2.09.2018

It's Friday. Let's Get Out Of Here.

"Ma'am, could I visit with you about Timothy Treadwell?"
Got a little wide there. Caution flag is now out.
Little Nancy apparently found the WWE channel.
When a failed bit turns out to be better than the actual bit.
Man, those carnival games overseas are tough!

And It Starts Off With The Worst Shooting Ever




This Flu Season Is Getting Weird




Random Friday Morning Thoughts


  • Music Trivia: Who first made Muskrat Love popular? I was adamant at the courthouse yesterday that it was Captain and Tennille. Some guy put me in my place by shocking me with the correct answer: America.
  • -1,033.16
  • Kim Jong-un's sister will attend the Olympics as a representative of North Korea. She has served, and I am not making this up, as the head of their "Propaganda and Agitation Department."  That sounds like a cool job.
  • Proof that I am a legal genius: I have been preaching this since the arrest and indictment of 154 bikers.
  • Congress avoided a shutdown by agreeing to increase spending by $600 billion over the next two years. This is on top of the $1.5 trillion deficit hit caused by the tax bill. Let Fiscal Conservatism Reign! (Side note: How is a "last minute bill" over 600 pages long?)
  • I don't know what "local" Wise County School district this is, but they are re-enforcing stereotypes. Boys can be president. Girls just need to be cute.
  • The Navy Seal who shot Bin Laden doesn't think too much of Trump wanting a military parade.
  • It was said time and time again yesterday that NFL QB Jimmy Garoppolo "is now the highest paid player in the NFL, in terms of average annual cash value," with a contract of $137.5 million over five years. That number is meaningless because he can be cut at any time. The key is the guaranteed money and, admittedly, his is nothing to sneeze at: $74 million. But compare Matt Stafford's contract of last year at 5 years for $125 million with $82 million guaranteed. 
  • "Former independent counsel Ken Starr says in a new interview that if he were President Trump's attorney he would advise Trump about the risks he faces by possibly sitting down with Robert Mueller, the special counsel in charge of the Russia investigation." Ya think? You wouldn't just send him over to Mueller without talking to him? (Starr, who was a disaster as Bill Clinton's prosecutor and a disaster as president of Baylor, has never tried a case.) 
  • I heard on the radio this morning that there will be a high school fishing tournament on Lake Texoma tomorrow. With that cold front coming in, can you imagine anything more miserable? Edit: There are a bunch of Decatur kids entered.

2.08.2018

Speaking Of Basketball Fights

This is from Pennsylvania.

Edit: We have another one in Texas.


Random Thursday Morning Thoughts


  • The Waco DA continues to back down. He has now dismissed one of the Twin Peaks cases and recused his office from another. And he indicated to a judge he intends to dismiss five other cases.  There is no way he survives the Republican primary next month, right? 
  • Trump lost another "trusted advisor" yesterday as Rob Porter resigned after his two ex-wives came out with stories of abuse. He hires the best people.
  • KXAS had a story last night regarding campaign signs on county property. They said it's OK in Tarrant County.  I had never thought about this. Is this a constitutional issue or just a policy of Tarrant County? What about Wise County? Could someone put up a huge sign on the property across from the sheriff's office that is owned by the county on 380? What about the courthouse lawn? 
  • I'm now infatuated with FarmersOnly.Com. Those commercials are insane. It's a dating site for country people who just happen to be white. (I saw a commercial last night with five couples around a "bonfire". All were lilly white. Even a light skin Hispanic didn't couldn't make the cut.) 
    From another commercial
  • I haven't heard much about former WFAA reporter Brett Shipp who is running for Congress as a Democrat in a crowded field. 
  • Below was Trump late last year. Yesterday the FBI said, "To date none of the more than 650 interviews completed, locations searched, or evidence collected and analyzed have produced evidence that would support the existence of a scuffle, altercation, or attack.” But who cares about facts?
  • I saw a note yesterday that Tech had the lowest ranked recruiting class of any Power 5 school. If that's true, Coach Bro should be on the shortest of leashes.
  • I'm reading this and it is really interesting. Although long and detailed, it is a history lesson of how Americans uniquely want to believe the unbelievable (from dreams of a New World, to the Gold Rush, to crazy religious beliefs and sects, to snake oil salesman, to Houdini, to the occult, to aliens, to magical weight loss, to modern day "False Flags", etc.) 
  • There was an earthquake in Taiwan this week and it gave rise to this lasting image:
  • I think this is when I lost all interest in the Cowboys and the NFL: When free agency was created and Randall Cunningham, who spent 11 years in Philadelphia, came to Dallas in 2000. 
  • Someone alerted me to some type of "business opportunity" going around Decatur. I think it was called "Pure" (I'm not sure), but I was a little concerned when a buddy showed me the company's web site which spent most of its time trying to convince the reader it is not a pyramid scheme. (Someone help me out on the company name and website.)



2.07.2018

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

This one got corrupted. This is what it was or, more precisely,  what's left of it.

  • A store in Decatur charging 50 cents to enter.
  • Waze and NYPD. 
  • Attorney suspended. https://twitter.com/associatesmind/status/1093156025576894464
  • Hypothetical on the radio yesterday: Would you exchange $1 billion for your sense of taste? That's a no brainer. I'd do it for a million. 
  • https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/1092998198757638144 A link about the lady put in prison for illegal voting. 
  • https://www.versustexas.com/criminal/tarrant-county-criminal-cases/  A link containing the analysis of prosecutions in Tarrant County.
  • https://www.dallasnews.com/news/haltom-city/2019/02/05/amtrak-train-kills-pedestrian-trinity-railway-express-tracks-haltom-city A link of a talk show host who was killed by a train. 
  • The Tarrant County District Clerk's office is imaging old records and last week found Clyde Barrow's indictment for murder of a Southlake officer (which was later dismissed because "Defendant deceased.")
  • Bob Stoops and the XFL
  • Kicker Matt Bryant was cut and was a Cowboy for two weeks over a decade ago
  • North Carolina reporter: " Randomly flipped through the 1979 UNC-Chapel Hill yearbook today just to kill some time, and found this photo on one of the fraternities' pages. Holy [crap]."
  • A worker dangling in Sundance Square after an accident. 
  • Some other stuff I can't remember

Let's Check In On DeSoto/Duncanville From Last Night




Fridgegate In Lampasas County


The amount of time and money spent on this silly case is mind-boggling. The Texas AG's office requested the Texas Rangers to investigate.

The fridge is worth less than $100 (how much less, we don't know), and it might not even work.





Above The Fold



Full page pdf.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts


  • He got weed! WFAA did a segment on the recent marijuana busts in Wise County.
  • I knew Wise County's state senator Craig Estes had a heck of an opponent in Pat Fallon, but I didn't know there was a third candidate in the race: A guy who owns the the Old Nocona Boot Factory. Just a third name one the ballot might be enough to put that election into a runoff.
  • I'd think that the Cavs would trade Lebron right now. He's leaving after the season anyway, they are awful, they could get a fortune for him in draft picks from a contending team, and Lebron, in waiving his no trade clause, would at least get some Cleveland love by pointing out that, "I didn't want to leave without this town getting something in return."
  • Good grief. America has its own little "Rocket Man": 
  • Who else liked military parades? I can't quite put my finger on it.
  • Man, the Copelands sure have been in the news a lot lately. And I wonder why her plan didn't work when 21 people in the congregation came down with the measles in 2013.
  • I've mentioned this before and the speed is increasing: Branch banks are shutting down. For the 12 months prior to June, 2017, there were 1,700 which were shut down. There is basically no reason to go to the bank for routine transactions. (I finally started using the "deposit by phone" technology -- something that makes no sense to me.)
  • And Another (Connecticut):
  • I stole this: Breaking Bad had an alternative ending where Walter White went into a witness protection program as Gordon Lightfoot.
  • Nunes now admits that the FISA search warrant affidavit did indicate that some of the information it is based upon might be "political". But since it was in a footnote, he didn't think it was good enough. So he's upset about the size of the font? 
  • Big Las Vegas news: 
  • The principal at Northwest High School, and former teacher in Rhome, faces a second DWI charge.



2.06.2018

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Today



This is some pretty good stuff.

  • 29:45 Liftoff
  • 32:25 Booster separation
  • 37:30 Both boosters return simultaneously and land straight up. (Amazing.)
The remainder of the rocket was supposed to land on a barge. At the time of this posting, they aren't sure it made it. 

Not Incoming Nukes, But Still A Major Screw Up




If there are a couple of more of these we will all start paying attention to them just like we pay attention to car alarms.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts



  • "A Texas state district court judge [in Hildago County] has been arrested on allegations he accepted approximately $6,000 in cash bribes."
  • Dirk's name was misspelled last night. And it happened in Sacramento over the weekend. 
  • The 32 year old elementary school teacher in Weatherford who contracted the flu and was dead in days should scare us all.
  • I'm still studying my maps to get a handle on the chance for "winter weather." Disclaimer: The following graphic is by Delkus. I'll factor that in accordingly.
  • For those saying the FISA search warrant on Carter Page was illegally obtained, you have no idea how search warrants work. I do. If a judge grants it (which is 99% of the time in any jurisdiction at any level), there is almost nothing you can do. This is the opening sentence from an article in a professional journal published by the Texas District and County Attorney's Association: "Though defense counsel’s accusations that an officer lied in an affidavit for search warrant might strike panic in a prosecutor’s heart, you need not fear." Sheesh. But the author is right. (And in Carter Page's case, no one says false statements were made. The worst allegation is that exculpatory information was withheld -- something that can be legally withheld.)
  • Proof Nunes is a moron. Does he truly believe there is a court reporter present when a search warrant affidavit is presented to a judge? And search warrants aren't based upon what was "verbally presented" -- they are based on an affidavit. 
  • Two days a week, because of extracurricular activities, I've got to the Freshman in the House to school at 5:45 a.m. That's 5:45!!! I can't wait until that kid get's her driver's licence in the Fall.
  • We had a North Texas police chase yesterday where the guy fled on foot once his tires were shredded. Those baggy pants served as a law enforcement tool.
  • Under the radar election news yesterday: Pennsylvania has more registered Democrats than Republicans yet, because of gerrymandering, Republicans hold 13 of 18 Congressional seats. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the gerrymandering last month and ordered the districts redrawn. An emergency appeal by Republicans to the Supreme Court yesterday was denied. Dems will pick up a ton of House seats.
  • The government "shutdown" deadline is in a couple of days. In January, everyone acted like the sky was falling unless a deal was made. Now, as they'll kick the issue down the road again, no one even mentions it. 
  • This is the Dallas Morning News scorecard from the Patriot's draft in 2006 2000 where Tom Brady was taken in the sixth round. 
  • Remember the judge presiding over the Trump University lawsuits who Trump called a "hater" and a "Mexican" during the campaign? Well that judge is now about to rule on "The Wall" in an environmental case. 
  • The naming of Robert Wagner as a "Person of Interest" (hate that term) in the death of Natalie Wood in 1981 is nothing other than California law enforcement officers wanting to get in front of the cameras. One lead investigator said, "This is a suspicious death investigation. We want to know what happened from the time of the argument to when she got into the water." Sounds like you've got an open and shut case there, hoss. You'll note the DA's office hasn't said a word.



2.05.2018

Someone Strangle This PA Guy




It's not the NBA, buddy.

But I bet the guy will end up dimming the lights and getting a flashlight to use as a spotlight once the idea dawns on him. Then he'll bring a boombox with that Alan Parsons Project song on it and he will be at full throttle.

Panic In The Streets!


Honestly, we were due for this. And there's probably more to come.

Time Does Indeed Fly By




Random Monday Morning Thoughts



  • The federal government is set to borrow $1 trillion this year. That's an 84% increase over last year.
  • Paul Ryan lost his mind bragging about the tax cuts this weekend. He posted, and then quickly deleted, this:
  • The Nunes Memo: Trump said it "vindicated him" in the Mueller investigation. Did he even read it? The co-author of the memo, a Republican, disagreed: 
  • More Nunes memo thoughts: (1) Big bag of nothing, (2) Nothing illegal was done or even alleged to have been illegal in the memo, (3) Carter Page was already under investigation for Russian collusion for two years before the FISA warrant was obtained, (4) The FISA warrant had to be re-approved every 60 days with evidence showing that it was fruitful. It was. By three different judges. (5) Carter Page was in bed with the Russians. (6) Despite Fox News' odd claims, it did not "confirm" that Trump Tower was wiretapped as Trump claims. Carter Page wasn't even with the campaign when the FISA warrant was issued.
  • Eagles coach Doug Pederson is everything Jason Garrett is not. There is no way Garrett goes for it on 4th down early in the second quarter and no way he calls a pass to the quarterback.
  • If he had been named Nick Folestein, would she have written "QB Nick Folestein, Jewish!"?
  • Weird halftime moment as the Patriots headed to the locker room: 
  • Downtown Minneapolis lit up in the shape of Prince's guitar was cool: 
  • I liked Justin Timberlake's tribute to Prince but the song choice ("I Will Die For You") seemed to be, uh, awkward.
  • Number of New England punts last night: 0. Total penalty yards by both teams combined: Just 40.
  • After the stock market plunged 666 points on Friday -- creepy, right? -- it just opened down over 200.