5.04.2017

The Rare Baseball Trick Play




What's the rule on this? I think it has something to do with the pitcher.
at 8:55 AM

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts


  • Former UT coach Charlie Strong got berated by a judge in open court. She is 100% out of line: “Let’s just say my USF diploma is not proudly hanging in my office right now. And I have a message for your coach as well. Coach Strong, if you are listening, in the last couple of months there have been two arrests of your players — very violent felonies. This court, and I’m sure I’m not alone, questions whether you have control over your players. It’s fairly clear that you do not have control over them off the field and I guess only time will tell whether you have control over them on the field. I would implore you to think long and hard about whether being head coach at USF is a good fit for you before any other members of this community have to suffer at the hands of one of your players.”
  • There was a high profile case out of Fort Worth a couple of years back where a mortuary never cremated some bodies as promised. For some reason the State charged the owner with theft, and the Fort Worth Court of Appeals reversed the conviction. Texas's highest criminal court announced yesterday that it will review that decision.  Edit: Fort Worth reversed it because the State only proved a breach of contract which is not a crime. 
  • Did you know that Texas keeps a database of every time you fill a prescription and your history can be obtained by a police officer just by asking? Between January 1, 2014, to March 10, 2017, police made 5,287 requests and 97% of them were granted.
  • I've said it for years: Every person on probation in Wise County contributes $50 to Wise County Crime Stoppers, and I never hear of it paying out a dime. Who is in control of it, and how much is in that account? Is there any auditing?
  • "DALLAS (AP) — Investigators say an Austin police officer who allegedly tried to fake his own death and flee to Mexico has been arrested at a Texas airport."
  • There will be a vote in the House today on Repeal and Replace today, and the proposed bill is far from conservative. And that's why there is a 100% chance the Senate will kill it. Today is just a dog and pony show. 
  • And the text of the bill hasn't been released - in fact it wasn't even finished late last night. Need I remind you of the Republican's 2010 "Pledge to America" which included: 
  • FBI Director Comey is crazy. 
  • What a bloody week. Yesterday we added to it with a murder/suicide at Northlake College in Irving and a double death at an Arlington sports bar.  When I heard about these two, I actually intended to write today why a concealed carry guy hasn't come to the defense in any of these cases. Well, it looks like that is what happened in Arlington. That rarely happens. In fact, I'm not sure I can think of another case in Texas.
  • Romo got hit in the Arlington shooting: 
  • Mark Davis said on Fox 4 this morning that activists might not get a murder charge in the Balch Springs case because murder requires "premeditation." Not true at all. 
  • Things are going well at UT: 
  • How would you rank your list if you had to give up one or more of Facebook, Google, Amazon, or Apple. I think that's easy: (1) Facebook, (2) Amazon, (3) Apple, then (4) Google.


at 8:38 AM

5.03.2017

From Yesterday: No Deaths. No Injuries.


at 9:34 AM

Above The Fold


at 8:55 AM

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts


  • Alabama's coach Nick Saban got an eight year, $65 million extension yesterday and, with a bonus, will make over $11 million this season.  Remember that he's a public employee. (More shocking may be their outside linebacker's coach will make $950,000.)
  • Alabama (the state) ranks 4th worse in the nation in unemployment, 4th worse in high school graduation, and 5th worse in per capita income.
  • I don't know much about the Heritage Foundation (other than the insufferable Jim Carafano who comes on WBAP once a week) but they fired its leader yesterday. The running narrative is that the organization turned from a legitimate think tank to a partisan hack group. 
  • That Graham High graduate who was stabbed to death on the UT campus sounded like a good kid.
  • I'm finally into Season Four of Game of Thrones. Man, they will kill anyone on that show. 
  • Random restaurant thought: I miss the chain Tia's.
  • Random Decatur restaurant thought: I miss Garcia's.
  • If you are for insurance covering pre-existing conditions, does that mean you support the foundation of Obamacare? That's what the Republicans are dealing with.
  • It's May 3rd and I'm calling it: The Texas Rangers are done, brother. And get ready for a Yu Darvish trade by mid-summer.
  • Here's Pete Delkus' official forecast: 
  • Here's the fired Balch Springs offer who shot the kid with an AR-15 (credit KXAS.)
  • From the Update: "Devon Energy Corporation announced Tuesday that it plans to sell $1 billion in assets – including some in the Barnett Shale natural gas fields . . . . " That doesn't sound good for Wise County. 

at 8:40 AM

5.02.2017

Guy Surrenders In Haslet



That's a lot of cops.  He surrendered peacefully after running into someone else's home because he thinks police are out to get him. (I hope he didn't look out the window.)

Story.
at 2:49 PM

Flying Has Taken A Turn For The Worse



Story.
at 10:28 AM

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts



  • Once the bodycam footage of the Balch Springs police officer who shot and killed the 15 year old comes out, we are going to have a huge national story on our hands. It has all the elements: (1) minority victim, (2) teenage victim, (3) shot in the head (4) unarmed, (5) cop initially lies about what happened, (6) unjustifiable shooting in that the car was going away from the officer, and (7) the cop decided to use a rifle.
  • I called it Groundhog Day last week but we truly do live in a Groundhog Week: Cop shooting, motorcycle death (this one at 287 and the road to Newark in a bizarre wreck), and the Rangers can't hit. 
  • A woman was gunned down in her car in the Ridgmar Mall parking lot yesterday afternoon but other than it being "domestic related", we know hardly nothing. 
  • Hey, Baylor, stop being stupid: 
  • Someone commented yesterday the Baylor football will be "as bad as they've ever been" this fall. Buddy, you have no idea how bad Baylor used to be. 
  • Autistic Bridgeport boy "connects with law enforcement worldwide."
  • I was at the Denton County courthouse at 12:30 yesterday, and saw no evidence this happened. (He had just met with the DA's office.):
  • I'm reading so much about how the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why might be  dangerous for teenagers to watch and many are apparently doing so. Denton and Krum schools sent letters home about it. 
  • Twelve hours later, Trump realizes he made a mistake. And then tries to do damage control. Poorly: 
  • Alabama softball player homers against Ole Miss. Misses home plate during the celebration. Gets tagged out after a slight delay. 



at 8:38 AM

5.01.2017

Shooting In Dallas

KRLD reported he had died citing "sources" at around `1:30 p.m. CBS 11 reported he had died as well.

Edit: In unrelated craziness, we have a situation at UT. One dead. Three injured. Arrest made.:




at 2:07 PM

They Are Doing It Wrong




Uh, the bill automatically become law in 10 days if he doesn't sign it.
at 11:51 AM

Random Monday Morning Thoughts



  • Nothing like calling a country "bad" and banging war drums on Twitter.

  • Fox 4's Jennifer Myers reported accurately yesterday morning that the high temperature would be in the 60s with winds 25 to 30 mph or greater. Then she put up a graphic describing the day as "pleasant." I don't care if the temperature was going to be 78, those winds guaranteed the day would be anything but pleasant.
  • The John Wiley Price trial didn't go as the federal prosecutors planed. In dissecting the case, the Morning News said, "The sheer volume of evidence — 5.7 million files — also could have been a factor." That seems next to impossible. 
  • And here is one of the jurors who had to decide the complicated case:
  • Actually, the juror screwed that up. The judge actually said moments earlier that she "recommended" they not talk to the press. (Side note: That's none of the judge's business.)
  • John Wiley said outside the courthouse after the trial that he he couldn't answer questions because he was on his "way to work." The guys from KVIL just happened to be in a bar mid-afternoon: 

  • NFL draft: Running backs Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey received heavy criticism for skipping their teams last bowl games in order to not risk injury. They were drafted #4 and #8, respectively. Michigan tight end Jake Butt was a potential first round pick but blew out his ACL in the Orange Bowl causing him to slip to the fifth round. 
  • The White House chief of staff reiterated Trump's position that they've "looked at" changing the libel laws. Does anyone in that administration realize that would take a constitutional amendment?
  • Colorado on Saturday: 
  • Read about a Klan rally at Lake Worth attended by thousands in 1923. The newspaper story, which covered it like it was a normal festival, contained this nugget: 
  • Trump speaking to the NRA on Friday:  "I can tell you, both sons, they love the outdoors.  Frankly, I think they love the outdoors more than they love, by a long shot, Fifth Avenue." Has he forgotten about Barron?
  • And Trump got more confusing in a later interview: (1) Jackson died 16 years before the Civil War began, and (2) He doesn't know why the Civil War was fought,
  • Baylor receiver K.D. Cannon may be one of the most talented receivers in school history. Unfortunately, he has a ten cent brain.  He left school early to enter the NFL Draft and then didn't get drafted. And when he became a free agent with the 49ers, he acted like he was the #1 pick. 
  • The local weatherman completely botched the Saturday forecast. Pete Delkus, as always, got defensive.

  • Odd Texas law: If you were lucky enough to see an officer go to a judge to get a search warrant (I see it all the time), the affidavit in support of the search warrant is immediately a public record even before the search warrant is executed. 

at 8:39 AM

4.29.2017

Above The Fold


at 7:30 AM

4.28.2017

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


And he thinks he should have won
"Father of the Year"
 Horrible execution. Very quick and cool recovery.
 "This will work! I saw Evel Knievel jump at Caesars Palace on TV!"
 The kid survived this one, but there's no way he is still with us. 
To paraphrase Uncle Rico, "Bubba took a little spill at the shop today. Broke his coccyx." 
at 2:00 PM

The Calmest Robbery Victim In The History Of Ever



And his shot, that is the clerk's, was not phased either. (See 1:15)
at 11:00 AM

Fyre Festival


The headliner was Blink 182. They cancelled. In fact, the entire festival was cancelled yesterday after the crowd was already arriving. Current status:
Photos. (With commentary)

Edit: Ja Rule weighs in ...



at 10:34 AM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

  • Fox News' Jesse Waters, after making the sexually suggestive comment about Ivanka Trump, has announced that he will be taking a "vacation."  That's what Bill O'Reilly announced before he fell into the abyss to never return.
  • In Waco, a criminal trial was disrupted when one of the jurors couldn't make it to court. The reason? The juror was in jail in another county on weed and controlled substance charges. Legal nerd stuff: Oddly, the case is proceeding with 11 jurors which can only occur with consent of the parties (why would the defendant consent?) or if a juror is disabled (and this doesn't seem to qualify as "disabled".)
  • The guy who got dragged off United plane by security settled with United yesterday for an undisclosed amount. Mark Davis on the radio this morning guessed it was for $5 million. That's stupid. A good standard for personal injury suits is to ask yourself: How much would you be willing to accept in order to go through what the Plaintiff went through? (And that's when liability is clear. Heck, in this case, United didn't hurt him. Security did. And it's possible a jury would think it was 100% his fault for not obeying orders.)
  • TCU football had a home and home scheduled with Ohio State. That's cool because Ohio State would come to Fort Worth. Well, no more. They've changed it to just one game at Jerry World in 2018. (And get this home and home announced by TCU with Purdue. One game will be in 2019. The other will be in 2029.)
  • Being in the U.S. illegally ("unlawful presence") is not a criminal offense. That person might be violating U.S. law, but they are not violating U.S. criminal law. 
  • NFL Draft thoughts: (1) That crowd in Philadelphia was massive. Estimates were at 70,000, and I believe it. The NFL claims 100,000. (2) Thanks, Dallas. I've been beaten down with "Taco" jokes all morning. (3) Why did the #1 pick Myles Garrett, at his home in Arlington, have the player's union banner behind him? (4) Chicago traded way too much to move up one pick in order to select a guy who will probably be a spare. (5) The most fascinating pick was be Tech's Pat Mahomes who the Chiefs traded up to get. I liked it.  (6) Watch a first round pick cuss on live TV. That man is intense. A little unhinged, but intense.
  • Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, who famously defended Cullen Davis, has died. (He represented someone from Boyd in the early 1980s on a tax evasion charge in federal court in Dallas.)
  • "There's a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea, absolutely." - Trump told he president Reuters.  The scary part is that I think he wants it.
  • Nutcase Alex Jones lost his child custody case.
  • Overthinking the Update: "BOARD COMMITS TO RAISES – Alvord trustees Thursday committed $120,000 to pay for raising the median pay for all district employees." What does "rais[e] the median pay for all employees" mean? "Median" means to line up all employee salaries from smallest to largest and then find the number that is right in the middle. That is, if you have 100 employees, you rank the pay, and find what the salary is for #50 which would be the "median pay for all employees." You could probably "raise the median pay for all employees" by manipulating three or four salaries.

at 8:38 AM

4.27.2017

With the 28th Pick, The Cowboys Take . . .




She can throw that t-shirt clear over them there mountains. And she's not bad on the eyes.

A post shared by wnba (@wnba) on
at 12:37 PM

Bill To Name Highway After Convicted Murderer of DPS Trooper


Rep. Phil Stephenson wanted to name a stretch of freeway in Jackson County, near Houston, after Bill Davidson, a state trooper who was killed on duty in 1992. Instead, he filed a bill that would have created the Ronald Ray Howard Memorial Highway. Howard was sentenced to death for shooting Davidson in the neck, and he died by lethal injection in 2005.

 He tried to correct it by filing a new bill, but he screwed up the name again.

Story.
at 12:34 PM
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)