Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Wise County Active Cases: Still at 57 because we didn't get an update yesterday. Sheesh.
• Texas. Hospitalizations basically the same. Deaths set a record. Cases set a record.  It's still kind of hard to comprehend that we had a total lockdown in April when we were averaging 1,000 cases a day, and now we are averaging 10,000 a day. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• In the middle of the pandemic with 135,000 dead and counting, unemployment at record numbers, and things only looking worse, Trump posted the following picture yesterday. In the Oval Office. Behind the Resolute desk.  Imagine being handed this photo in 2010 and trying to figure out what had happened to us. (Oh, if you haven't seen Chris Cuomo on CNN last night losing it over this, it's worth a few seconds. He almost went full Network.)
  
• Kevin Stitt, the governor of Oklahoma who mocked the coronavirus in March (below) has tested positive for the virus.  He hung out with Trump at the Tulsa rally about three weeks ago. 
  
• Speaking of the Tulsa fiasco, Trump removed Brad Parscale as his campaign manager yesterday.  This was 70 days ago:
  
• Twitter had what it called a "tough day" yesterday when several high profile accounts were hacked and some people were conned into transferring what ended up being $118,000 in bitcoins to the hackers.  Here's an example of what happened:
  
• Of course, the big fear is the scenario of hackers doing something other than for  financial gain.  What about a hack broadcasting some crazy news on election day? Trump being hacked and then messaging about nuclear missiles being launched?  Instead, yesterday the hackers, despite their brazenness and tech savviness, were nothing other than common thieves. 
  
• Here'a a timeline of the Twitter accounts which were hacked and which ones caused the most damage. 

  

  Source

  

  Agree.

• Houston ISD announced yesterday they were delaying the start of classes until September 8th and that it would only offer virtual classes until at least October 19th. After that, assuming everything is back to "normal", parents would have the option of in-person classes. 
• Should the schools be open in Texas? I've got two good sources who are privy to the feedback that schools are getting. I'm told the vast majority of teachers are against it, but that parents are for it on about a 70% to 30% split. But you have to factor in the great number of parents who just want their kids out their hair.
• This really only hits home if you've ever had to take the bar exam, but I cannot describe the beat down it would be to have it cancelled 12 days before you take it like Louisiana did yesterday.
  
• There was a NASCAR race in Tennessee yesterday.
  
• Very random contract fun fact. Long time readers will know I deemed former Texas Ranger Chris Davis the Official Liberally Lean Major League Baseball Player years ago. He made big news when in 2016 he signed a $119 million, 7 year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.  (He immediately flamed out, by the way. He hit .179 last year and set a MLB record by going on a streak of 0 for 54. Nevertheless, the contract is guaranteed money.) But get this: After all of that money is paid, he even gets the following in deferred money! Yep, he'll be getting a $1.4 million check in the year 2037.
• From 2023 to 2032: $3.5 million a year.
• From 2033 to 2037: $1.4 million a year.
• Man, they sure do love their district judge political races in Abilene. (Although it only took him 3,045 votes to win it.)