Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Trump says a woman needs to be punished for having a (legal) abortion. Cruz won't deny having an affair. This is going very well for the GOP.
• I actually listened to the oral argument in Lawrence v. Texas after hearing for years that the Harris County DA, who decided he could handle it, got beat up. Man, he did get crushed. 
• I looked out the window yesterday and saw 19 ducks on the shore. 19!
• Mark Cuban wants a new arena. He might want to focus on drafting someone for once in his life.
• Yesterday up at the courthouse I told a lady (and friend) who is in the latest stage of her pregnancy that if an emergency would happen, I would deliver the baby. The guys in the room said, (1) No way. We are heading for the exits, and (2) "Barry, you have lost your mind."
• I almost want to go to the big WWE event this week at Jerry World just to see the crowd.
• I cannot tell you the number of times I have a conversation with someone who blurts out, "You cannot write about this!"
• Someone told me the other day that the older you get the less you care about professional sports. That's true.
• "Asset forfeiture surpass burglaries". That means the government takes more of your property than crooks do.
• Texas Monthly: "Scrutinizing district attorneys is a necessary part of improving the criminal justice system."

And The Police Chief Thinks It Was Unintentional?

Watch dashcam video of shooting that led to indictment of @fortworthpd Officer Courtney Johnson on agg asslt charge. https://t.co/upECVUjTeA

— Deanna Boyd (@deannaboyd) March 30, 2016

First Baptist Church of Dallas's Pastor With Hannity

Tune in to @hannity at 9pm CT on @FoxNews as I debate a Muslim imam about the threat of radical Islam to our country pic.twitter.com/D8oHIxzxGS

— Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) March 30, 2016

I can't stop staring.

And on a completely unrelated point: The theme song from the Patty Duke Show was enthralling.

Craziest Softball Stat In The History Of Ever

Random Wednesday Thoughts

• Looks like I'm going to have to fire up the Liberally Lean Weather Center today.
• Hey, to the person who sent me the comment about what you observed on Sunday morning. First, you have no right to call yourself a Christian if you exhibit that much hatred. It is the exact opposite of everything Christ taught. Secondly, you have no idea what happened after that. Thirdly, come say that to my face and don't hide behind "anonymous". 
• John Battaglia, who murdered his two daughters near Deep Ellum in a high tone loft many years back, is scheduled to be executed tonight. One of many former wives was fascinated with the case and even bought a book about it. 
• The worst luck in the world was a real estate seller who had signs in Wise County with the exact same unusual name.
• I'm not much of a golf fan, but I will go to Augusta before I die. Bucket list.
• I sometimes talk into the mirror to practice what I'm going to say in the future. Then I begin to realize I'm Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver.
• The great Patty Duke died yesterday. And despite the Hellen Keller movie and The Patty Duke Show, I think her greatest accomplishment was being married to Evil Roy Slade (two people out there will laugh at that.) Amazingly, Slade, played by John Astin who was also Gomez in the Addams Family, celebrates a birthday today. 
• I still shake my head about Trump. And he might win the nomination.
• Since moving out to the lake, I've learned what small town life is like again. I'll be working in the lawn and someone will drive by, stop, and just want to introduce themselves (and find out who the heck I am and what I'm doing there.) 
• Donkey basketball is a really weird event. 

New Sports Illustrated

Great question. In my lifetime, I've never seen anyone fall so hard in sports.

Link to story.

Random Tuesday Morning Thought

• There is a commercial on Fox News for a pillow which is "Certified by the National Pillow Foundation". What organization is that? And then the "owner" shows up and says, "Thank you for supporting me for 10 years."  I could start a company tomorrow and look at you all and say, "Thank you for supporting me for 10 years" which actually would refer to reading the blog which would have nothing to do with my new company. I've said it before: Fox News advertisers take advantage of the elderly.
• And I cannot begin to describe the ad of Charlie Daniels for the NRA. It is the equivalent of "A Revolution Is Coming."
• I'm stunned that the standard movie theater even exists anymore. 
• When a company runs an ad that says, "We won't recommend any work unless you need it" makes me beyond more than skeptical. That makes you a smart advertiser but not necessarily honest.
• Oh, no! The Fat Cat is down to 17 pounds! And apparently carries a purse. (The kids named her "Ponder" because she was found in a pond.)
  
• There was a shooter at the U.S. Capitol yesterday who yelled that he was a "Prophet of God!" How much different than that than yelling, "Allahu Akbar!"?
• TCU's Gary Patterson will have a statue unveiled this weekend. The guy drives me crazy but he deserves one for what he has done for TCU. I just think that you wait until someone retires before putting it up. 
• It is almost April. The Montague County DA has still not released any records regarding the dog killing case and the McLennan County DA in Waco has not obtained a single plea or conviction in any of the biker cases. 
• I always see a cop car under a hill to catch speeders. Wouldn't the better thing to do is to be on top of the hill to remind everyone to simply slow down because they are watching you? What's the better policy?
• The concept that police have anything to do with the crime rate is dumb. They respond, normally responsibly and professionally, but that has nothing to do with prevention. 

Look What Someone Sent Me In The Mail!

Socks! Trump!

I'm Insane Now

It's A New World

Miami police body-cam recording of defense attorney causes stir https://t.co/eDFuzj2fCG

— TDCAANews (@TDCAANews) March 28, 2016

You know, unless I'm behind a closed door with someone I trust, I live my life like I'm being recorded.

Leaderboard

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Thats a big . . . wave.
• We had a little niece over for the weekend. She nicknamed me "Mr. Grumpy Pants." Out of the mouth of babes.
• I went to funeral this weekend and tearfully whispered into a lady's ear who had had lost her elderly mother, "I know this pain." Her concurring response: "There is nothing like this to make you feel like an eight year old." That sums it up perfectly. 
• I hardly watch any TV anymore. 
• When I was a kid my parents took us to an all night outdoor play about the Easter story. Everyone was on a sloped hill and brought tents and sleeping bags. They timed the resurrection scene  to occur at sunrise. I think it was in Oklahoma. I slept through most of it. 
• The NFL took on the New York Times who destroyed them. One of the greatest lines from dad was: "Never pick a fight with someone who buys paper by the ton and ink by the gallon."
• Driver crashes into house in metroplex. Photo. Man, wouldn't that scare you to death?
• There was a small plane crash in Stephenville which injured a father and son because they ran out of fuel. Dear pilot: You are not smart.
• Note to self: Never tell your wife on Saturday morning that her hair looks awful and she might want to grab a cap.
• Rhome mayor tells the police chief he has resigned for not showing up for work without permission. Chief says no. Now the city council holds a quick meeting to rescind the mayor's proclamation. Things are going great down there. (Side note: Fort Worth growth is headed that way. Take a look at at the development around the Saginaw cutoff. You think any big business wants to go into Rhome with this chaos?)
• One odd thing about criminal law. If you want to appeal a case, you have to pay the court reporter to prepare the transcript. I'm not pointing fingers -- it has always been that way. But I find that so odd. 
• I never realized ducks go under the water. And, man, they can under there forever!
• Mrs. LL wants to buy a boat. My response: "No."
• A tweet by MADD: "We NEED #ignitioninterlocks in ALL 50 states. Donate by 03/31 $50 for 50."  Has that organization turned into a scam for money?
• Very odd: "A Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Trooper died in a one-vehicle crash on Saturday night in Lamar County. In a press release, officials said that at about 11:00 p.m. Saturday, Trooper Jeffrey Nichols was driving westbound on FM 38, about half of mile north of County Road 35450, when he lost control of his patrol car and crashed into a tree. Nichols died at the scene."
• Batman vs. Superman got awful reviews and still pulled in $170 million in its opening weekend. 

Dalhart This Morning

Picture says it all... #txwx #phwx #Dalhart pic.twitter.com/5AsBTYPu1U

— DalhartCloudChasing (@Thirtyguitars) March 27, 2016

Yep. That is snow. And a bunch of it.

Above The Fold

Spring Break Fun?

To paraphrase Ludicrous:

Move [guy], get out the way
Get out the way [guy], get out the way

I'm so glad I'm not young.

And The Latest Standings

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Well, a lot of people have the day off and the courthouse is closed but . . . wait for it . . . here I am: The hardest working man in show business!
• The latest issue of Texas Monthly is about our gun culture with Taya Kyle, the widow of Chris Kyle, on the cover with a rifle strapped over her back.
• I saw maybe the craziest docket in district court yesterday. A guy gets put in jail. He won't stop mouthing off. His girlfriend in a short skirt with knee high boots won't stop talking to him. He has to be cuffed. Then a guy on the docket walks up to the bench wearing shorts and cowboy boots. And that is just the beginning of what I saw. Kudos to the judge for not blowing a gasket.
• The Ticket this morning pointed out that the NFL's denial of CTE is just like Big Tobacco back in the day denying that cigarettes can cause cancer. That is dead on. 
• I'm now at a point if I don't have reading glasses I can't read a thing. 
• Mrs. LL's little nieces showed up at the house last night. They visit maybe twice a year. My favorite bit is to look at them and say, "Who is this person?" They love it. 
• Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of a very unfortunate bird flying in front of a Randy Johnson fast ball. Video.
• I received a question yesterday from bagofnothing if that I had the opportunity to argue before the Supreme Court would I do it or hand it off to someone who had experience in doing so. Great question. But for some reason my brain went back to when I was arguing a case back in the 1990s before the Fort Worth Appellate Court when a judge in a very stern voice (and in a bluff) looked at me and asked, "Did you write this brief?" I had written it but looked at my assistant DA (we only had one back then) who was there just to watch. I very briefly thought about throwing her under the bus and blaming it on her but my assistant DA gave me a "don't you dare!" look. I meekly replied to the judge, "Yes, I did your honor."  The judge's reply, "Thank you. It will be very helpful." I won the appeal. Years later that same judge would, during oral arguments, start a question to me with "Barry, let me ask you . . . ." As opposed to the formal, "Mr. Green, let me ask you . . . ." Moral of the story: Be honest and you earn respect.
• But would I argue before the Supreme Court? Yep. But it would probably cause me a heart attack in my preparation
• The Harris County DA tried to do it 2003 in trying to justify Texas' sodomy law and got crushed. Note to self: Track that down and listen to it. 
• Garry Shandling died yesterday. An admission: I've never seen one second of the The Larry Sanders Show but everyone tells me I would love it. 
• Oddly, my reference of "Hey, Now" comes from The Larry Sanders Show but I just heard it from The Ticket. 
• Very random thought: Can a knuckle ball be thrown in women's softball?

Wise County Law Enforcement: Someone Explain What I Just Saw

A backup officer says, "It's a California plate!" as he sees a vehicle go by and then says, "I'll be back!"

There may be an absolute legitimate explanation for this. Perhaps there had been a prior report of a vehicle with California plates that had been driving erratically. But remember I've been ranting about how cops are stopping anyone with out of state plates southbound on 287 because they think they were transporting legally bought dope from Colorado. This was southbound on 287 during a traffic stop of kids who were from the South!

Edit: This clip is four seconds for a couple of reasons. The backup officer had only been there a couple of minutes and had been called because the vehicle in front of the officer who made the traffic stop had five young guys in it. These are WCSO deputies and they had made reference to a trooper -- not in a disparaging way -- but he didn't need his name involved in this.  While the officer who made the stop explains what he had observed about the kids in front of him, the car with the California plates comes by and then you hear what I posted. I'll say it again: There might be an explanation. I just want to know what it is.