5.18.2015

Random Monday Morning Thoughts



  • The Texas House Republican Caucus approved a pledge of a "one man, one woman" standard for marriage on Friday to show how conservative they actually are. I loved the formal text of the document which starts off saying they all support the Texas Constitution which has "been in effect" since 1876. But they quickly had to admit that the gay marriage ban contained in that Constitution has only been there for less than nine years.
  • By my count, the Wise County grand jury just indicted 53 people.  Of those, 27 were for drugs. 
  • I used to mention the ultra conservative DA from Williamson County, John Bradley. He ultimately lost re-election after he opposed DNA testing requested by the ultimately declared innocent Michael Morton.   What I did not know is that he is now a prosecutor in the AG's office of . . . the country of Palau. (Survivor was filmed there in 2004).
  • The attack on Twin Peaks by the Public Information Officer for the Waco PD continues to strike me as incredibly odd.  I'm not sure Waco PD simply didn't immediately go into CYA mode after shootings.  They obviously knew there was a potential for trouble -- you can't say Twin Peaks had been uncooperative without knowing trouble was brewing -- but it happened anyway. So what did the PD do? Immediately blame the restaurant instead of the bikers gangs. Look at this statement: “What occurred here today is the worst-case scenario when a business owner puts profit over human lives.” - Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton. That is beyond bizarre for a police officer to say that while the bodies are still warm.
  • And my CYA theory is bolstered by this comment by Swanton: "I will be extremely transparent throughout this process. We will not hide anything from anybody." That's a statement of someone who is worried about being blamed.
  • You thought biker gangs didn't exist? Richie Whitt, back in 201 2010,wrote in the Dallas Observer about how they gather every weekend all over Dallas at restaurants/bars.
  • I watched abouts six episodes of Mad Men and then bailed.
  • Mrs. LL will turn on women's college softball if nothing else gets her attention. Last week I walked in and she was watching the Big Ten Network.
  •  "Obama announces restrictions on distribution of military-style equipment to police." Finally.
  • I haven't paid any attention to it, but I saw the Houston Rockets made the Western Conference Finals. "That's not a very good team over there." - Mark Cuban back in April before the Mavericks faced them in the playoffs.