- In a great moment last night, controversial Iowa Congressman Steve King responded to a tweet. He deleted it later. Yep, he thought that was a real request.
- The Update is reporting the death of a Lake Bridgeport woman this morning after a fire within a house. Here is where it happened. There are a set of town homes right there:
- You'll see a ton of stories that the Lufkin-Bell-Bell-Ice-Cream-Licker is facing a Second Degree Felony. Tap the brakes on that. It ain't gonna happen. Is there a statute that is entitled "Tampering With Consumer Product" and does it make a the crime a Second Degree Felony? Yes. But Law 101 is this: Read the definitions in the statute. In this case "Tamper" means "to alter or add a foreign substance to a consumer product to make it probable that the consumer product will cause serious bodily injury." (And "serious bodily injury" means "death, serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.") Licking ice cream and putting it back on the shelf is disgusting, but it's not a felony in Texas.
And why is Fox 4 using a Fox 26 screenshot? - Do you remember the first Product Tampering case that shook the nation? Hint. It was in 1982 and seven people died. I remember it, and the country was freaked out.
- I'm beginning to believe Ring doesn't keep us safer, it just lets us realize the crazy stuff that happens outside our doors.
- Trump stayed on script yesterday and didn't deviate at his rally on the 4th of July. As far as him saying the army "took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War (or the War of 1812 -- it's hard to tell), he probably just misread it. In fact, he butchered that entire section.
- But he finally got his wall. Man, that's a bad look on the 4th of July. Alternative line: He even put the Lincoln Memorial in a cage.
- Speaking of bad looks, let me present this lady at Trump's parade. In what might be the worst messaging in history, she is actually sympathetic to the immigrants' plight. But that's an odd way of showing it.
- We really needed more coverage of this: The Qanon Conspiracy nuts actually thought JFK Jr. had faked his death and would appear yesterday at the rally and be named the new Vice-President. (This lady's vote counts as much as yours does.)
- I was all over Trump's tweet a couple of days ago about fighting the Census decision by the Supreme Court (which directly contradicted what the Justice Department who had told the federal judge the day before they were throwing in the towel.) The judge got slightly miffed and called an emergency hearing on Wednesday afternoon. The transcript is 15 pages and is pure gold. I don't know who government lawyer Mr. Gardner is, but he basically said, "I have no idea what is going on but don't kill me judge because, you know, it's Trump." And when the judge wanted them back in court today, this happened:
- I'm finally giving James A. Michener's Texas a shot. After about 400 pages into this mammoth book, I'm hooked. (It's the second book I've read this year that places fictional characters into the backdrop of real history, and I'm beginning to believe it's a heck of away to learn.)
- The son of former Dallas Cowboy Ken Norton Jr. who was trying to make the Miami Dolphins was in a car wreck and had to have his arm amputated at the scene. In a split second your life can change.
- Odd conversation yesterday. Mrs. LL: "What do you have against concrete?" Me: "I don't like things that are permanent." Then awkward and confused silence. Until the College Kid In The House casually said, "That sure is a weird theme to live by."