4.12.2024

It's Friday -- Let's Get Out of Here

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Random Friday Morning Thoughts




A $3 million verdict over fracking would be reversed three years later on appeal.

  • From the car chase, to the trial, to the verdict, I can't think of a bigger cultural phenomena in my lifetime than the O.J. Simpson case. 
    All four of these men are now deceased.


    • I remember watching the verdict being read in Matties on the courthouse square in Decatur. I was D.A. at the time -- a time where there was no Internet and finding a TV outside of your home was no easy task.  Matties had a big screen TV in its far west room, and  I stood in the back, with my entire office, as the verdict was read.  I had a buddy confidently predict a not guilty verdict earlier that morning.
    • Simpson got lucky with the murder verdict, but later got royally screwed with a real 9 year sentence out of Las Vegas for robbery. Not the best PR for the criminal justice system. 
    • While the murder trial was going on, Larry King Live on CNN dedicated its hour to the trial every single night. If I remember correctly, Charles Grodin did the same thing on CNBC.
    • But the Simpson saga changed the media forever.  From that time forward, any big event would get wall to wall, not-stop coverage until something bigger came along.  

    • Wait a second. Maybe the Los Angeles Times accidentally revealed who the "real killer" was, but just jumped the gun a little bit?



  • Fifty-seven? How can you have 57 "highest priorities"?

  • So two guys are in a common area of the high tone Anatole in Dallas, after attending a jewelers convention, and one of them , age 41, approached the other, 69 year old David Ettinger, about “a comment he made towards Ettinger’s spouse earlier in the evening.” and Ettinger “grabbed his arm” in response. The 41 year old then pushed Ettinger, who fell backwards and struck his head on the floor. Ettinger later died. Weird. 


  • Trump wants to hire one of the dumbest men in Texas, Sid Miller? 

  • No way.

  • I kind I wish I knew more about a 19 year old elected district clerk in Texas who just doesn't want to work. 

  • Let's check in on Fox News. 

  • Sergio Garcia rocking Baylor or Oregon colors yesterday at the Masters.  Unrelated:  Tiger Woods did well yesterday but, mark my words, as soon as his wheels fall off he'll start limping. 

  • 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: 4 years and 291 days.

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4.11.2024

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts




And I thought this way before NIL came into vogue. 

  • Two days after saying his abortion position was "leave it to the states", Trump said that the Arizona decision banning abortion outright had "gone too far" and that the Arizona legislature would fix it   --“That will be straightened out,” he said.

    • Later in the afternoon the Arizona legislature did not, in fact, "straighten it out." 


    • I'll say it again: With all this uproar over the Arizona total ban, has no one looked at what Texas did? 
  • "The NFL player is accused of one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury, police said."
    • Legal nerdy stuff #1: If convicted of all, there would be a few of double jeopardy problems.  But I bet the DA cleans the charges up. 
    • Legal nerdy stuff #2: No one is ever arrested on "counts." 


  • There's no excuse for vandalism, but that's a weird 9/11 memorial in front of a Mexican restaurant. 


  • Everyone has always told me that the practice of family law is a million times more volatile than criminal law, but I'm not sure they were talking about something like this. 


  • I saw that Amanda Knox is on trial in France for slander, and I tried to figure it out. However, I became quickly confused. There's a jury of eight people and two judges?  But they call it an "appeals court"?  And there is both the prosecution and the slandered man's personal lawyer on the other side? 


  • A new Reuters/IPSOS poll shows a swing is going on.  The more Trump is on the news, the more people are reminded of what a nutcase he is.  And beginning next week, as he is forced to sit in a Manhattan courtroom, everyone will remember that he paid off a porn star to keep her quiet about an "affair" while Melanie was home with a newborn. 

  • The Evil Empire booted one of its players. "The incident, which took place early Sunday morning, included [NFL prospect] Sweat being rear-ended by another driver. S’Maje Burrell is listed as the driver of the other vehicle." He has entered the transfer portal.

  • Rumors are hearing up that Baylor's Scott Drew is headed to Kentucky  This from a Waco TV reporter last night: 

  • Legal nerdy stuff: The Supreme Court "is way behind in even starting to fill its docket for the October 2024 Term. As of today, there are exactly two cases that have been granted  . . . Williams v. Washington, which was granted on January 12; and Glossip v. Oklahoma, which was granted on January 22."
  • Messenger - Above the Fold



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4.10.2024

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts





When a lady threw a shoe at Hillary. Video. 

  • The Arizona Supreme Court brought back to life an 1864 law which placed a total ban on abortion. This comes one day on the heels of Trump's announcement that whatever the states do on abortion is OK by him. 



    • And to further stir things up, there will be an abortion issue on the ballot in Arizona this fall. Democratic turnout in this swing state just went through the roof.

    • I'm still surprised how Texas just quietly banned abortion even before Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the public just sat back and said nothing. Put the issue on the ballot, and the old white men in the Texas legislature would be in for a rude awakening -- or maybe they wouldn't but just don't care. 
    • Filter Queen Kari Lake, who is running for the Senate, immediately condemned the Arizona ruling. It took about a nano-second for the media to pull the audio from two years ago when she said she supported the exact same law -- even naming it be section number. 

  • New this morning. Seems bad. 

  • Also new this morning: Inflation ticked back up. Interest rates may not be cut this year at all. And the stock market will take a beating this morning.   

  • Eclipse planning for 2045: 

  • This didn't seem to get much coverage. Normally, when police shoot a guy in his neighborhood you'd hear more about it. 


  • Police are seeking this guy and others in connection with a St. Patrick's Day shooting on West 7th in Fort Worth.  Seems a little incriminating . . . 

  • The word "mother" being in the lede along with the use of the dramatic photograph seems a little weird for NBC. Fox, no. NBC, yes.

  • Oh, my.


  • Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson was testifying before a Senate panel yesterday. Hadn't thought about her in a while. 

  • This was on the cover of the Austin America Stateman and might be the most Cybertrucks seen in one place. I've seen two on the road - one if Fort Worth and one in Decatur -- and they are as ugly as you would think. 

  • I received some blowback for my glowing review of the eclipse. For what's it's worth, I was in a position to see the 100% blockage. The very second the total eclipse happened was like a switch being tripped. If you didn't see that, I don't think you understand what I was talking about. It was that moment I was unprepared for. 


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