12.26.2023

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts






There was one game left in the regular season, and this news came out of nowhere. He had a slight limp in his last game but, on the following Monday, that slight limp  turned out to be a herniated disc. The Cowboys were 8-7 and needed a win in the final game to make the playoffs. They had to turn to back-up . . . Kyle Orton. 


  • Let the post-Christmas depression begin. 
  • And this isn't exactly a feel good note I just saw. 

  • We had some Christmas Day air strikes by the U.S.  It was in response to a bomb-enabled drone hit. 

    • And that wasn't the only place Iran's name was making headlines.

  • An odd early Christmas Eve fire in Denton.


  • Put me in the group of confused people when I heard that the "founding member" of the Dixie Chicks had died, yet I didn't recognize her.  Laura Lynch wasn't with the group long before she was replaced with Natalie Maines.

    • But my confusion wasn't as bad a that of Fox News. They announced her death the next day by using the photo of a different Laura Lynch -- a person who is very  much alive and a Canadian reporter. 

  • Decatur based David's Western Wear had a fire at its Weatherford location. 

  • Random Christmas note: A car dealership in Dallas (by Campisi's restaurant) used to have this large Santa with an actual car sitting in his lap. 

  • Trump was in the Christmas spirit. "May they rot in hell!" Can you imagine being him? 

  • There was significant news in Trump's federal insurrection case on Friday when the Supreme Court denied Jack Smith's request to get immediately involved in Trump's "presidential immunity" claim. The case, and that claim, are currently in the middle of an appeal at the D.C. Circuit and the criminal prosecution has been stayed during that appeal.

    • This may not delay the case too much. Oral arguments at the D.C. Circuit are set for January 9th. I bet there would be a decision within two weeks.  Trump's lawyers worked on the holidays and filed their brief late Saturday night. 
  • If you haven't seen one player attack another well after a Saturday bowl game was over and while the school song was being played, here you go.   Story here.

  • Ohio State thinks DFW is in the desert. Give it a few more years and they might be right.

  • For those interested in the politics of prosecution in Texas: Here is a list of every upcoming District Attorney and County Attorney election in Texas with names. There are 206 uncontested elections (including two in Wise County) and 57 contested ones.

at 8:30 AM

12.22.2023

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

at 2:30 PM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts




Anti-Obama and anti-Obamacare folks had a field day with the picture which was used in this presidential promotion. Probably wasn't his best work. 

  • THWMISB.™
  • After four years, we have even more evidence, recorded no less, of Trump trying to overthrow the election results. He personally called two county officials to try to convince them to kill the Detroit vote. "If you can go home tonight, do not sign it. . . . .  We will get you attorneys." That's providing a benefit in exchange for an official act = bribery. Story.



  • In addition to being morally bankrupt, Rudy is now financially bankrupt as well.


  • A mass shooting in Prague leaves many dead and gives us a heck of a photo of students hiding from the gunman. .

  • Moving across the wires moments ago. Good. This is very, very good. Merry Christmas one and all:


  • Let's check in on Trump before the Detroit election tampering news broke.

    • Flashback.

  • Let's check in on Fox News. 

  • Local political relevance of this story extracted for you:



  • Oh, come on. Let's let that go.

  • Things which are real that I didn't think were initially real. (He was on the Dukes of Hazzard for all of those fortunate enough not to have seen it.)

  • Incredibly legal nerdy stuff: There is no mechanism in Texas criminal law whereby a judge can dismiss a case before trial even if he thinks the evidence is insufficient to convict. Two appellate cases in the last two days, both involving appeals by the State, have had to make that point known to trial judges. Here and here. 
  • 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: 4 years and 179 days.



at 8:31 AM

12.21.2023

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts




This is Part II of my hot takes.  There is actually a Part III where I updated the post with reader choices gathered from the comments section (back when I had one -- it was the Wild West.)  You'll have to be a long time reader to understand some of the references. 

  • That Colorado Supreme Court decision barring Trump from the ballot had a huge caveat within it that no one is mentioning. Practically speaking, the ruling will never go into effect, and they tell us so right in the opinion. It is really odd. 
    • The court ordered Trump's name not be on the ballot but they self-imposed a stay of their own ruling. The ruling only goes into effect (on 1/4/24) if Trump doesn't appeal. And if Trump does appeal the decision (and he will), that stay will remain intact until the Supreme Court finally and completely decides the case.  So the mere filing of an appeal in the Supreme Court will keep Trump on the ballot until the Supreme Court finally acts.  But here's the kicker: There are no deadlines forcing the Supreme Court to even act on the petition of appeal.They can just sit on it and run out the clock until the election is over. Then they can refuse the appeal as "moot." But, in the meantime, with the stay in effect, Trump will be on the Colorado ballot. 

  • Told ya! So what really happened? "Police say they do not know what caused the reported issues with the students."


  • This is all so very weird.



  • A faithful reader noticed this on the back of a street sign on the Decatur square. The Nazis walk among you.

  • No alcohol or drugs were involved.  What we use to consider accidents that might give rise to a civil lawsuit are now routinely criminal cases..  

  • I'm still not sure what happened with Jeff Leach and the Collin County Sheriff's Office, but it looks like a far right Texas group really wants to see the video. They provide some background here, and it looks like the video will be released.

  • The "one of the busiest travel days" ruse is in effect this morning. But at least WFAA is blurring out the background of the shot of the obligatory reporter-at-the-airport to hide that no one is there.

  • I've said it before, the Nazi party in Germany never got more than 37% of the vote before Hitler was appointed Chancellor.  It doesn't take a majority for weird things to happen.  
    Yes, I know that's 42% of Republicans. 

  • The New York Tiimes consulted the Federal Reserve to answer this question. Fun little article. (Gifted link.)

  • Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the last game ever at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys lost to the Ravens (remember these two runs?), but do you know who the quarterback of Baltimore was? Joe Flacco -- who is still playing in the NFL. 

  • Kind of legal nerdy stuff, kinda political:  The Special Prosecutor in Trump's D.C. insurrection case is asking the Supreme Court to get involved immediately to resolve Trump's "presidential immunity" claim. Yesterday, the state AG's from several Republican states, including Texas' Ken Paxton, voluntarily weighed in to say that the Supreme Court shouldn't act because there is no "public interest" to resolve the case as the prosecution claims. Let me get this right. It's not a public interest, but the matter is of such a great concern that you are using taxpayer dollars to inject yourself into the Supreme Court fight?

  • Breaking sports: Florida State is about to take formal legal action to get out of the ACC.
  • It's the shortest day of the year.
  • Messenger - Above the Fold

at 8:30 AM
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