5.06.2017

Above The Fold


at 8:00 AM

5.05.2017

It's Friday. Let's Get Out Of Here.

That positioning as he's headed into the water sells this one. 
Don't worry, kid. You'll get the hang of it when you're older.
I was wrong. 

 A dumpster and a catapult!
Cliff Notes: Marriage, divorce, and remarriage.
Doggie Sleeper Cell! And a cocky one at that. 

at 2:00 PM

I Don't Care About The NBA . . .



. . . but I like comedy.
at 8:52 AM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

  • We might need some news coverage of what is going on in Venezuela:
  • It was a dog and pony show yesterday in the House for Repeal and Replace, and I've never seen the Republicans go off so half-cocked on a bill. The Senate might just scrap the whole thing and start from scratch. And they are in no hurry. 
    Not an Old White Man Convention
  • Decatur's water this morning is a light shade of brown. 
  • As pointed out by several commentors yesterday, UT's Police Department has no proof that the Stabber was stopped by a concealed handgun license holder. Now that was truly fake news.
  • One or more persons who serve on the Wise County Crime Stoppers committee invited me in the comments to come to their meetings. I don't want to. But you obviously have all the information about the fund. so tell us all: (1) How much money is in the account, (2) How much has it paid out over, say, the last five years, and (3) What is the audit process.
  • The Dallas Morning News predicted Baylor will go 8-4 this fall. I suspect 6-6 is more likely. And I'll take it.  
  • Trophy Club apartments yesterday off of 114: 
  • ISIS is suggesting those sympathetic to their cause in America to use gun shows for easy access to weapons.  They've got that right. 
  • "In November 2016, a clip from an episode of the 1950s western television series Trackdown was published to YouTube, along with the claim that it 'predicted Donald Trump' by featuring a snake oil salesman character named 'Trump' who claimed that only he could prevent the end of the world … by building a wall around the town." It really is funny. They refer to him as Mr. Trump and at one point Trump threatens to sue. 
  • "And Another" from Indiana: 
  • Every time I hear about Mayfest I think about the 1995 hail storm which almost killed people. 
  • Flashback in honor of Cinco De Mayo:
    He really said, "I love Hispanics!" while eating a Taco Bowl.
  • Background anyone?:
  • The Balch Springs cop who killed the black teenager was once suspended two days for his interaction with prosecutors and his courtroom testimony in a DWI case where he said on the stand, "I don't understand the f---ing question." Let me tell you, we have a full blown psycho with a God Complex on our hands.

at 8:38 AM

5.04.2017

No Violence But This Is A Little Crazy



If I understand this right, the guy is with his family and had purchased a ticket for his son. But then they decide to send the son on an earlier flight in order to free up the seat so they could put a car seat in it for their two year old.  (Some people just hold an infant in their laps.)  But Delta had overbooked the flight, and wanted to use that seat for someone else.  The guy says no because he paid for the seat.

It gets weird because the flight attendants say everything from (paraphrasing) "the two year old can't be in the seat because the seat must match the passenger manifest" to "you aren't allowed to have a two year old in a car seat."

So how did this get resolved? Give the family the option to just hold the two year old? Nope.  Delta kicked the whole family off the plane. And we have the extra bonus of, " “You and your wife will be in jail and your kids will be in foster care” along the way if they didn't comply.

Story.
at 9:45 AM

The Rare Baseball Trick Play




What's the rule on this? I think it has something to do with the pitcher.
at 8:55 AM

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts


  • Former UT coach Charlie Strong got berated by a judge in open court. She is 100% out of line: “Let’s just say my USF diploma is not proudly hanging in my office right now. And I have a message for your coach as well. Coach Strong, if you are listening, in the last couple of months there have been two arrests of your players — very violent felonies. This court, and I’m sure I’m not alone, questions whether you have control over your players. It’s fairly clear that you do not have control over them off the field and I guess only time will tell whether you have control over them on the field. I would implore you to think long and hard about whether being head coach at USF is a good fit for you before any other members of this community have to suffer at the hands of one of your players.”
  • There was a high profile case out of Fort Worth a couple of years back where a mortuary never cremated some bodies as promised. For some reason the State charged the owner with theft, and the Fort Worth Court of Appeals reversed the conviction. Texas's highest criminal court announced yesterday that it will review that decision.  Edit: Fort Worth reversed it because the State only proved a breach of contract which is not a crime. 
  • Did you know that Texas keeps a database of every time you fill a prescription and your history can be obtained by a police officer just by asking? Between January 1, 2014, to March 10, 2017, police made 5,287 requests and 97% of them were granted.
  • I've said it for years: Every person on probation in Wise County contributes $50 to Wise County Crime Stoppers, and I never hear of it paying out a dime. Who is in control of it, and how much is in that account? Is there any auditing?
  • "DALLAS (AP) — Investigators say an Austin police officer who allegedly tried to fake his own death and flee to Mexico has been arrested at a Texas airport."
  • There will be a vote in the House today on Repeal and Replace today, and the proposed bill is far from conservative. And that's why there is a 100% chance the Senate will kill it. Today is just a dog and pony show. 
  • And the text of the bill hasn't been released - in fact it wasn't even finished late last night. Need I remind you of the Republican's 2010 "Pledge to America" which included: 
  • FBI Director Comey is crazy. 
  • What a bloody week. Yesterday we added to it with a murder/suicide at Northlake College in Irving and a double death at an Arlington sports bar.  When I heard about these two, I actually intended to write today why a concealed carry guy hasn't come to the defense in any of these cases. Well, it looks like that is what happened in Arlington. That rarely happens. In fact, I'm not sure I can think of another case in Texas.
  • Romo got hit in the Arlington shooting: 
  • Mark Davis said on Fox 4 this morning that activists might not get a murder charge in the Balch Springs case because murder requires "premeditation." Not true at all. 
  • Things are going well at UT: 
  • How would you rank your list if you had to give up one or more of Facebook, Google, Amazon, or Apple. I think that's easy: (1) Facebook, (2) Amazon, (3) Apple, then (4) Google.


at 8:38 AM

5.03.2017

From Yesterday: No Deaths. No Injuries.


at 9:34 AM

Above The Fold


at 8:55 AM

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts


  • Alabama's coach Nick Saban got an eight year, $65 million extension yesterday and, with a bonus, will make over $11 million this season.  Remember that he's a public employee. (More shocking may be their outside linebacker's coach will make $950,000.)
  • Alabama (the state) ranks 4th worse in the nation in unemployment, 4th worse in high school graduation, and 5th worse in per capita income.
  • I don't know much about the Heritage Foundation (other than the insufferable Jim Carafano who comes on WBAP once a week) but they fired its leader yesterday. The running narrative is that the organization turned from a legitimate think tank to a partisan hack group. 
  • That Graham High graduate who was stabbed to death on the UT campus sounded like a good kid.
  • I'm finally into Season Four of Game of Thrones. Man, they will kill anyone on that show. 
  • Random restaurant thought: I miss the chain Tia's.
  • Random Decatur restaurant thought: I miss Garcia's.
  • If you are for insurance covering pre-existing conditions, does that mean you support the foundation of Obamacare? That's what the Republicans are dealing with.
  • It's May 3rd and I'm calling it: The Texas Rangers are done, brother. And get ready for a Yu Darvish trade by mid-summer.
  • Here's Pete Delkus' official forecast: 
  • Here's the fired Balch Springs offer who shot the kid with an AR-15 (credit KXAS.)
  • From the Update: "Devon Energy Corporation announced Tuesday that it plans to sell $1 billion in assets – including some in the Barnett Shale natural gas fields . . . . " That doesn't sound good for Wise County. 

at 8:40 AM

5.02.2017

Guy Surrenders In Haslet



That's a lot of cops.  He surrendered peacefully after running into someone else's home because he thinks police are out to get him. (I hope he didn't look out the window.)

Story.
at 2:49 PM

Flying Has Taken A Turn For The Worse



Story.
at 10:28 AM

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts



  • Once the bodycam footage of the Balch Springs police officer who shot and killed the 15 year old comes out, we are going to have a huge national story on our hands. It has all the elements: (1) minority victim, (2) teenage victim, (3) shot in the head (4) unarmed, (5) cop initially lies about what happened, (6) unjustifiable shooting in that the car was going away from the officer, and (7) the cop decided to use a rifle.
  • I called it Groundhog Day last week but we truly do live in a Groundhog Week: Cop shooting, motorcycle death (this one at 287 and the road to Newark in a bizarre wreck), and the Rangers can't hit. 
  • A woman was gunned down in her car in the Ridgmar Mall parking lot yesterday afternoon but other than it being "domestic related", we know hardly nothing. 
  • Hey, Baylor, stop being stupid: 
  • Someone commented yesterday the Baylor football will be "as bad as they've ever been" this fall. Buddy, you have no idea how bad Baylor used to be. 
  • Autistic Bridgeport boy "connects with law enforcement worldwide."
  • I was at the Denton County courthouse at 12:30 yesterday, and saw no evidence this happened. (He had just met with the DA's office.):
  • I'm reading so much about how the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why might be  dangerous for teenagers to watch and many are apparently doing so. Denton and Krum schools sent letters home about it. 
  • Twelve hours later, Trump realizes he made a mistake. And then tries to do damage control. Poorly: 
  • Alabama softball player homers against Ole Miss. Misses home plate during the celebration. Gets tagged out after a slight delay. 



at 8:38 AM

5.01.2017

Shooting In Dallas

KRLD reported he had died citing "sources" at around `1:30 p.m. CBS 11 reported he had died as well.

Edit: In unrelated craziness, we have a situation at UT. One dead. Three injured. Arrest made.:




at 2:07 PM

They Are Doing It Wrong




Uh, the bill automatically become law in 10 days if he doesn't sign it.
at 11:51 AM

Random Monday Morning Thoughts



  • Nothing like calling a country "bad" and banging war drums on Twitter.

  • Fox 4's Jennifer Myers reported accurately yesterday morning that the high temperature would be in the 60s with winds 25 to 30 mph or greater. Then she put up a graphic describing the day as "pleasant." I don't care if the temperature was going to be 78, those winds guaranteed the day would be anything but pleasant.
  • The John Wiley Price trial didn't go as the federal prosecutors planed. In dissecting the case, the Morning News said, "The sheer volume of evidence — 5.7 million files — also could have been a factor." That seems next to impossible. 
  • And here is one of the jurors who had to decide the complicated case:
  • Actually, the juror screwed that up. The judge actually said moments earlier that she "recommended" they not talk to the press. (Side note: That's none of the judge's business.)
  • John Wiley said outside the courthouse after the trial that he he couldn't answer questions because he was on his "way to work." The guys from KVIL just happened to be in a bar mid-afternoon: 

  • NFL draft: Running backs Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey received heavy criticism for skipping their teams last bowl games in order to not risk injury. They were drafted #4 and #8, respectively. Michigan tight end Jake Butt was a potential first round pick but blew out his ACL in the Orange Bowl causing him to slip to the fifth round. 
  • The White House chief of staff reiterated Trump's position that they've "looked at" changing the libel laws. Does anyone in that administration realize that would take a constitutional amendment?
  • Colorado on Saturday: 
  • Read about a Klan rally at Lake Worth attended by thousands in 1923. The newspaper story, which covered it like it was a normal festival, contained this nugget: 
  • Trump speaking to the NRA on Friday:  "I can tell you, both sons, they love the outdoors.  Frankly, I think they love the outdoors more than they love, by a long shot, Fifth Avenue." Has he forgotten about Barron?
  • And Trump got more confusing in a later interview: (1) Jackson died 16 years before the Civil War began, and (2) He doesn't know why the Civil War was fought,
  • Baylor receiver K.D. Cannon may be one of the most talented receivers in school history. Unfortunately, he has a ten cent brain.  He left school early to enter the NFL Draft and then didn't get drafted. And when he became a free agent with the 49ers, he acted like he was the #1 pick. 
  • The local weatherman completely botched the Saturday forecast. Pete Delkus, as always, got defensive.

  • Odd Texas law: If you were lucky enough to see an officer go to a judge to get a search warrant (I see it all the time), the affidavit in support of the search warrant is immediately a public record even before the search warrant is executed. 

at 8:39 AM
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