8.27.2018

Random Monday Morning Thoughts



  • Across the nation, flags are at half-staff this morning because of the death of John McCain -- Except at the White House because of Trump. Incredible. (At 7:55 a.m., the flags were at full staff at the Wise County Courthouse. I presume that's an oversight which will be fixed very soon.)
  • There were eight turnovers by the Cowboys last night in a meaningless pre-season game. Mrs. LL had a free ticket to a suite last night but left at halftime. (You would have to pay me to go to -- and my price would be high.) 
  • On Friday, reporters started researching Twitter about references to John McCain. This 10 year old Tweet, found by this guy, did not have a SINGLE reply despite Obama asking for them. He would have been trolled to death today.
  • Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer had to issue an apology for the way he handled his first apology. He seems like a miserable human being. So do others . . . 
  • I find this so weird: Fewer and fewer young people have a driver's license. "For example, the percentages for 20- to 24-year-olds [who had a license] in 1983, 2008, 2011, and 2014 were 91.8%, 82.0%, 79.7%, and 76.7%. . . . ." 
  • Trump got to color with some kids on Friday. He colored the U.S. flag incorrectly. You've got those stripes wrong, buddy. Never be afraid to ask for help from those around you.
  • It was such a busy news week that I'm not even going to mention Trump jokingly one time kissed Giuliani's cleavage while Giuliani was dressed in drag, or that Trump invited a QAnon conspiracy theorist to the Oval Office last week, or that Trump rejected a proposal to issue an official White House statement on John McCain's passing.

  • While watching a very old OU/Texas game on Saturday on the Longhorn Network (I'm living full throttle), I heard the announcers say that the game between aTm and Houston was scheduled to kickoff at 10:30 p.m. in the Astrodome "after the baseball game." I had to look it up: It actually kicked off at 11:32 p.m on October 11, 1980. The Astros had a playoff game that day and it took a while to get the field ready
  • And lets check in on Christian DFW radio host Mark Davis had to say while McCain's body was still warm:  
                                       
  • I don't even have to click on the link to know who it is. 
  • The Texas prison system just voted to drastically slash the cost of inmate phone calls. The new contract will be 6 cents per minute instead of 26 cents. Texas has been exploiting prisoners through the phone system for years. I don't know what the rate is at the Wise County jail.
  • There was a (very confusing) story in the Dallas Morning News about a lawsuit over an agreement on a cocktail napkin.  Sound interesting? It's not because the story was written so poorly.  But I was struck by this paragraph explaining why the fight over the napkin was ultimately resolved by a settlement. I question any lawyer who thinks appellate work is harder than trial work. It's not even in the same ballpark. How do they not know that? 
  • There is no question there are thousands of lawyers in the "litigation section" of big law firms who have never been involved as first chair in a jury trial. I bet that number is 80%, and I might be undershooting it. 
  • Audio of the shooting in Jacksonville yesterday. The shooter was a 24 year old white male from a gated community in South Baltimore, MD who lost a video gaming tournament. (Totally irrelevant: I hung out at Jacksonville Landing back on one of my football trips.)
  • I became a grand-uncle (or whatever you call it) over the weekend.
  • Messenger: Above The Fold