9.08.2021

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts





It's the 10 year anniversary of the fire in Bastrop which brought us some amazing photos.


  • The seven day average is now officially trending downwards.  And the last four days have all shown declines.  

  • But there's another variant out there, and it's in DFW
    "Mu"

  • Greg Abbott never takes questions from reporters. But it happened yesterday with embarrassing consequences. Let's break it down. (Video is here.)

    • The question: "Regarding the Heartbeat Bill, why force a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy to term?" Oh, my. That's quite the haymaker. How'd that guy get in the room? 
    • But Abbott seemed ready. If you watch the video, he starts nodding once the reporter says "rape or incest." He knew this was coming. He's prepared. He's got an answer at the ready. So he's knocking this one out of the park, right?
    • First part of Abbott's answer: “It doesn’t require that at all, because obviously it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion. So, for one, it doesn’t provide that."
    • Wait a second. First, he knows the new Bounty Bill, for all intents and purposes, bans abortion in Texas. And there is no exception for rape of incest. But what's with this "at least" six weeks bull? If by some miracle a woman did know she was pregnant at the moment of conception -- which is impossible -- she has a maximum of six weeks to terminate the pregnancy. "At least" implies she has six weeks and more. 
    • But then his answer got worse.
    • Abbott continued: "That said, however, let’s make something very clear: rape is a crime and Texas will work tirelessly  to make sure we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going after and arresting them and prosecuting them. And getting them off the streets. So goal number one in the state of Texas is to eliminate rape, so that no woman, no person, will be a victim of rape.”
    • The people serving as props behind him applauded wildly. Well, except these two who kept their hands clasped. 

    • Ok, the concept of eliminating all rapists is just dumb. That'll never happen. You know it. I know it. The two people not clapping know it. We all know it. That couldn't have been part of pre-planned answer, right? He was actually just winging it, right? And winging it badly at that point. 
    • But what does that nonsense have to be with a Heartbeat Bill? Even if you could magically "eliminate all rapists", they still have to rape first in order to be a rapist. And if they rape first, there's the chance of the pregnancy which is the basis for the reporters question.  So Abbott is telling us the Bounty Bill doesn't impact the pregnant victim because her rapist is in jail? 
    • There's a reason Abbott doesn't take questions in public. 
  • Remember Texas voter ID law? The first version was so harshly written that Texas got sued. In response, the legislature softened it so as to make it constitutional. But that first version and the lawsuit cost taxpayers $67 million. That was affirmed yesterday by the conservative Fifth Circuit.

  • Jerry's found a new way to make money, and the Jones Family day drank yesterday in celebration. 


  • How Trump is respecting 9/11:

  • Fox News does a better job of marketing for Democrats than the Democrats do.

  • "The median rent price for a one-bedroom apartment in Plano is $1,221."

  • Wild legal stuff out of Georgia: A District Attorney has been indicted for, among other things, offering an assistant $1,000 if she could obtain a murder conviction in a case. And one assistant had a better offer because she was offered the same amount to just announce "ready." Yikes.

  • Hot grocery store opinion: Whole Foods might be a scam. 
  • When I drove back from Nacogdoches through Jacksonville the other day I saw the Tomato Bowl, the town's high school stadium, and I can't stop thinking about it.

     

  • Messenger: Above the Fold