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The joys of Christmases past. "Fort Worth police estimate 300-400 people crammed on top of each other and pushed their way to the entrance to try to secure a spot in line for Nike's newest shoe -- the Air Jordan Retro 11. The shoes cost around $200 . . . . "
- Let me tell you, I seriously whiffed on this one. I didn't think he would be convicted, and if convicted, I thought he would get probation.
- Introspection on how I got it wrong: (1) I still don't think he would have been convicted in Wise County, but I misjudged that Tarrant County is no longer anything like Wise County -- assuming it ever was, (2) For almost all of my career, criminal charges for "mistakes" were unheard of. Now the public, and juries it seems, welcome it. (3) I thought cops would still always be given the benefit of the doubt.
- I'm torn on the bizarre particulars of the sentence of 11 years, 10 months and 8 days. I don't know if is the result of reasoned consideration or a jury being a bit too cute.
- When it first happened:
- I said the other day that I thought there was a serious chance the case gets reversed on appeal because the shooting was an intentional and not a reckless act. I'm now rethinking that. I'm not sure the elected judges on the Fort Worth Court of Appeals would have the nerve to do it. It's just a political fact of life. You can serve forever in obscurity on a Texas appellate court unless you do something to call attention to yourself.
- Trump's tax returns have been released if interested. For reference, he took office in 2018:
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- Ukraine President Zelensky is making a surprise visit to D.C. today to make an address to a joint session of Congress. Serious question: Are any of the Representatives and Senators there? I would think they would have left for the holidays. Edit: They may be in town for last second budget stuff.
- Wichita Falls news where an ex-deputy was found not guilty of Official Oppression. Reading between the lines: The story says it was a trial before a judge and not a jury. The only way that happens is if both the defendant and the State agree to waive a jury. This tells me the State pretty much thought it was a lost cause but didn't have the guts to dismiss it.
- The Washington Post, in a fantastic multi-media presentation, reported yesterday only two ambulances made it to Uvalde Elementary one hour after the shooting started. And no one was Careflighted to a remote hospital.
- Checking in on Fox News to see what they were outraged about yesterday.
- Here is 40 seconds of fantastic MAGA craziness as they celebrate a judge's ruling in the Kari Lake election challenge.
- The judge actually tossed 8 of 10 claims but will allow Lake to try and prove that election workers intentionally fixed the election. It's a guaranteed loss. From the ruling: "The Court takes no position as to the evidentiary weight it will give Plaintiff’s proffered experts at trial and notes that, at trial, it must indulge all reasonable assumptions in favor of the election when weighing the evidence before it." It's over. But the video of delusion is great fun.
- This is a big one for my generation. He was a Super Bowl killer for the Cowboys. "Harris' death comes just two days before the 50th anniversary of the 'Immaculate Reception' [video] and three days before the Pittsburgh Steelers planned to retire his number [at their game on Saturday]." I once visited, and took photos of, the site of the Immaculate Reception which is now on a sidewalk outside the new Pittsburgh stadium.
- It's college national signing day. I'm not even paying attention because I'm too mature for that. <checks screen> Wait. I'm I'm being told that an 18 year old has just ruined my Christmas.
- With the transfer portal, I suppose National Signing Day is actually just an announcement of a one year commitment.
- Messenger - Above the Fold
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