Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Fox 4's Mike Doocy cancelling an interview with Jerry Jones because Jones would not talk about the anthem controversy seems like the biggest non-story of training camp. 
• Jerry Jones seems to be getting angrier and angrier as time goes by. We all wondered when he would turn in to Al Davis and it might be happening right now. 

  

  Toe on the line, and cap on the head.

• The number of times Trump has tweeted the words "witch hunt."
  
  
• This motion will be denied if (1) the judge knows what he is doing, and (2) the State was smart enough to know the law that they have to file counter-affidavits. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure art. 31.04. 
  
• Things I simply do not understand: 
  
• This 3D Printable Gun issue gives me Legal Tired Head. A guy comes up with a way to create a printable gun (you have to buy a couple of metal parts), and wants to upload the plans to the Internet. He and President Obama's State Department get into a fight as to whether that's legal. And this is important: The government won at the Fifth Circuit in late 2016 declaring that the practice would be a crime. (Opinion here.) But the Trump Administration came in a couple of months back and said, "That's fine, go ahead and upload the plans." Now everyone is freaking out. The legal issues seem endless: (1) Can the parties simply ignore the Fifth Circuit opinion which, if not overturned, should be the law of the land? Was the appeal still pending or the judgment final? Does that matter? (2) Does anyone else have standing to sue the federal government and the 3D company alleging the practice is unlawful and cite the Fifth Circuit opinion as authority? (For a deep dive, this is a good article.) And if that gun works (it does), the availability of the plans to make it has world wide implications. 
  
• "So sad" this morning:
  
• Funny: Trust me.  
• A small Texas town's ISD voted last night to go to six-man football down from twelve-man eleven-man. Someone posed a concern which might either be ridiculous or spot on.
  
• Everyone thought Rudy Giuliani was crazy yesterday when he said he didn't even know if collusion was a crime. Now this morning Trump shockingly begins to float out that alternative defense as well. This is insane.
  
• What's the old legal defense logic chain? "My client's dog did not bite you. If he did bite you, it didn't hurt. If the dog did bit you and it hurt, my client did not know his dog was dangerous." And if all that fails you default to: "My client doesn't even own a dog."
• There are bandits everywhere: So the FBI raids Michael Cohen's office and a federal judge appoints a private law firm to review all the documents to give an opinion as to which documents are privileged and which ones are not. The bill? $368,081.56.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The temperature was great this morning in Decatur, but the rain went heavy to northeast and heavy to the southwest.
  
• North Richland Hills P.D. now has a sniper. The chances of any police department ever needing a "sniper" is basically never. And the odds of NRH needing one is less than that. 
• Fishing talk: A buddy told me there are now trolling motors with GPS capabilities. You can basically put in the coordinates for a shore line and have it run itself. Kind of takes the sport out of it, doesn't it? (I found that Minn Kota sells one for $2,300.)
• Trump went on a Twitter rant on Sunday after he got through playing golf over the weekend. He fired off ten of them. The only one I'll mention is that the guy who promised you that he would build a wall that Mexico would pay for said he would shut down the government if the the American taxpayer didn't foot the bill.
• If I'm the U.S., I check the remains of servicemen brought back from N. Korea to see if they are real. "Remains that were returned in the past from North Korea were found to be mixed with those of unidentified individuals and even with animal bones."
• Six Feet Under was a great show that very few people seemed to have watched.
• A great moment on Friday when Trump Jr. (in the aqua shirt and camouflaged hat) and Special Counsel Robert Mueller (far left) were at the same airport gate in D.C.  That's a secret service agent behind Junior.
  
  
• This is where Junior he was headed: A fishing outing with the fired Fox News gal who has found her own scandal. 

  

  Posted by Junior.



Also by Junior.

• You know Ted Cruz is concerned when his campaign resorts to a staged "haircut" in Dallas as he answers questions. What a common man.
• 
• The Waco Biker Trials are now really heating up with a trial date for September 10th and . . . it has been continued. 
• My scam alert is going off:
  
• "Let me just chase down that soccer ball while the other player is contemplating kicking it back upfield . . . and I'M DEAD!"
• Messenger: Above The Fold

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

"Kids, momma is coming. Here's the story. Pay attention."

"I got wet for this? What kind of sorcery have I been exposed to?"

 This is old, but I'll never understand how the goofy mascot stayed on his feet.

 I don't know what is going on, yet I approve.

 I don't feel bad for the payoff.

All I can hear is Curly's frustrated voice from the Three Stooges.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I don't think any news source has this story: Mark Cuban served on a DWI jury this week which returned a Not Guilty verdict.
• This one slipped through the cracks on me. Six hundred pounds is a lot of weed. Source: WFAA. (Which, by the way, may have the biggest train wreck of a web site in the metroplex.)

  

  (And DPS stole another sign!)

• The Travis County DA's office is losing murder cases, and the DA is trying to explain. "[She] said her office risks more trial losses than before, because she has encouraged her prosecutors to present more cases to juries rather than accepting plea agreements . . . .  Though risky, taking cases to trial is important, [she] said, because it can provide a litmus test into how severely members of the community think a crime should be penalized." Girl, I think the community is telling you that you are presenting crappy cases which can't be proven. 
• Late yesterday: "Amazon earnings explode to record profits." That company is going to rule the world and make Trump, who hates Amazon, so sad.
• I saw a Runaway Bay cop car running Code Three into Bridgeport and then turn onto 101 towards Chico yesterday afternoon. Why?
• "I'm insane now."
• The two officers who used a coin flip to determine whether to arrest a speeder (actually, they arrested her despite the results of the coin flip) were finally fired. Their attitudes on video, in general, were firing-worthy.
• This is a bad sign: The official temperature only got to a low of 86 this morning. 
• Trump is in panic mode again on Twitter this morning. (There was news last night his former lawyer is prepared to testify Trump knew beforehand about the Trump Tower meeting between the Russians, Trump, Jr., Kushner, and Manafort to get dirt on Hillary. Never forget that Trump Jr. even released emails -- right before the New York Times did -- that the meeting was to be "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump.") 
  
  
• Rudy Giuliani on May 6, 2018: Cohen "is an honest, honorable lawyer."
• The Rangers traded Cole Hamels to the Cubs last night after agreeing to send "a significant amount of cash to cover Hamels’ salary."  Would you start Hamels in a meaningful game? (And you would have thought the Cubs would have learned their lesson after signing Yu Darvish this year. Darvish has been on the disabled list since May and there "is no timeline for him to return.")
• I've yet to get the back story, but I saw some original architectural drawings of the Wise County Courthouse in its basement yesterday. I think County Judge J.D. Clark is behind a plan to put them on display. (The one of the second story which used to have a balcony fascinates me.)
• Big GDP numbers were just released. Trump is giddy. Says he will hold a press conference "soon". A "press conference" means he stands up there and takes questions. There is no way that is going to happen. 
  
• There is a football camp for grades 2 through 9  held on Decatur ISD property. The cost is $70 to $80. Question: Where does the money go? 
• That San Marcos fire has been kind of under the radar . . .

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Odd thing that happened to me when I walked into the courthouse on Monday: I was asked my opinion about the segment of "Second Date Update" on KSCS where the guy took a first date to a strip club for dinner since he was a VIP member. (I haven't listened to KSCS in years but the podcast of that segment is here.) I haven't listened, but transparently the guy thought it would be funny to do a bit since his date was a former stripper.  Being an expert on bits and relationships (but, of course, not strip clubs), I'm still forming an opinion. 
• This interactive map is fascinating. The New York Times breaks down in incredible detail the red and blue areas across the country based upon the 2016 presidential election. It looks like the most liberal area in Wise County is the Lake Bridgeport area where only 77% went for Trump.

  

  Nationwide

  

  Decatur (with the cursor hovering over Lake Bridgeport)

• I'm not sure about that cross with upside down flags draped over it that Sheriff Joe is sporting.
  
  
• The "State of the Team" by Jerry Jones was uneventful yesterday other than he said the organization will support the Flag and Papa John's.
• Prediction: Sean Lee will get hurt and miss a significant amount of time. 
• It looks like the "red flag laws" -- proposals in Texas to keep guns out of the hands of people who are dangerous and give indications of "red flags" about it -- are going no where. And I agree. There is no way you can craft a law which sets a standard of "he shouldn't own a gun." Heck, I know dozens of people I think shouldn't own a gun. 
• Legal nerd stuff: Texas' highest criminal court will decide if the state's Revenge Porn law, which a lower court struck down, violates the constitutional right to Free Speech. (The winning brief is here.) It's a great question as I've mentioned before. You say something to someone else, they can repeat it. You write a letter to someone, they can share it. It you send a scantily clad photo of yourself to them, why can they distribute it? 
• Just the other day I said we have heard nothing from the Maverick's new PR person who was brought in with pomp and circumstances to rid the Mavs of inappropriate workplace sexual practices. Well, she stepped in it. For some reason she managed to get involved in an area unrelated to her job and piss off the the Dallas PD.
  
• I watched the first episode of Sharp Objects on HBO with Amy Adams. Verdict: Dark, a little slow, but majestically filmed. And it left me wanting Episode Two. (I think I have a thing for Amy Adams.) 
  
• Newsweek cover 45 years ago:
  
• Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was destroyed yesterday. There is something poetic about his star being next to that of Kevin Spacey (which remains untouched.) 
  
  
  
  
• Nutcase Alex Jones is having some of his videos banned by Youtube. That's fine. A private company can ban whoever they wish. 
• Trump doesn't understand the relationship between a private company and the First Amendment. "Shadow banning", even if true, is not illegal by any stretch of the imagination. 
  
• On the other hand, you should be extremely disturbed by the White House banning a CNN reporter yesterday for asking tough questions about Trump trying to silence the Playboy model he "allegedly" had an affair with. It is the job of the press to ask tough questions -- especially tough questions directed towards the government. 
  
• No one hates Baylor more than the Star-Telegram's Mac Engel. But that is his right . . . 

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Dude, (1) Putin said in front of you and the world last week that he wanted you to win, (2) Then you invited him to the White House!, and (3) You've denied the existence of any meddling before:
• 
• And maybe the scariest thing Trump has ever said occurred yesterday in Kansas City in front of VFW assembly. We have entered into the 1984 playbook: 
  
• And shout out to the VFW national office which was offended by Trump's "Fake News" rant causing some sheeple vets to get into the act: 
  
• The Rangers turned in a laughable performance last night. The box score is all you need to know: 
  
• I mentioned on Monday that the Sweetie Pie's sign indicating there was no waiting was gone. Well, it's back. They must now take it inside at night. 
• As a music and marriage expert, let me fix this list. The only ones that should be on there are: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9b, 12, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13g, 22b, and the (not listed) Margaritteville. 
  
• Hey, while you weren't paying attention, Trump gave a $12 billion bailout to farmers who are financially strapped because of Trump's tariff policies. (And don't worry about that "appropriations" thing in the Constitution.)
• The Evil Empire has new uniforms designed by Nike for the upcoming season. Some of the Orange Bloods are concerned about the color of the "burnt" orange. (That kind of looks like Tennessee.) 

• 

  Old vs. New

• Nerdy legal stuff: The Ninth Circuit is issuing decisions on a 2-1 vote when one of the 2 in the majority died four months before they released the opinion. 
• Ol' Borat is single-handedly draining the right wing swamp.
  
• Oh, my:
  
• More proof that the NFL Player's union is weak. #1 Pick Baker Mayfield signed a deal yesterday for a guaranteed $34 million. Eight years ago, #1 pick Sam Bradford (same position, same school) got a deal guaranteeing $50 million with a chance to make $28 million more if played for the life of his contract. 
• What percentage of the American population asked, "Who is Demi Lovato?" yesterday?
• Why every major newspaper's web site is a design disaster is one of tech's great mysteries. Pop up ads, video playing randomly, the same headline repeated four times, ads ad nauseam, slow loading, drop down lists that aren't obviously drop down lists, news stories in video instead of text, and not being able to find a story that you know the publication has put out. 
• Messenger: Above The Fold

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Why did it take so long for Fox News to can Kimberly Guilfoyle who is dating Donald Trump Jr.?
• The Dallas Morning News had an article about people who go to the stop of skyscrapers and stand on the edge. Moronic. 
  
• A Carrollton lawn company made the Drudge Report. (The owner says it is an "old" card.)
  
  
• That's one serious fire. (But my radar goes off every time that happens to a closed restaurant.)
  
  
• Cowboys training camp starts this week and currently on the roster is former Baylor receiver K.D. Cannon -- a guy who managed to get released by three different teams last year without ever playing a down. He posted this a couple of days ago. 
  
• Speaking of Cowboys' camp, hasn't Jerry Jones been incredibly out-of-sight this summer? Have I just missed him? Or is it possible his health and energy isn't what it used to be?
• Paul McCartney walked across the Abbey Road crosswalk yesterday (photos and instagram video in the link). That almost gives me chills. 
• A couple takes $77,000 through DFW Airport and the FBI seizes it. (The Feds claimed the bag smelled of marijuana which, even if true, is the flimsiest of excuses to take the money.)
• Uh, because even Texas respected the right to bail so much that they put it in the Texas Constitution? (Don't worry, the DA's office is already trying to get a judge to, for all intents and purposes, make the guy pay more to a bonding company.)
  
• It hit 114 in Waco yesterday -- an all time record.
• I'm more interested in the story about ties than Stormy's divorce . . .