9.30.2021

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts




You know, this use to happen all the time, but now it has just stopped. The FBI would find some stooge online incapable of pulling off anything, give him some fake packages and tell him they were bombs, and then arrest him and claim they had stopped another 9/11.     


  • The Fort Worth Dumpster Murder Guy confessed to killing his girlfriend in New Mexico (not Arizona as previously reported.) She had been missing since 2017, and the following from this "missing person" web page about her makes you think that he would have been a suspect, right? I mean, we've gone nuts over the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie story. 


    • Also we have Star-Telegram excerpt from updated story. Wise County Sheriff's Office?

  • This guy tried to burn down the Travis County Democratic Headquarters in Austin and was caught on video.

     

  • I think Texas House redistricting maps come out today.
  • Debt ceiling crisis? If you are my age, you don't even pay attention to this kabuki dance because we've seen it a million times before. 

  • If you are confused about the current standoff in Congress over the "Infrastructure Bill" (the "Build Better Act"), you are not alone. If I understand it (and I'm not sure that I do), the $3.5 billion bill still needs approval in the Senate but moderate Democrat Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia are balking - and they are needed to pass it.  But what does this have to do with all the stories of Nancy Pelosi in the House possibly having to pull a critical different vote today off the table because she "doesn't have the votes?" I think that vote has to do with a separate $1 trillion infrastructure spending bill that liberal House Democrats are threatening to vote down (even though they love it) unless the Senate finally agrees to the $3.5 billion bill. Confusing, no? 

  • Fort Worth PD doesn't even go to the trouble of saying "allegedly."  But how suspicious looking are these folks with that cart full of high dollar items?



  • I've said it before, I want this attorney's (who is Bridgeport's own) press agent. Story from last night.



  • After the arrest of governor candidate Allen West's wife for DWI, the Dallas PD, on its own, released an edited portion of the bodycam to try and justify the arrest. After the blood results came back clear, however, all charges were dropped. Now various news organizations want the full unedited video. Dallas PD is now fighting them. Sheesh. 
  • Have I said we live in the dumbest times?

  • Despite an explosion in population in Texas, there has been an amazing drop in criminal cases in Texas over the past 10 years: While felonies have just been stagnant, misdemeanors filed in court went from 585,000 in 2010 to 324,000 in 2020 (that's a shocking 45% decline.)


    • Here are DWIs over the last 20 years in Texas. Misdemeanors (green line) have been dropping. Felony DWIs (red) are constant overall.  


  • The United States of America asked to do oral arguments in the Fifth Circuit remotely since COVID is still around. Yesterday the conservative court simply said, "Denied."

  • It happened last night. 

  • Legal nerd stuff: I think this is a funny deposition excerpt of a rambling witness and a lawyer who is a good sport.
  • I'm now well into the third season of Billions.  It's ridiculous. Flat out ridiculous. The dialogue, the acting, and the plot are all scream-at-the-TV silly. It's nothing but a soap opera. A well down and slick soap opera -- but a soap opera nonetheless.