1.17.2022

Random Monday Morning Thoughts




Things have changed in 10 years.   

  • It's an official holiday, but THWMISB™ is here.
  • Let's start with the Cowboys.
    • It should not have come down to it, but that was the dumbest final play call in the history of ever. With 14 seconds left and no timeouts, you no sane person would even consider running the ball. From the second Dak took off, I was yelling, "No! No! No!"
    • The Umpire had to set and mark the ball after the run (that's the rule because you can't let the offense mark it because they'd cheat), so a run play puts you at the mercy of where he is. And, in this case, he wasn't nearby.

    • As shown by the number of penalties yesterday (14), the Cowboys are a really dumb team. 
    • Speaking of dumb. Oh, that stadium.

    • Sad girl with 4 minutes left. Video is even better.


    • Sad couple.

    • You've probably seen the video of the crowd running after purchasing their "standing room only", aka "Party Pass", ticket.  The tickets were going for $167 on Stubhub before the game. 

    • The Cowboys misspelled their starting linebacker's name on his jersey. 
      Screenshot from Nickelodeon

    • How weird is it that an NFC wild card game, especially involving the Cowboys, is broadcast on CBS instead of Fox? Old man me doesn't like it. 
    • I guess I just have a gift. Criminal law expert, political prognostication expert, weather expert, and sports expert. Me from last Thursday:
  • It's not perfect, but probably the best video of the ending of the hostage situation at the synagogue in Colleyville on Saturday was obtained by WFAA. It's here. (The hostage-taker's "sister", who he wanted to be released from a federal prison in Fort Worth, has a fascinating Wikipedia page.)

  • The eruption of the underwater volcano near Tonga on Saturday was wild. Waves were felt literally thousands of miles away -- including causing some rivers in California to flow backwards. Here's a great collection of videos of its impact on the U.S. 



  • Did you know that a Commissioner's Court --which isn't a court at all -- has subpoena power? I had never heard of it but apparently it does, although they can only enforce it with the threat of a  $25 fine for ignoring it.   This subject came up in this wild and fun story out of Hood County:

  • Elon Musk is a bad guy as this story from the Wall Street Journal exemplifies. (That associate might be sitting pretty.  That law firm, if it values money over people like most do, would probably be willing to secure the associate a cushy job at another firm as well as write him a fat severance check to go away.)

  • Trump was going all White Power this weekend. (At least he's not hiding it anymore.)

  • DirectTV will remove the propaganda network, OANN.

  • Quite the contrast is bullet points about a trip to Manhattan:
    • I was prepared to say how great Twitter can be when someone with a lot of followers asks for suggestions for a proposed trip like The Ticket's Bob Sturm did on Friday night.  The tips that come in are great. It made me want to plan a trip Manhattan.

    • Then I turned around and saw this. 

  • Here's the Texas COVID numbers if you want them. They haven't been updated in a couple of days. I'm guessing they will peak this week. 



at 8:32 AM

1.14.2022

It's Friday -- Let's Get Out of Here

at 2:30 PM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts


This blog has certainly changed over the years. 

  • Texas Numbers
    • Average cases over last seven days:

    • People in hospital:

    • Wise County positive cases have doubled from 700 to 1400 in the last week. 
  • Expert Weather Prediction From Revamped Liberally Lean Weather Department: Around 9:45 p.m. this evening the cold front will hit hard. The temperature will then drop to 32 overnight but not get over 36 on Saturday.  And the winds will incredibly strong making it all worse.  
  • Boom! We have our first January 6th indictments for Sedition. We are finally getting serious.


    • You've heard of the Oath Keepers. 

    • The facts of the Sedition cases are insane.  The indictment, which every American should pull up a chair and read, is here. But since you won't, let me break it down for you . . . 
    • This was not a spur of the moment, emotional driven invasion. The plan began two days after the election. "We aren't getting through this without a Civil War. Too late for that. Prepare your body, mind and spirit." It then continued.

    • These guys, plain and simple, planned to stop the counting of electoral votes. Intimidation at first and then force if necessary. It's the very definition of Sedition. 

    • They did a recon mission of the Capitol.

    • They knew what they were planning was illegal.

    • Here is the leader: Stewart Rhodes of Granbury (he is a different guy than the Oath Keeper who served as constable in Hood County.)  Here's a profile of him in The Atlantic from 2020.

    • While on his way to the Capitol, he spent $6,000 on his arsenal even before he got outside of Texas:


    • Wait! Let's buy more!

    • Important: The Oath Keepers had the bevy of weapons and ammo at a Comfort Inn hotel right outside of D.C. where men were waiting for a signal to deliver them after the invasion. And they were prepared to deliver them by boat on the Potomac if necessary. Here's when that idea of a "Quick Response Force" was first hatched:

    • Once gathered outside the Capitol, they were mad at Trump for not giving them a direct signal to attack.  So they are taking it all "into their own hands."

    • Outside the building, let's go boys!

    • They send in "Stack One."

    • They are in!

    • The boys in the hotel are ready with the ammo. Just give them the signal.

    • Back inside the Capitol, "They can't hold us!" Uh. oh. They can hold us. We got maced.

    • While regrouping, they learn that members of Congress are grabbing for face masks. Should they rethink this plan? Nope. 

    • They need help. Send in "Stack Two" of the Oath Keepers! 

    • Then it all fizzled out because the National Guard arrived and all the Congressmen and women were safely ushered out. Let's back out. 

    • But let's do it again tomorrow!

    • That plan didn't work out, either. Remember when some of you thought is was silly to have the National Guard in the building on the 7th?

    • Yesterday, Fox News Brit Hume had the worst timed tweet in the history of ever.

  • The Supreme Court was busy yesterday: The vaccine mandate for private employers of over 100 employees is unconstitutional.  But it is legal for hospitals (if they receive Medicare or Medicaid which means 100% of hospitals.)

  • The big Messenger news is that publisher Kristen Tribe is leaving (the job, not the area.)
  • The City of Keller was promoting an official Republican campaign event on its home page before they stopped yesterday.

    • They were even promoting it on Twitter:

  • Legal nerd very odd stuff: A federal appellate judge on the Fifth Circuit, who now finds himself in the minority on a conservative court which will remain that way for years and years to come, quit at the age of 49 despite having a lifetime appointment. 

  • D.A. says that the guy in charge of ruling on Open Records request in Texas has violated the Open Records Act by not responding to an Open Records request directed to him. (The largest papers in Texas has asked for all of his documents related to his appearance at the Trump rally in D.C. on January 6th.)

  • Time which has passed since the Wise County Sheriff's Office has failed to solve the murder of Lauren Whitener in her home at Lake Bridgeport: 924 days.
  • Messenger: Above the Fold

at 8:30 AM

1.13.2022

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts




I don't remember this at all. Two Marines were caught on video urinating on dead Taliban fighters. Any outraged was short-lived, because no one apparently cared too much.  Wikipedia outlines the event, and even names the two soldiers who were charged, but even it doesn't state what happened to them. (I think they both faced court martial with a possible punishment of reduction in rank.) But one of them used it as opportunity to write a book about the "17 second lapse in judgment . . . but more importantly the political correctness that is destroying America":


  •  The numbers are still climbing: 
    • New cases:

    • Hospitalizations:

    • More than three dozen schools in North Texas have shut down (list here), and Northwest ISD is expected to make that announcement today.  
  • Say what? The Wise County Republican Party, by a vote of 17-0, voted to "censor" Gov. Greg Abbott.  This seems weird because the local GOP never takes any controversial stance. Heck, I don't recall them ever taking any major public stance that made the news.  Something must have gotten out of control at a meeting. (Signed censure is here.) The censure was not only unnecessary, but it was also politically dumb. Trust me, Austin is not happy with this. And when Abbott wins again, local influence will take a hit from this self-inflicted wound. 

  • There will be a very high ranking change at the Wise County Messenger which they will announce tonight.
  • There has been a major shakeup in the ranks of the Wise County Sheriff's Office that the higher-ups are being very tight-lipped about. 
  • I don't know why I'm stunned by this, but I am. I would think there would have been more people struggling.

  • What's so wild is how he said it without any realization of the blowback that he was about to receive. Video.  Paraphrased (but barely): "You want more black teachers at our school district? We have 13%. You know how many black teachers Houston ISD has? 36%. I looked it up! Have you seen their drop-out rate? I don't want to be Houston ISD."

  • This Burkburnett guy allegedly was receiving meth via the U.S. mail, but the kicker is that the only way the cops found out about it was because someone snitched on him. There are lots and lots of drugs delivered by mail out there.  Side note: A $150,000 bond for this is stupidly high. 

  • President Biden's approval rating after 358 days (in green, below) trails Obama but is ahead of Trump over the same time frame.

  • The Cowboys are a three point favorite on Sunday. Take the 49ers. 

at 8:31 AM
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