Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I told you this was coming. Bills become law in Texas without his signature yet he signed a few in front of the camera for publicity only. But then he goes over the top with these pictures. To say he signed all of those is a lie. "Hey, Jim Bob, put a bunch of piles of paper on my desk. Let's snap a pic. And then lets clean off the desk. It'll look great!" 

  

  
  

• As of September 1st, if you are 20 years of age and vape in Texas, the government has the right to arrest you and fine you. But you can vote, drive a car, and be drafted.
• I knew the winds were big in Dallas but didn't know about the rain. Look at these two videos: The street looks like a river, and I can't believe this house didn't give way. 
  
• Power outages continue in Dallas. This pic was taking looking west towards downtown Dallas this morning (you can see the neon green building.)
  
• This picture was floating around showing the rain over downtown on Sunday. One problem: It was taken in 2017.
  
• Heard on the radio: Isn't it true that big construction cranes are to be left untethered before a big storm so they can swing in the wind like a weather vane? I've actually heard that before, but I have no idea if it is correct. 
• The Messenger noted that a former (and current?) Rhome resident and Northwest High graduate won the NCAA discuss this weekend. Here's video of the toss. (The discus and the javelin make me nervous because I fear someone isn't paying attention to the death coming at them from the sky.) 
• I would give you an update on the murder trial going on in Wise County, but I looked through the glass door yesterday, saw a photo of what looked like bullet fragments on the big screen, and noticed it had "State Exhibit 154" on it. I immediately got Tired Head and didn't go in. 
• The capital murder trial in Dallas that started last week involving the killing of the dentist in a murder for hire trial was over by Friday morning. 
• There's no easy way to summarize a story of Jerry Jones gaining controlling interest in some natural gas company named Comstock last year for $630 million, it just acquired a company called Covey Park Energy for $2.2 billion --- largely with a new investment from Jones of $700 million, and Comstock has the weird stock price history:
  
• The Random Thought Girl last week was indeed on a beach in Dubai. (Thanks emailer.)  My other guess was Qatar whose skyline is shown here:
  
  
• Wise County housed an alleged serial killer last year and the Morning News has an update where authorities continue to link him to more murders. I was skeptical at first, but I've had conversations with folks who are beginning to convince me.  Wise County's own and Texas Ranger James Holland is credited in the story. 
  
• Legal news.
  
• Let's check in on the Toddler In Chief this morning. Yep, still at it. 
  
• I'm reading The General vs. The President about Douglas MacArthur and Truman. Like most things, I'm stunned by what I didn't know, but one little fun fact I picked up: Presidents used to meet with the press outside of the cameras. If they wanted to quote Truman, the common practice was for the press to ask him permission to do so. If they didn't get it, they didn't print it. 
  
• CNN referred to the situation after the crash yesterday as "pandemonium" and now the headline below would make you think there were mass casualties.  You think everything is bigger in Texas?