4.29.2020

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts



  • The Board:
    Total cases: 1,035,765

    Total deaths: 59,266
  • That New York Times site tricked it up today with a grouping of states that are still going up and states which are plateauing. They put Texas in the plateauing group.: 

  • Texas (that's a pretty extended plateau, though):
  • Tarrant (still weird reporting):
  • We have some Wise County movement: 17 total with 5 active cases. With one more active case by Friday and we fall under the "25% Rule" instead of the "50% Rule" (assuming any percentage is going to be honored.)
  • And when one case can get your attention more than the numbers: 
  • I mentioned on Monday that I heard on the radio that failed congressional candidate Chris Putnam was sponsoring a "bar crawl" in the Stockyards this weekend, but couldn't confirm it. Now he's announced it. But he wants you to know, "To be clear, I absolutely believe in the rule of law." Uh, no he doesn't. He just thinks his reasoning for which laws to violate is superior to yours. Just say it. 
    He "owns several houses" and a cowboy hat. 
  • I suspect he's one of those guys who over the years has had the attitude of "Just follow the law and you won't get shot" whenever there's a story of a an officer wrongfully shooting a traffic offender or a story like Sandra Bland. 
  • Pence made headlines yesterday for refusing to wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic. Even simple rules can't be followed. 
  • The only person who is actually getting in trouble for violating any "order" is the salon owner in North Dallas who keeps drawing attention to herself. (Here's a criminal tip: Stay off everyone's radar and you can get away with a lot of stuff.)  Dallas County up the ante yesterday by getting a temporary restraining order against her. I'll need the civil lawyers to tell me what happens when someone violates a TRO.
  • That man forgot his pants.
  • This silly blog is hard to write once you get past pandemic news because every newscast is 90% pandemic news. And it ain't that interesting. But, remember, "we are all in this together during these trying times." Or so I've heard. 
  • I don't know what to expect the Fall (which will be here before we know it.)  What are we going to do when it becomes cold, flu, and coronavirus "season" and we don't have a vaccine. And that scenario will happen. 
  • I picked up this book because it involved the assassination of federal judge John Wood -- something I was aware of but didn't know any details about. But so far it is a fascinating story of some full throttle drug dealing lawyers in El Paso who kept ending up in his court.  It's great. The only thing I knew about the assassination is that the judge was killed by Woody Harrelson's father, but I'm 25% of the way through and Harrelson hasn't even made an appearance yet. And I'm fine with that. 
  • The passing rate for the February Texas Bar Exam was 45.9%. Baylor's pass rate was 88%.
  • Anyone remember the 900 phone business? Or Netscape Navigator? Here's a twofer:
  • The Update lists seven deaths notices in Wise County. Five of them are for people age 59 and younger. I used not to pay attention to things like that. 
  • Messenger: Above the Fold
  • I still think this was an incredible waste of money the government doesn't have: