Random Friday Morning Thoughts

President Obama attempted to expand DACA but, due to court challenges, 

it was never implemented. 

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• In Wise County yesterday, we had two jury trials going on at the same time -- one in the felony district court and the other a misdemeanor in the County Court at Law #1 --  and both ended with guilty verdicts.
• In the felony case, Randle Jack Goodrum, Jr. was found guilty of felony DWI (meaning at least two prior DWI convictions). He elected to have the judge to assess punishment which will occur on December 30th. (Cause no. CR-24090).
• In the misdemeanor case, Christopher Jay Crum was found guilty of assault of a parcel delivery service guy at a convenience store. I'm not sure what is going on with punishment since the court records show 2 years probation, but it also shows that he is currently in the Wise County Jail.  It's possible he got a little jail time as a condition of probation. (Cause no. CR-85388).
• Matt Gaetz bowed out of the AG selection process yesterday. That had to be his decision and not Trump's. Trump would never have backed down. 
  
  
  
• But his announcement came moments before the media broke the story that he was also involved in a threesome with the 17 year old.
  
  
  
• Trump quickly scrambled and appointed former Florida AG Pam Bondi to take Gaetz's place.
  
  
     
  
  
  
• She's an election denier which makes her a nut. This was all I needed to see from an old news story: "Rudy Giuliani testified about his hurried drive to Pennsylvania [the day after the election in 2020] in a car with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to challenge the Pennsylvania election results."
• She's full MAGA. She showed up last summer, along with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, to support Trump during his New York hush money trial. 
  
  
  
• She once Guest hosted "The Five" on Fox News.  That probably cinched the deal for Trump. 
  
  
  
• Fun fact: She's 59 but very photogenic.
• Sen. Lindsey Graham is embarrassing. 
  
• You've got to be kidding. 
  
  
  
• I forgot to mention this yesterday. Seems big. 
  
  
  
• Ken Paxton is an absolute moron.  Let's prosecute someone because they decide where they don't want to advertise?  How did Trump not pick this guy for AG?
  

  

  
  
  
  
• The Business Second™. This seems weird.
  
  
  
• I don't know if that's a good deal or not. Story. 
  
  
  
• This guy was facing up to 20 years in prison in Wichita Falls. He's lucky he just got eight. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Don't do this. Seriously. Don't do this. 
  
  
  
• The NFL game last night was quite the sight.
  
  
  
• Time which has passed since the Wise County Sheriff's Office, despite having a full male DNA profile, has failed to solve the murder of Lauren Whitener in her home at Lake Bridgeport: 5 years and 140 days.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

This was awful and made national news. The 16 year old was driving when he fell asleep in Louisiana as the Wills Point family was driving to Disney World. And that 16 year old survived. Both parents were elementary school teachers in Terrell. 

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• So a deputy's safety check at home where the occupants had not been heard from for "several days" reveals two people dead and another person injured but alive?
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Fun at Love Field. Video.
  
  
  
• In normal times, Gaetz would never be confirmed for AG because of his complete lack of experience. But these aren't normal times.  And payments to young women for sex, or even previously lying about it, doesn't move MAGA one iota. I still think he'll be AG one way or another. And even if not, the real story is that the head of the Justice Department, no matter who it is, will be Trump's personal hitman who will bring about carnage unlike anything we've ever seen. 
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• I'm not surprised that she was denied parole - if you are a high profile defendant, you have no chance -- but I am surprised that it has already been 30 years. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• All for show.
  
  
   
  
  
  
• Tarrant County -- where the Wise County case of Tanner Horner has been transferred to - currently has two death penalty cases ongoing this week.  One guy actually was sentenced to death yesterday.  The other was found guilty and moves into the punishment phase today. 
  
  
  
• DPS has a new $350,000 Man as the replacement for the outgoing director has been named. Get this: He was already making $315,000 as a deputy director.  We'll find out it he also acts as the governor's political lapdog, but the overwhelming odds are that he will. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We had another conviction yesterday of a "patriot", "hostage" or whatever else Trump calls them. And by the time Trump is done, January 6th will be a national holiday.  And I'm only halfway joking.
  
  
   
• Idiocracy.
• Good gawd. This was yesterday from the President-Elect.
  
  
  
• This is the new Secretary of Education who was once upside down as she was about to be pile-driven. Video. 
  
  
  
• The Business Second™. The amount of money that AI chipmaker NVIDIA is making is insane.  It released its earning for the third quarter yesterday afternoon. 
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
   
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed a lower court yesterday that had held it wasn't fair to a defendant to have his trial conducted inside a jail building.  But the dissent started with a banger and included a photo in the opinion: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Messenger - Above the Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

It never had a chance. The company would file for bankruptcy protection in February of 2015.

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• You thought I was crazy when I wrote about concentration camps? Get ready.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Should we be worried?
  

  

  

  
  

  
  
  
  
• Flashback: Nothing to worry about. Trump promised us he will have the war ended "in 24 hours."
  
  
  
• The clown car of appointments continues. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• And these people are going to end up in those positions one way or another. 
  
  
  
• Wait a second. DFW broke ground on a new terminal yesterday, Terminal F, but you can't enter it directly? You have to check in, check your bags, and go through security at Terminal E -- across the highway -- and take Skylink to Terminal F? 
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Trump was convicted on 34 counts but now the DA says, "We can just hold off sentencing for at least four years." Everyone is running scared. 
  
  
  
• Wise County new state rep wants to give the death penalty to sex offenders. This is so dumb that there is not a prosecutor in Texas who would support it.  Most notably because the conviction rates would plummet to next to nothing. (Not to mention it is clearly unconstitutional.)
  
  
  
• I loved this guy in the 1980s because he seemed to be one of the few who really understood Christianity -- or at least how I understood it. And there's not a Baptist out there who didn't get enthralled with his, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming" sermon. And his "Party With Prostitutes" (video) speech is a favorite.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• This seems like a big deal. (Free link.) And I'm guessing it is not good news for MSNBC and CNBC.
  
  
  
• And Morning Joe is on MSNBC. This is an update from yesterday which, if true, is really disturbing.   I'm not sure there will be anyone left to challenge the State under Trump. 
  
  
  
• This is quite the graphic from Monday night:
  
  
  
• Here's a mind-blowing odd fact involving the Evil Empire: When Kentucky plays in Austin on Saturday, it will equal the farthest west that the Wildcats have ever played a football game. (They also played in Austin 73 years ago.) I didn't believe that when I first saw it.