
  • That could be the future of advertising. Have the sales staff preview legitimate news story and see if there are any potential clients who are part of the story.  You know, see a story that will mention a GPS device and then contact that company cutting a deal for a Clarice Tinsley plug.
  • RG3 suffered a concussion last night. (You gotta have a GIF).  That's his third one in his career. This might be the beginning of the end. 
  • "Investigators say the [41 year old] girlfriend of a 70-year-old retired judge has been charged with shooting him in the head while at his Corpus Christi home." Tell me more. Tell me more. 


8.20.2015

Lost Wise County Dog


I'm posting this for a buddy. (And I'm sorry it took me all day to get to it.)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts




  • The Ashley Madison adulterer email list was released by hackers yesterday.  I envisioned Maury Povich looking at me and saying, "You are not on the list! You are not on the list!"
  • There is another police controversial police shooting -- this time in St. Louis. 
  • Mark Davis opened his radio show today talking about that shooting and asking, after some careful hesitation which apparently was not long enough, "Is it ever OK to shoot a black guy?" I should note that immediately after that he mentioned that line might have been a "career definer" for him. 
  • Someone asked me what I thought about Hillary's chances for the Democratic nomination. If I had to bet money, I'd bet on her.  But there might be something in the air.
  • Denton attorney Rick Hagen has announced he is running for a Texas House seat. I hope he wins  because I know him, and I think he would actually tell me what goes on down there. Also, he announced his candidacy at a restaurant called El Guapo’s. He should win by default simply for that power and/or comedic move.   
  • I had yet another thought about my crazy-kill-your-child-before-age-of-accountability hypo: A believer wouldn't do that primarily because they have a doubt, a reasonable one, about whether the child would really go to heaven. Put another way, he does not believe it beyond a reasonable doubt. 
  • How do Subway Jared'd federal case get wrapped up in record time while John Wiley Price's case goes on for years. 
  • And is there something weird about the government collecting "restitution" of $100,000 each for 14 victims? Are they prosecutors or plaintiff's attorney? 
  • Yvonne Craig, who appeared at Batgirl in the original Batman TV show (comedy genius by they way), has died. She was truly my first boyhood crush. And, as I look back, "Hey, Now" was justifiably deserved. (Fun fact: She appeared with Elvis in It Happened At The World’s Fair (1963) and Kissin’ Cousins (1964))
  • I need to start a Liberally Lean Hall of Fame. It would be unique. For example, Yvonne Craig: In. Elvis: Out. 
  • Eight years ago the starting salary for a new assistant DA was in the mid $50s. Has it gone up? There may be a new phenomenon going on where the public sector always gets a raise while the private sector wages become stagnant. 



Get Me This Dog?






Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts




  • Oh, come on. Who doesn't like bangs? 
  • I had a weird flashback yesterday as I saw a news report about high school two-a-days. In practice one time I went out to catch a pass in the flat, it was overthrown, and two or three seconds later I was hit in the back with a late hit by a linebacker. I jumped up in anger and shoved his head back with an open palm to his facemask.  There was a small skirmish after that (thank god he didn't kill me because it would have been ugly) and then I walked back to the huddle. But as I walked, I heard Coach Max Moore, on a megaphone from high above, say, "Hey, Green. Grant Teaff is watching you." I found it bizarrely funny then and I still do. And it's multi-layered.
  • The Ticket is broadcasting at Texas Wesleyan this morning and keep promoting it, by contractual obligation, as "the oldest university in Fort Worth." Ummmkay. 
  • Speaking of flashbacks, there's been lots of talk about televangelist Robert Tilton after John Oliver exposed him again on HBO last Sunday. I went back and watched some old clips from Tilton and he does exactly what Joel Osteen and his ilk do today -- just not as smoothly. "There is someone out there with an intestinal problem." 
  • I was told that there is a DWI trial going on in Wise County where the defense lawyer has chosen for the jury to assess punishment if the defendant is convicted.  That may not mean anything to you, but that is that is beyond fascinating, and I can't wait to hear how it turns out. 
  • Dallas just had the "Mayor's School Fair" at Fair Park where free school supplies were available to the poor who met certain requirements. Here is what Mark Davis said about it yesterday on his radio show: "I've told you what the typical parent is in line for that thing -- showing up for the Dallas County, you know,  'free stuff' school fair. The average parent in line is, you know, just left a beer in the car, smoking a cigarette, on a cell phone to the cable company."  (7:00 minute mark). Wow. (Special note to former Producer Susan: Your old boss has either lost his mind or he's trying to get fired.)  Recall Davis, with all of that love for his fellow man, was allowed to speak in three services at the Grapevine Fellowship Megachurch last year. 
  • The sex offender who escaped from his civil confinement in a halfway house in Fort Worth was found dead in South Carolina because of an apparent suicide. As a side note, four people were arrested for "aiding" his escape from that non-secure facility. But get this: "They were arrested by DPS troopers, Fort Worth and Granbury police, deputies with the Hood County Sheriff’s Department, and officials with the Texas attorney general’s office and the U.S. Marshals Service. " That's all?  I will not make my obligatory "too many cops" statement right now. 
  • I would have won Super Triple Jeopardy yesterday when someone asked me to name an old Baylor player they saw who wore number 34, and I wildly --yet correctly -- answered "Abercrombie" within seconds. (Here's an old cover of Texas Football where he's pictured along with crazy Craig James. And I had no idea he made the cover of Sport's Illustrated as a Steeler)
  • Uttered at the courthouse yesterday: "First you want to see me at .08 and now you want to see me on X"?  (Shout out to the gal on the phone who almost joked because of laughter yet remained professional.) 
  • The Dallas Morning News has an editorial praising the Texas Forensic Science Commission for opening an investigation into the junk science of "bite mark analysis".  How it did  not mention David Wayne Spence who was convicted in the "Lake Waco Murders" because of such testimony is puzzling. He was later executed by the government.
  • And when I do things like use the phrase "by the government" it is because I want someone out there to think, "That's not true! Oh, wait. I guess it is." 
  • Spence's last words: "I want you to understand I speak the truth when I say I didn’t kill your kids. Honestly I have not killed anyone. I wish you could get the rage from your hearts and you could see the truth and get rid of the hatred."  


8.18.2015

So I Have A Random Thought About Receiving Tips And Then Receive This



Note: It's a lawsuit. Anyone can allege anything. It's then up to those making the accusations to prove it.  If the allegations are true, he should be held accountable. If they are not, he is truly a victim. And I mean that. Hey, I just watched Gone Girl so that makes me an expert.

From his website.


And more from his website:

At stake is someone’s divine gift of life, liberty, or property, and the judge has moral obligation to the Creator to make sure that Gift is protected, both in civil cases , or in the determination of guilt of someone accused of a crime. . . .  There are many different definitions of what is a conservative judge. Having a respect for the limitations of the Constitution, and a moral obligation to protect those unalienable rights endowed to us by our Creator is mine.

His little used Twitter page will provide comedy for only the most faithful and astute reader of Liberally Lean.


I'm Glad I'm Old



How would you like to be a a young person where every stupid thing you do is captured on video in quality and with editing that would even make Steven Spielberg take notice?

Wait. Hold the phone!!! Is that an Apollo Creed hat ther frat boy is wearing?



(This is reported to be at a frat pool party at UT-San Antonio).

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts



  • "News" that beat me down yesterday: Blue Bell ice cream being back. (And never has there been a product that killed people be the recipient of so much free advertising of praise.)
  • "News" that will beat me down today: The fried junk will be offered at the State Fair this year.
  • I get anpymous tips all the time, and I got one yesterday that really got my attention. In crazy Palo Pinto County, a real estate agent with cancer (who just died) was indicted for stealing "real estate listings".  I'm on it. 
  • Special note to those who comment on Wise County school boards: I can't post any comment where you allege theft or corruption unless there are facts to back it up. You can call them crazy, lazy, or incompetent, but you can't accuse them of a crime. 
  • The County Clerk who initially refused to issue a marriage license to a same sex couple "ended up costing Hood County $43,872.10 in attorney’s fees." You know what gets my attention? The fees. There are now a billion lawyers out there. Some are actually competent.  If you pay a high fee believing that you are getting the "best" representation, you are getting scammed.  And government employees who approve these type of checks gets scammed the most. 
  • And that leads me to this thought: You want to get rich? Be in the private sector and get a government contract. I doesn't matter whether it is in the field of legal, information systems, defense, or construction, you will be overpaid and once you are in -- you're in. It may not be as big of a scam as the government employee who "works from home", but it's still normally a scam. 
  • It was a slow news day yesterday and Fox 4 led with a "Deputy Saves Baby From Hot Car". "Deputy  Matthew Slater noticed the child alone inside the hot SUV and broke the window with a pocket knife to get the baby out." Uh, first, it happened almost three weeks ago. Secondly, the video report says "several people had spotted the child in distress". But get this: Reporter Richard Ray said the station was "a little bit surprised" that it took the story this long to come out but Fox 4 was contacted yesterday by the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office to make sure the deputy got the recognition he deserved.   Uh, it's his job.
  • Note to Fox 4: Your new website design is a disaster. Am I the only one who sees that the top half scrolls (weird) and the bottom half seems stationary but it looks like there is more content that you can't see? (And don't click on the link to the story about the deputy "saving" the baby. There is a 1:43 minute advertisement before you get to it. Incredible.) 
  • A faithful reader, who remembed a Random Thought from yesterday, forwarded me a tweet from a third party this morning.: "#NowPlaying 'Jesus Christ' by Brand New from The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me ♫ http://spoti.fi/K1XALv". 
  • Rick Santorum was at the Iowa State Fair this weekend and said we need to send troops into Iraq and then into Syria. Oh, my. But he is so irrelevant that I can't find the text of the speech. Coverage of Donald Trump and his helicopter arriving at the fair, on the other hand, that's easy to find coverage of. 
  • I still like my question from yesterday regarding the "age of accountability".  Some people said a parent should not kill his/her child because it is a sin and "against the law". ("Sheesh" on the latter). Let me remind you that we are talking about a guarantee of your child spending eternity in heaven. And parents would give up their life for their child, right? So wouldn't  you do anything to guarantee you child is in heaven forever? (I would suspect forgiveness and salvation would still be intact for you if you were willing to be a modern day Abraham, but I'll leave that aside since this whole hypothetical is weird enough already.)



8.17.2015

Fox News Knows How To Win The Ratings War



Get a couple of hot gals to debate whether a video of hot sorority girls, oftentimes in bikinis, is an appropriate recruitment tool while running said video on a loop.

A media outlet who some believe has a thinly veiled agenda is using scantily clad/hot women to promote itself? What kind of psycho came up with that crazy idea? Especially if it runs early in the morning.

Side note: Uh, for the WIN . . .


Our Texas Ag Commissioner

Source.

He's currently on a 11 day trip to China that you are paying for.

Let's Check In On Some Rich People


A video posted by @janetgretzky on


Private jet. Check.
Drinks. Check.
Dancing. Check.
Waiter. Check.

The lady on the left?: 54 year old Janet Gretzky - wife of the former NHL star Wayne Gretzky.

Former Baylor Linebacker


(For most of you who could care less*, Baylor beat TCU 61-58 last year in a game which becomes as amazing as Baylor's later collapse in the Cotton Bowl every time I watch it.)

Good: That was a pretty clever bit. Bad: Not filling out the total will cause some to think you haven't authorized the transaction. But, assuming you signed it, and even if you didn't, it will go through. Ambiguous: Was that a good tip? 20% would mean it was a total bill of over $300. Easy to do in that place. Good: Having fun with a waitress with a good tip. Bad: Posting it as a former player for others to have to back up. Jealous: That's pretty good handwriting for a guy.
__________
Edit: Ok, I know. I know I screwed that up that phrase. Send me your name and address and I will refund the cost of your subscription. I'll meet with my editors tomorrow and three or four will be fired.



Random Monday Morning Thoughts



  • I had my oil changed this weekend and had to go through the "Uh, sir. Can I show you a couple of things?" routine.  I actually agreed to one of the things he suggested. Minutes later I decided that I should have said, "You might be screwing me over. If you're not, thank you. If you are, remember this moment later tonight." 
  • When it comes to "should have said", I'm George Costanza. ("Well, the Jerk Store called, and they're running out of you.")
  • Julian Bond died over the weekend. I knew nothing about him. In 1965 he won a Georgia state rep seat but the Georgia state representatives voted 184-12 not to seat him because he opposed the Vietnam War. Wow. It took the Supreme Court to set Georgia straight
  • Ben Carson seems like a great guy, but I'd have reservations about him operating on my brain. He just comes across as a regular guy instead of a neurosurgeon.
  • For over a decade I've gone to driver's license hearings in Fort Worth off Camp Bowie Boulevard. Throughout that time, there was a Planned Parenthood clinic in the same complex. It is now gone.
  • Official Liberally Lean Baseball Player Man Chris Davis has six home runs in his last six games. 
  • We always seem to see a notice that a Wise County government office will be "closed for training". I can't remember ever seeing a private business locking its doors for training. 
  • Official Liberally Lean Girl Britney Spears was at the Teen Choice Awards last night. "Hey, now."
  • I'm interested: A movie about the 1988 Carter Cowboys.  I addition to becoming famous for beating Odessa Permian (the subject of Friday Night Lights), six players became infamous for being sentenced for robbery. I know that I remember a photograph of them being to taken into court in a chain gang, but I couldn't find it. 
  • The raw footage of the explosions at that China chemical plant is amazing. But the guy filming it proved he was an idiot with his play by play account. (Language warning.) 
  • The Tea Party was bragging about raising $230,000 from a "money bomb" this weekend for state rep. Jonathan Stickland. "The result? His constituents love him." I guess that's impressive but for every $1 a person donated a SuperPAC matched it with $3. 
  • Matt Jones hitting second shot from the carpet of a hospitality tent at the PGA Championship was funny. I just wished he would have looked at the camera and said, "Kind of a thin lie." (Tin Cup bar scene shot reference). 
  • I'm finally beginning to watch Jon Oliver on HBO and caught his show on sex education, date rape, etc.  In talking about our culture, he brought up a line from a song from Grease: "Tell me more. Tell me more. Did she put up a fight?"  How did we just ignore that?
  • I can never catch the name of the band, but there is a Bomb Factory commercial on The Ticket's online feed where the announcer refers to "their hit song 'Jesus Christ'." So jarring. 
  • A thought provoking and disturbing question I heard this weekend: If a parent believes that a child will absolutely spend eternity in heaven if the child were to die before the "age of accountability", why wouldn't that parent kill his child before that age to guarantee that happens? His point was: Does the parent truly believe that?


8.16.2015

It's Not Happy Gilmore vs. Bob Barker . . .



. . . but I think this is funny when it comes to golf.

It is something right out of a legal opinion. "In this case, the court must consider whether an ant is considered 'a burrowing animal' under the rules and definitions created by the Pro Golfer's Association. We hold it is not."

Or you could always go with the guy on a See-Doo talking on a cell phone. (For the sake of comedy, I'm going to assume he was asking his buddy about whether an ant is a burrowing animal.)






I Love The New ESPN College Football Commercial About Revenge

Commercial.

Screen Shot which is shown for only a second or two:


Bear traps? 88 miles? Oh!!!!! Now I get it!






"You're a jerk. I thought that was a sarcastic statement. " 
"We're having fun here, no?"



Trump 2016