11.16.2016

Above The Fold


Readable full page.
at 8:47 AM

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts



  • Abilene Christian University expelled a student for putting on a "black face" with red lipstick in a Snapchat video. It's a private university so no one can have an issue with kicking the gal out.
  • For years on here I've been ridiculed for allowing racist comments for the purpose of exposing that racism still exists. I would be told, "Racism is dead" 
  • Of course the majority of Trump voters aren't racist. But there is no question that his election has emboldened those who are. And there are far more of them than we want to admit to.
  • I went on the Texas Secretary of State's office to see how close to the top Wise County's 86% vote for Trump was to leading the state. There was not easy graphic to find out but Jack County beat us with 89%. I'm guessing there are at least two counties between here and Amarillo that are 90% or more. 
  • I think he kept it too close to his ear . . .
  • I mentioned the other day that Trump will have huge (pronounced "yuuuge") conflicts of interest and cited the new Trump hotel in D.C. as an example. I learned yesterday that (1) The federal government actually owns the hotel's building so the federal government, which he will be in charge of, makes him his own landlord, and (2) There are no financial conflict of interest laws that apply to the President. Good lord.
  • "Fake news" was in the real news yesterday. I love that a guy who comments on here regularly cites InfoWars.com and Alex Jones to prove me wrong.  We might have a serious problem in this country with a generation raised on the Internet has no no meaningful skills to discern the truth. 
  • The Secret Service has the obligation to keep Trump Tower in New York safe just as any other president's residential home. Man, what a daunting task. There are shops in there. (Cue the orchestra music: I went in it one time in the 1990s.) And that obligation to protect won't end in four years -- they will have to protect it for the rest of his life. 
  • Horrible incident at Oklahoma City's airport where a Southwest Airlines employee was killed. He was the punter on OU's 1985 championship team. He also had one son in pro football and two daughters who play sports at Oklahoma. 
  • You guys realize there are actually people out there who think Trump will build a wall (he promised), deport every illegal alien (he promised), wipe out ISIS (he promised) and will implement a Muslim ban (he promised), right? And those people were enough to tip the election to him. And he knew it. The old phrase of "crazy like a fox" describes him to no end. 
  • The college football selection committee is doing a bit until its final selection when they will get it right. 
  • Bill O'Reilly got all pissy yesterday on CBS saying Megyn Kelly is making Fox News "look bad" by talking about the sexual aggressiveness of Roger Ailes. That is the definition of tone deaf. 
  • Is HBO paying the Ticket to talk about Westworld all the time?
  • I repeat from time to time that when I die I want to be cremated with my ashes, mixed with glitter and confetti, shot out of a cannon from the Wise County Courthouse bell tower. It is a running fun bit in Green Manor,  and I've almost convinced them I'm serious. (For clarification: I am.)
  • Criminal Justice dream: We require juries of 24 people who must be unanimous. Why would anyone object to this?
  • I've heard everything said about Tony Romo's press conference, and I agree. But I'll add two things: (1) It was really, really weird -- at least weird for him. (2) It was a PR genius move. 
  • The Grand Prairie teacher who was fired once it was learned he had said online he was "capable" of a "Sandy Hook like" shooting was found guilty yesterday by a criminal court and fined $500.  What he said is disturbing and should keep him from being a teacher, but there is no way that the First Amendment allows the government to criminally punish him for what he said. It was not an imminent threat. It was only disturbing and offensive. And the government can't criminalize speech that is only disturbing or offensive. 

at 8:41 AM

11.15.2016

Maybe We Should All Calm Down And Watch A Dog


at 1:08 PM

Have We Secretly Gone Back In Time?




I hope there's more to this.


at 1:01 PM

Let's Check In On The Temperature Of The Country


That was one violent hit.

(Was the crowd chanting "Shame!" like in Game of Thrones at the end?)

Story from Ohio State University student newspaper.
at 9:08 AM

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts


  • There was lots of discussion yesterday about "fake news" stories (or at least their headlines) which were rapidly passed around Facebook and Twitter and even published by Google News over the last few months.  They were both on the left and the right. And I've even seen some people even regurgitate the false reports in the comments here. The frightening thing is that the fake news is so easy to spot. 
  • What happened to the big sign at Grace Baptist in Decatur? It looks like it was destroyed and cleaned up (right around the same time as street construction was going on all around it.) 
  • Lakewood's Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas has basically split from the governing Baptist organizations by voting yesterday to grant full membership to LGBT. Here's a question: What happens if an openly gay guy professes Christ as his savior and asks for membership in a Wise County Baptist Church which is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention?
  • I should have known about the possibility of Trump's victory when I talked to a client who lives in New Jersey two weeks ago and he told me, "I can't believe she might win."  Did I mention he was from New Jersey?
  • Mark Davis said on his radio show that he had to stop himself four or five times over the weekend to remind himself that Trump won.  I have finally reached common ground with the man. 
  • Trump weighs in this morning on the "you didn't win the popular vote" narrative.
  • Side note: Did he mean Texas instead of Florida?
  • Hypnotized?
  • John Battaglia is back in court to determine if he is mentally competent to be executed. (Writing that feels really weird.)  It was a horrific crime that occurred near Deep Ellum -- and right along the path of the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot. And death row has aged him: 

  • One of my many ex-wives was fascinated with that case.
  • With the Texas Legislature about to fire back up, it's time to remember that Bedford Rep. Jonathon Stickland is crazy. 
  • I wonder what BagOfBaylorHate BagOfNothing thinks about the recent "success" of private Baylor University. 
  • Rudy Giuliani is the rumored first pick for Secretary of State? Sid Miller for Agricultural Secretary?  Now that should be fake news.
  • Executive Decision (much like Die Hard) is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. It was on this week, and I recalled that one of the stars was Marla Maples -- ex-wife of Donald Trump.
  • Shout out to the guy who chewed me out yesterday for not giving a "spoiler alert" before I "ruined" the ending of twenty six year old Presumed Innocent. Quality comedy.

at 8:38 AM

11.14.2016

RIP Reporter Guy


Dick Oliver (right) was part of one of the greatest viral videos in history when he got into it with an anchor. He has passed away.

P.S. How long before Fox 4's Steve Eagar starts acting like the guy on the left?


at 2:52 PM

"Uh, I Thought You Paid The Bill"


at 12:17 PM

Watch A Police Chief Speed



"And you won't believe what happens next!"  Well, not exactly.

In dashboard camera video taken Friday, Oct. 21, 2016, Brinkley Police Chief Ed Randle, is seen being stopped by an Arkansas State Police trooper after reportedly traveling at speeds that approached 100 mph. He was not issued a speeding citation.
at 11:57 AM

Frankie The Amatuer Weatherman Predicted New Zealand's Earthquake


Published October 21st:




at 9:36 AM

Random Monday Morning Thoughts



  • My head is spinning after seeing Trump on 60 Minutes. I keep hearing the words "softening his stance" this morning. Folks, we have no idea what we have gotten. 
  • And someone needs to take away his Twitter account:
  • If there is no directive, may a person be cremated after death? Who decides?  
  • I told you it was not out of the question that OU makes the final four. They crept closer this weekend.
  • Nothing stops me down as much as when I hear someone use the phrase "speaks volumes."
  • Buried in the Messenger this week was a story about Wise County taking over maintenance of what is the equivalent of the long driveway going out to NRS on 287. One of the justifications was that it needed to be done before TxDOT would ever build a bridge over 287 at that location. You kidding me? There is no way there will be a bridge there nor is there any need for it. We've got a death trap along 287 at 1810 and there is no bridge there.
  • Who is leaving the Fort Worth Court of Appeals? That has to be the age reference. 
  • Presumed Innocent, after all these years, is still really great if you are in the criminal justice business. It starts with a prosecutor saying if you don't have the courage to point at a defendant then how can you expect a jury to have the courage to convict. And the judge at one point tells the jury just because the State says it is so doesn't make it so (my favorite moment). It ends with the judge entering a verdict of not guilty because no "reasonable juror" would be able to do so -- the correct legal standard.
  • In a little watched college game, the coach of the university of Hawaii had the benches removed from his sideline during halftime. He didn't think his players even earned the right to sit down.
  • I hate the Mannequin Challenge. 
  • If someone condescendingly says, "We live in a Republic, not a Democracy!" I'm guessing that's about the only thing they know about government. 
  • I haven't ranted about Dennis Prager in a while but on Friday during his very odd "Happiness Hour" he told his listeners to never be as high as a 10 because you'll get as low as a 0. Instead, we should never go higher than a 7 or lower than a 3. He's a simpleton. 
  • This actually makes sense. That "pastor" has lost his way.
  • There was a crazy Saturday Night Live skit in 2015 which actually involved the real Donald Trump and his proposals (complete with a fake Mexican president handing him a check for The Wall.) It's almost like he didn't believe he would ever win. And I'm not sure he did at the time. I'm still not sure he completely believes it now.
  • Shout out to the former Decatur resident and former member of the Baylor Board of Regents. Decatur High has a very, very good kicker with a great academic standing. Baylor will need a kicker. (Assuming we will able to get close enough to try a field goal.) You still have connections?
  • A story which was well covered but not talked about enough was the JV football player from Joshua who died after a "hard hit." Man, I'd be scared to have sons who play football.

  •                            
  • Some say that the Clinton photo from Friday of her just happening to run into someone in the woods was staged. I bet it was. 

at 8:44 AM

11.11.2016

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

Trump voters on election night expecting to 
lose and get drunk. But realize they won.

A re-enactment of my live election night blog

Me versus reality on election night.

 Me going to bed on election night. 

The cup is a metaphor for the country.
at 2:01 PM

Ann. Oh, Ann.


at 1:40 PM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts



  • I had one guy list all the things I've been wrong about lately. I told him I might go all George Costanza and do the exact opposite of every thought I have. His response: "I'm way ahead of you."
  • Yesterday we had the first Wise County Bar Association in years with over forty in attendance. There's something very funny about one of the speakers mentioning ALL CAPS guy and how he was hoping a check would have been exchanged at the meeting. And he actually said "all caps guy."
  • Shout out to First State Bank and Andrew Rottner for hosting the meeting and buying lunch. (The man who has received more publicity photos in the Messenger over the years than anyone else now has used his super human persuasion powers to get free publicity on Liberally Lean. ) 
  • Think someone got to Trump? His tweet last night compared to what he said this morning:

  • I do not understand this. The guy does crazy bets like this one all the time. For purchases over a $2,000, he allowed customers to bet on either Clinton or Trump. If you won, you got all your money back. How in the world does he make any money? 
  • I was wrong about the first Wise County Republican being Todd Durden. Two years earlier in 1994, Judge Melton Cude was the first one to switch parties and win an election.
  • I heard the phrase "navel gazing" the other day. It means to be over-contemplative with your own thoughts. I had never heard that in my life.
  • This from a sitting judge on Texas' highest criminal court in Austin. I'm stunned the guy, especially a veteran, didn't put on a suit for the moment when he is sworn in.
  • Do you think Sarah Palin is sitting back and thinking she could have won? Heck, she might have. 
  • Trump got 86% of the vote in Wise County. You can't get 86% of any group to agree on anything. And I run a blog named Liberally Lean in that county. 
  • There's a very uncomfortable narrative going around that the more educated voter voted for Hillary. Example: "Former Texas state senator Wendy Davis says Donald Trump won Tuesday’s election thanks to an 'under-educated electorate'." To make it more uncomfortable, it appears to be correct: 
  • When it is all said and done, it looks like Clinton will receive almost two million more votes than Trump. Of course, it doesn't technically matter. But this tweet from Trump is 2012 is pretty funny now:
  • Trump as the new President has to make 4,000 political appointments. Want to win me over? Get the list and a pen and start eliminating needless positions. 
  • Trump's conflicts of interest are mind-boggling.  Someone comes to Washington as the guest of the government? There is no way that the federal government can choose, and write a check to, the new Trump hotel. And that is the mildest example I could come up with. 
  • I had the strangest email asking me to take down a comment where someone questioned Johnny Football's sexuality because it was allegedly defamatory. It quoted my policy of taking down anything anyone asks and quoted the comment. And it came from an email address that ended with "aussiemail.com.au". What's up with that? 




at 8:41 AM

11.10.2016

This Is Pretty Funny


at 4:00 PM

Golf Etiquette




What's the plural of Mongoose?
at 1:38 PM

First Picture Of Trump In The Whitehouse Today


at 1:30 PM

Too Funny

Story.
at 10:18 AM
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