Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I look at the above photo and can only hear The Joker's voice asking, "Why so serious?"
• From the Update: "DUMP SITES CLOSED – Wise County dump sites will be closed today for Veterans Day." There's something about that sentence which makes me uncomfortable. 
• I  watched one of my client's DWI videos yesterday, and I want to tell you that I know a prosecutor whose head will explode when he sees it. (A guy begs to do the One Leg Stand test but the officer won't do it, the officer tells him he "should" give a blood sample after being asked if he should, and tells him his license "will" be suspended for a longer period of time if he doesn't give a blood sample.) And he just happens to be a young officer. 
• Whenever I see a Nebraska Furniture Mart commercial, the only thing  I can only think of is, "If you can find lower prices anywhere then my name isn't Nathan Arizona." (And is there any funnier line than, "Would you shop at a store called Unpainted Huffheins?")
• "Texas troopers caught skewing racial profiling data by labeling Hispanics and blacks as white"
• GOP debate last night: I think one of the most fascinating moments was when Gov. John Kasich focused on calling Donald Trump's plans to deport all undocumented immigrants "a silly argument" that "makes no sense." And to think that just killed his chances to win the Republican Nomination. 
• How odd is it that when Neil Diamond's Coming To America came out that we all thought it was inspirational, but now most hate the concept? "On the boats and on the planes, They're coming to America, Never looking back again, They're coming to America." Today!
• I've mentioned I've recently began watching morning news again and how I think it seems so intense. (Cue the consultants.) Yesterday, I noticed the traffic guy on Fox 4 frantically talking on the phone as the camera just happened to cut to him as they went to break. Staged. And bad. And I feel bad for anyone in TV news. 
• "Outrage sells" - Gordon Keith on The Ticket this morning. He's talking about the current news industry and how you can't turn it on without seeing someone angry. It's the equivalent of my my constant rant that "fear sells" when it comes to politics. 
• I've dogged radio guy Mark Davis for years because I rarely agree with him. But this morning he talked about actually watching his Father In Law die of cancer in the hospital. The man refused to extend his life with drugs and wanted to go out on his own terms. "I've never gone through anything like that," he said as his voice was cracking. Buddy, for today, we are friends. You normally make me angry. Today you made me cry. 
• I was watching the Natalie Merchant festival video again at home and the Senior In The House asked me who she was. I told her Merchant's name (any chance in the world she knows who the 10,000 Maniacs are?) and, for some reason I said, "She's a powerful woman." Sometimes you say things and you don't know why you say it. But what you say might have an impact in the future. There. Are. Powerful. Women.