Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• I had some significant cosmetic dental work done yesterday which was brought about because of one half part vanity and one half part necessity. Twenty-five years ago I had the same thing basically done. Now it is ten times more technologically advanced but only four times as expensive. Although almost four intense hours in a dental chair ain't fun.
• How it all started?: Tetracycline.
• Shout out to my local dentist: I've not turned on you. 
• The greatest hillbillies-seeing-a-shark video you will see all day. (Or ever.)
• I can't say I've listened to Jay-Z's 99 Problems more than ten times but each time my mind started racing about the search and seizure issues in the lyrics. I felt like a law nerd. I feel vindicated (academically at least)  because a law professor has written a scholarly law review article analyzing the song line by line.
• I only saw a little bit of it but Robert Blake being interviewed by Piers Morgan last night was golden because of the tenseness. Who would have seen that coming?
• Haven't had a Big Mac in over a decade. I love Big Macs. (Referenced only because of a story yesterday that the recipe behind the "secret sauce" had been revealed.)
• A Wise County jury convicted and sentenced a man to 30 years in prison for five grams of meth yesterday.  That's only five years above the minimum - a minimum that was so high because he had two prior trips to the pen.  They didn't find him guilty right away (deliberated well over two hours on guilt/not guilt) despite the stuff being found in his pocket.  The vibe in the courthouse was that they were a little hesitant of finding him guilty knowing that it meant at least a 25 year sentence for a small amount of dope.  The jury even sent out a note wanting to know what his prior convictions were for. 
• More: There was no evidence during the first portion of the trial that he had previously been convicted of felonies.  So how did the jury know? Crazy Texas law allows the prosecution during the jury selection process to ask the potential jurors: "Hypothetically, if a person has twice been sent to the penitentiary for felony convictions and is subsequently found guilty of the offense the defendant is charged with, the minimum sentence is 25 years in prison. Now, knowing that, is there anyone on the panel . . . ."
• I watch a little bit of the ESPYs last night. You know, that show has a good concept but the writing is horrible.
• A child was accidentally shot by her father a couple of months ago in far North Fort Worth and now he has been charged with Manslaughter.  That charge requires the State to prove he "recklessly" (not intentionally) caused the death of the child.  I promise you, 90% of the prosecutors have no idea what an almost insurmountable burden it is to prove "recklessly" under Texas law. "Mere lack of foresight, stupidity, irresponsibility, thoughtlessness, ordinary carelessness, however serious the consequences may happen to be do not suffice to constitute . . . criminal recklessness."
• Mitt Romney didn't go speak to the NAACP yesterday he went so he could be seen speaking to the NAACP.
• The cops have released the 911 calls in the Highland Park presumed suicide (that we originally thought was a murder.)  This is one of the weirdest cases I've ever seen. He stabbed himself to death after trying to attack his wife?
• A very insightful line from Bob Sturm of The Ticket regarding the current state of the NBA: When a fan is told he has to read the collective bargaining agreement to understand why his team is losing players then you have a league that has gone horribly wrong. 
• There were six females that slept in my house last night. Are slumber parties that common? I feel like I'm running a hostel.