2.02.2017

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts




  • Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht, who I am no fan of, gave the State of Judiciary Speech yesterday and actually said a couple of things I agree with: (1) The Texas process of setting bond for those jailed is broken. There are no guidelines and the poor are punished. (2) Incarcerating people for not being able to pay a fine and court costs is absolutely a Debtor's Prison. 
  • He also said that Texas needs to get away from judicial elections. Texas House Speaker Joe Strauss went one step further and said we need to do away with straight ticket voting across the board.
  • More proof that Supreme Court nominee Gorsuch is a fan of the Fourth Amendment. In a dissent, he once wrote that if there are "No Trespassing" signs all over your property that means the cops can't even enter the outer perimeter to knock on your door.
  • Leeper Creek BBQ north of Decatur wanted a shout out if I liked my lunch. I liked my lunch. 
  • I learned about "singer" Mini Thin yesterday. Good lord. Is this real life?
  • Investigate? For what? I'm no fan of hate speech but there is no way it is  a crime to draw a swastika in the snow. 
  • Art Briles has dismissed his defamation suit against Baylor. I believe he still thinks he was wronged but has come to the conclusion he will never coach again, that he's getting old, the lawsuit fight would only make him bitter and angry and could kill him, and so it is time to head to the house. You know what I think a great job for him would be?: Stephenville High School. You end where you started. 
  • Trump got into an argument with the Prime Minister of Australia? Who gets in a fight with Australia? 
  • Regarding Trump's remarks yesterday for Black History Month: The total number of words used to praise MLK, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks: 53. Number of words used to praise reality TV star Omarosa Manigault: 51.
  • Take us to DEFCON 2 this morning: 
  • That U.S. Raid in Yemen that cost the life of a Seal Team 6 member sounds like an ill-planned and ill-authorized cluster. 
  • The only positive thing Groundhog Day has given us is the movie:
  • I watched a little bit of the Slender Man documentary produced by HBO last night. Fascinating. The public outrage, if there is any, will not be about whether the girls are guilty but whether we should put mentally ill children in cages as punishment.