10.22.2024

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts



 The video is still up. 

  • Early voting in Wise County totaled 3,559 yesterday destroying the previous record set four years ago of 2,263.  That's a 57% increase. The numbers:
  • This is from the home page of the New York Times.  As is, Kamala Harris wins.  But if the only change were to be Pennsylvania switching from Harris to Trump, Trump wins. It's that close.  

  • Condemned inmate Robert Roberson did not make it to the Texas legislative hearing yesterday, but the committee did managed to make it a show trial for the cameras.
    • Place your bets as to whether Dr. Phil has spent more than 15 minutes reading the transcript of this case:  And he's an "expert"? Of what? 


    • Fun fact:  If a day after the verdict, every single juror came back to court  and testified under oath that they wished they had voted not guilty, a judge could not overturn the verdict. That's even a Rule of Evidence that such testimony can't be considered. (Legal nerdy stuff: There was an appellate opinion out of Austin on this just last week.)


  • I bet that's big news in Southlake.

  • Twenty years ago, they had to cease publication of their racy catalog, A&F Quarterly. Now this: 

  • Republican Liz Cheney joined Kamala Harris as they made three stops in swing states yesterday.  She may say she is trying to save democracy by sounding the alarm about Trump, but a collateral message of Cheney is that she is trying to save the Republican Party from itself.


  • When will the learn? "WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A state district judge on Monday ruled the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office improperly withheld potentially favorable evidence from attorneys representing a former Robinson woman convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old boy during a raucous party at her home."

  • Trump: 
    • He was sued by the Central Park Five after he said the men had  "pled guilty" to killing a person. In fact, they never pled guilty, and no one was killed.  

    • Trump went to Asheville yesterday and (1) Refused to condemn threats against FEMA workers. Video. “I think you have to let people know how they’re doing. If they’re not doing, if they’re doing a poor job, we’re supposed to not say it?" (2) In front of destroyed homes, flashed his "French Fry Certification Pin" from McDonald's. Video.

    • Tell me again how this election is even close. 
  • Just when you thought there were too many people in the metroplex: 

  • The Business Second™. One hundred jobs to the north. 

  • Someone asked me yesterday if the $250,000 fine against Texas was the most ever in SEC history?  Nope. That amount, which normally is the amount for a second offense for storming the field, has happened quite a bit. Most recent before this week:

  • Got a message there was a bad wreck on 380 in Wise County this morning, but I haven't heard a single siren out of Decatur. 


at 8:30 AM

10.21.2024

Random Monday Morning Thoughts





And it still is worthy of a double-take. Side note: Sheriff Joe is still alive in case you were wondering. 

  • The Star-Telegram has this story about high water bills from the Walnut Creek Special Utility District which serves Rhome. 


  • Roberson update:

    • As we learned Friday, the reason he wasn't executed was because of a  the very unusual subpoena issued by the legislative committee. Well, today at noon he will testify before that committee. AG Ken Paxton has stepped in and said that the hearing should be by Zoom. His lawyers want him there in person.  
    • The hearing will be livestreamed here. Edit: Or here on YouTube
    • But I think I was wrong on Friday when I wrote that I believed he could be executed at anytime after he testifies.  It may be that the district court will have to sign a new execution order and, if so, there is a statute which says there must be a waiting period of 91 days from the date of the order until the execution. The Dallas Morning News had this headline on Saturday, but I've noticed that the headline is gone on its site online.

    • Developments that didn't work: On Sunday, Paxton, probably the most despicable man in the state, tried to get the Texas Supreme Court to withdraw its stay of execution completely, but it refused. 
  • Weekend headlines:
    • Seven people died in Georgia.


    • Cuba has had two complete blackouts throughout the entire country. (Guantanamo Bay has its owner power supply.)

    • Despite killing the leader of Hamas, Israel continued the bombing of both Gaza and Lebanon.

    • Houston: A helicopter hit a radio tower last night killing four. Video captured it.

    • They didn't find her in the landfill:

  • Trump:
    • Yep, this happened. Video. 

    • He worked at McDonald's for a few minutes, and we learned why he never takes off his jacket.

    • He got mad at Mark Cuban. 

    • Good lord. The lying never ends. 

    • Fascism is funny to Elon Musk.

    • Trump "re-Truthed" a  belief that January 6th was an inside job. 

    • How is this election even close? 
  • The Evil Empire was fined $250,000 when its fans revolted by throwing beer cans and water bottles onto the field in protest of a call. It worked. The officials got scared and changed the call.

  • The greatest paint job on college helmets ever occurred by the University of Illinois. 

  • You can go vote beginning today. 

at 8:30 AM

10.18.2024

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

at 2:30 PM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts





I was going to just say that he had been having a stellar 2014 season, averaging 6.7 yards a carry which was second in the NFL at the time. Then I looked at his Wikipedia page and learned that his life took a tremendous turn for the worse in the years that followed. 

  • Decatur High School had some issues yesterday getting students to the football game.

  • Robert Roberson, who was scheduled for execution at 6:00 p.m.  last night in a "shaken baby syndrome" case, is still alive. For now. Here's what went down. Stay with me here. 
    • Late in the afternoon, a district judge in Austin, after a Zoom hearing, stopped the execution by granting an injunction sought by state lawmakers who had subpoenaed Roberson to testify before it on Monday. Note: We've got to important legal concepts here: (1) This is a civil, not criminal, proceeding, and (2) this is a temporary injunction. 

    • Moments later: In the criminal case, which still had some proverbial life left, the United States Supreme Court chose not to stop the execution. A dissenting opinion urged Gov. Abbott to step in. 
    • Gov. Abbott does not step in.
    • But the execution can't occur at  6:00 p.m. It's still on hold because of the temporary injunction out of Austin earlier in the day in the civil case.
    • That civil proceeding is then "appealed" to the Texas Court of Ciminal Appeals. There is a fight over who has jurisdiction over the civil temporary injunction out of Austin. Should it go to the CCA which has jurisdiction over criminal cases? Should it go to the Texas Supreme Court which has jurisdiction over civil cases?  (And some scholars online point out the the newly created 15th Court of Appeals might be the right forum.)
    • 8:30 p.m.: The Court of Criminal Appeals, in a vote to 5-4 but without an opinion, says it has jurisdiction to review the Austin district court's temporary injunction, vacates it, and says (paraphrasing), "Let's kill him."
    • The Texas legislature lawyers then take the case (PDF of petition) to the Texas Supreme Court saying that it's truly the court with jurisdiction over the temporary injunction. 
    • 9:40 p.m.: The Texas Supreme Court stops the execution. There is no written opinion but a concurring opinion (PDF) for three of the judges who try to explain what is going on. Honestly, I'm not 100% sure what's going on now myself.

    • So where does all this stand? Right now, the district court in Austin still has the case and will decide whether to issue a permanent injunction to stop the execution until the defendant testifies before the committee.  Does your head hurt? It should.
    • This part seems really important that no one is talking about: The defendant is scheduled to testify on Monday. If that occurs, then all of this will be moot and the execution could occur immediately after he testifies, right?  At least I think I'm right. 
    • That is, unless the legislative committee then issues another subpoena for him to come back again? 
  • The biggest news of the day was this. Will it stop the war and the bombings by Israel? Nope.


  • Politics:
    • Kamala Harris had a very good moment when she retorted to Trump supporters which tried to interrupt one of her rallies yesterday. Video.

    • Melania finally showed up with Trump at a campaign event as she joined him at the Al Smith Dinner Catholic charity banquet.  Later, he dropped an S bomb while he was speaking to the group.

    • Trump wasn't the only one working blue. Earlier in the dinner, the featured speaker had quite the joke. Video

    • Fox News Bret Baier apologized for running the wrong clip in his interview of Kamala Harris where Trump called Americans the "enemy from within" and threatened to unleash the military on them. 


  • Legal nerdy stuff. Twitter has updated its Terms of Service to say all disputes will be heard in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (where he'll end up in Judge Reed O'Connor's court) or in Tarrant County state courts. 

    • O'Connor currently has $50,000 invested in Tesla despite presiding over one of Elon Musk's high profile lawuit.
  • Time which has passed since the Wise County Sheriff's Office, despite having a full male DNA profile, has failed to solve the murder of Lauren Whitener in her home at Lake Bridgeport: 5 years and 105 days.

at 8:30 AM
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