Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

We are "celebrating" the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq this week, but just 10 years ago it was still a mess over there. In 2013, there were 8,955 people killed in acts of violence. 

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• In one of the weirdest plays in Maverick's history, the entire team failed to guard the Warriors after a time out, allowing for an uncontested dunk. Video.
  
  
  
• So this is what happened: The ball gets knocked out of bounds on a play and the refs indicated it was the Warriors' ball. Instantaneously, the Mavs called a time out and, in response, the ref then pointed at their bench to grant that time-out. The Mavs claim that they thought the pointing at them was an indication the ball had really been awarded to them.  That's why they were unprepared for the Warriors just throwing in the ball after the time-out with no one guarding them.
• Of course, that doesn't explain why all five Mavs were at the other end of the court. If they truly thought it was their ball, they were going to need at least two players on the other end of the court. 
• Coach Jason Kidd cited "confusion." Yep, for you. Mark Cuban said he would "file a protest" of the game. That's embarrassing.
  
  
  
• Liberally Lean Weather Forecast: It will storm in Wise County around 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. 
• School shootings momentarily shifted to Colorado yesterday.
  
  
  
• Long time Rangers play-by-play man will miss the start of the season. You never know what is going on in someone else's life. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• He was convicted because of a photo-lineup.  Photo-lineups are rarely, rarely used any longer for this very reason.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• This case was a dog in 1986 and certainly isn't any better now. The defendant, now 65 years of age, was 22 at the time.  
  
  
  
• This story is picking up a little steam. I would expect this from private Abilene Christian but not from a public university. And we live in a weird, weird world when drag shows can go from an obscure after-thought to Public Enemy #1 instead of, say, school shootings. Culture wars are so brain-numbing.  
  
  
  
• And he really leaned into it in his statement. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• The Texas House passed a harmless and thoughtful resolution yesterday -- one of hundreds of routine resolutions they will approve this session -- extending Muslims across the state the legislature's best wishes as the holy month of Ramadan begins. 
  
  
  
• Of course, I expected someone like Tony Tinderholt to be of only two legislators to vote against the measure when it came up for a vote. And you knew he would use it to do some self-promotion as an Islamophobe. (I should note that the fact that Tinderholt being on his fifth marriage has nothing to do with this.)
  

  

  
  
  
  
• But what I couldn't believe was that our own Rep. Lynn Stuckey, and Jack County's rep, David Spiller, had the official legislative journal of the vote reflect they changed their vote to "no."  I'm stunned and disappointed. Not at the journal procedure -- that's common -- but by their ultimate vote. Both of the men are of greater character than to pander to the lowest common denominator by voting no.  They are both better than that and should be ashamed.
  
  
  
• Who is the world believes it is?
  
• John Cornyn, every now and then, remembers what it was like when Congressmen were statesmen. 
  
• Messenger: Above the Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

I had forgotten about the great cat rescue from 2013.

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• It's been a crazy news week in Wise County. We've had the Heritage Museum burn down, the alleged road rage death in Rhome and now the ensuing arrest, and a juvenile and a 17 year old arrested in an alleged murder case.  All just allegations, of course -- except the fire.
• And yes, I've been aware of the "hazing" allegations with the Bridgeport High School soccer team, but the wild rumors you might have heard about are simply not true. 
• This is a picture of the 16 year old Arlington Lamar student who died from gunfire.
  
  
  
• Those elected in Texas to make laws, and who are actually in session right now to make those laws, instead offered their thoughts and prayers yesterday.
  
  
  
• And there was another shooting yesterday.
  
  
  
• Last night I actually watched online the Book Banning Committee Public Education Committee as they held a hearing on House Bill 900 which is about banning books. It was painful to watch. We are so doomed. Scott Braddock of the Quorum Report was watching it, too: 
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Latest polling data for Republicans:
  
  
  
• Re: License plate readers:
• The City of Wichita Falls is getting in on the action. 
  
  
   
•  A faithful reader saw this nugget in a story where the trooper doubted the driver's story as to her path of travel because "a license plate report showed the SUV northbound on 287 in Wise County around 2:30 p.m. on March 17, and southbound in Childress County around 7:20 a.m." Troopers can instantaneously pull the data from LP readers.
  
  
  
• Side note: When an officer asks you "where you are headed?" feel free to decline to  answer. It really has nothing to do with any traffic stop and, regardless, you don't have to do anything other than hand over your DL and insurance. 
• That's actually not the city banning the flags, that's a private entity banning the flags within its own private parade. There's a difference.
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff: Last Friday Trump received an adverse ruling in the Mar-a-Lago documents case, but late yesterday the federal appellate court in D.C. stayed the ruling. I'm not smart enough to understand the nuances of what is going on, but look at these crazy deadlines that were put on the lawyers around 6:00 p.m. yesterday! (Here's a pretty good explainer thread.)
  
  
  
• Gwyneth Paltrow is actually in a courtroom this week where she is being sued by a guy who claims she negligently ran him over while both of them were skiing. He's allegeding injuries of broken ribs and "brain damage."   Color me skeptical. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Long time local TV news personality Jane McGarry posted a very honest photo this morning. 
  
  
  
• The Fed should raise interest rates by .25% today.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

This is a follow-up to yesterday's 10 year post. This was the press conference associated with it. It had to be held at the convention center due to the media crush. Man, that's a lot of cameras.

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• Some aftermath photos of Wise County Heritage Museum.

  

  Tony Corso image

• You know, this wasn't even the lead story on WFAA at 6:00 p.m. last night. There's a dead student for crying out loud.  We don't know much other than the shooter is younger than 17 years of age since he's being held at the Tarrant County Juvenile Center. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Dairy Queen era in Bridgeport is officially over as the sign was removed and replaced yesterday.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• I think the new four minute compilation video of the Uvalde shooting that the Texas Tribune has put together is really flying under radar. There is some incredible footage in it. And it shows what we all knew: The cops were scared to go in because that kid had a weapon they didn't think they could couldn't compete with. And, honestly, you can kind of see why when three of them were almost gunned down in the hallway.  Story. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Is it indictment and arrest day for Trump as he promised? Most people seem to say no despite what Trump is screaming about into the void. But there are signs of at least something . . . 
  
  
  
• Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis finally took a shot a Trump yesterday: “Look, I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just can’t speak to that.”
  
  
  
• Trump did not take kindly, and fired back: 
  
  
  
  
  
• In a new video yesterday, Trump continues to act crazier and crazier. Fittingly, he will hold a rally in Waco of all places on Saturday. Side note: Newsmax had a very enthusiastic supporter on yesterday who dropped a major F bomb.
  

• They just keep coming. Three of the four were women. I would consider all of them to the batch of "not normal" Republicans.  
  
  
  

  

  William Isaacs, Laura Steele, Sandra Parker and Connie Meggs.

  
  
• A 22% proposed increase would boost the starting salary to $170,800.

• Sheesh, just divorce her. 
  
• I use to rail about the secrecy around police license plate readers, but now they are openly placed in agendas. North Richland Hills is spending well over a $1 million on them. 

• Today is the one year anniversary of the tornado hitting Jacksboro.