6.20.2017

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts



  • One thing I love about the Supreme Court is how much they have always honored (mostly) the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment. They did so again yesterday when they killed a statute that made it illegal for any registered sex offender to access the social media. (The weirdest part was the concurrence that took a major dig at the majority opinion because it, among other things, said "the Cyber Age is a revolution of historic proportions . . . . ")
  • And they followed that up with knocking down the law that allowed trademarks to be denied by the government because they were offensive. (I wrote a few months back about how there was no way denying a request for a trademark of an Asian band wishing to be named "The Slants" was constitutional.) 
  • Who is in charge of the stop light on Highway 380 at Pleasant View Road (where Devon's offices are)? The City of Bridgeport or TxDot?  It backs up traffic on 380 for over a minute when there isn't a car in sight trying to get on to 380.
  • Condescending Pete! 
  • The Rangers' game, without a rain delay and without extra innings, took 3:48 to complete last night. No way I'm investing my time in that in person or even on TV.
  • There was incredibly horrible reporting by all local news outlets last night regarding the recent DWI arrest of (the pretty hot) Rep. Victoria Neave. They got a hold of a document showing the charge was DWI >= 0.15" so they all reported that her blood alcohol concentration was "almost twice the legal limit"  In DWI cases in Texas, if your BAC is 0.15 or more the case is a Class A misdemeanor instead of a Class B misdemeanor. All we know is that law enforcement is claiming her BAC was at least 0.15 not that it was 0.15.  Fox 4 got it wrong. The Morning News got it wrong. WFAA got it wrong. The Ticket got it wrong. Notably, the Dallas Observer got it dead right
  • So why is the Senate writing a repeal and replace bill of Obamacare in secrecy? Ted Cruz gives an explanation that is shocking:
  • The death yesterday of Otto Warmbier, who was recently released by North Korea after being held for months for removing a propaganda flyer in his hotel, is beyond disturbing. He had been released only to be found in a comatose state. But I'm scared that Trump is going to sit around and get mad and then start launching nukes in a fit of rage. 
  • A Decatur High pitcher signing with tiny Howard College and then getting an offer from the University of Texas seems unusual. 
  • The Austin lawyer who calls himself the "DWI Dude" "DWI King" missed his contempt of court hearing yesterday. (I've heard he has family ties -- by marriage -- to Wise County.)
  • And students at TCU need him
  • Carrie Fisher had  Prozac, Oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in her system at the time of her death. Some have complained about the autopsy results being made public. The reason is simple: The autopsy was paid for with tax dollars. 
  • The graphic below is the beginning of an article from Texas Monthly in 1994. After 21 years in prison, this morning the DA in Austin dismissed the case and declared them "actually innocent." 
  • There's a big runoff race in Georgia today for an open House seat. Local radio guy Mark Davis says the Republicans will win. 
    They guy has never understood hash tags. 
  • Sean Spicer is expected to no longer hold White House press briefings, and they are looking for a replacement. He was horrible at that job. And, disturbingly, there's a move to disallow video or audio of the press briefings or gaggles.