September Stardust

• I'm sometimes critical of the way Willie breezes through material in live appearances, but on Stardust, he nailed it.
• The CEO of Wells Fargo is going to, well, forgo about $40+ million in stock options as a result of the banking giant's shenanigans in opening accounts not requested by customers.  I used to manage some former Wells employees, and heard some stories, so I wasn't surprised when news broke of the government fining the company $185MM.  The pity is that of that sum, only $5MM went for restitution to the affected customers - the remainder went to the government.  Almost makes me wonder who has the bigger racket going.  
• A former senior manager at an old job, who had not come from Wells, would probably have been right at home with them.  Although he always talked about how ethical our firm was, he essentially pushed for sales at any cost, and turned a blind eye to what some of the front line bankers did to make quota.  And some of the sales tactics that he actually promoted in managers meetings suggested to me that he was either dishonest, or had failed Finance 101.
• Some recent Ray Vander Laan video series I've been attending have helped in understanding the news about Shimon Peres death, and life, this week.
• No one who's read my scribbles would be surprised that I'm not much the fan of Colin Kaepernick.  Linking perceived racism of police shootings with the National Anthem is pretty random.  The government cannot force him to respect the flag or the anthem, nor should it attempt to do so.  My feeling is that he's probably more of an opportunistic prick trying to score some tail  than an impassioned SJW, but these days it's all about the packaging anyway.  
• Some sports bars have used his jersey as a floor-mat in counter-protest, and for their 1A displays, have been labeled racists.  It's a strange world we live in.
• Wonder what the legal eagle would make of this?
• Mark Cuban recently said that if Trump is elected, the stock market will crash.  I think Cuban is right, but is only telling half the story.  My view is that it is highly probably there will be a substantial economic/market crash in the next 18 months - irrespective of whether DJT or HRC is elected, so he really could make the same statement about Clinton.  It has to do with fundamentals, global and domestic debt, that have little to do with who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
• Anyone surprised that it's Texas' own Sheila Jackson Lee?
• [Author's disclosure: Stepping onto soapbox.]
• One of the popular blogs features lots of posts about traffic stops gone wrong, with discussion about whether cops are intrusive or drivers should just comply.  What appears to be emerging from the discussions is a confluence of the liberal viewpoint with the sovereign citizen movement.  Call it white privilege (free/white/over 21) or good raising, but I've not yet been mis-treated by cops, which in large part can be attributed to not being an a$$ when I get stopped, even if I'm not thrilled, as well as the fact that I'm not drinking or doping or fighting.  Some folks seem to think that you can be just barely skating within the letter of the law, and that it makes sense to get didactic with a cop who's trying to determine what the situation is.  While technically they're right if they're on the legal side of whatever line, trying to play Professor Kingsfield to an officer, who on average has less than a bachelor's degree, on a deserted road or at 3:00 a.m. is not prudent.  Save it for a civil courtroom.
• A lot of videos I've seen, whether from drivers, or pro- open carry/2A supporters, look an awful lot like baiting.  Some seem to be masters of it. 
• 'Complying' may be a bitter pill to swallow for some radical libertarians, but using a bit of Dale Carnegie can pay dividends, either in totally de-escalating an interaction, or at least living to file a complaint later.  The reality is that, no matter how many athletes take a knee, LE doesn't have the resources to have a sea change in their hiring, training, and indoctrination - certainly not in the short term.
• If I were a legislator or senior LE type, I'd prioritize training for recognizing cognitive disabilities and differentiating, if possible, from substance-induced impairments.  It also wouldn't hurt if there were some PSAs reminding citizens that sometimes the cops are actively trying to find a murderer, and that taking the [psychological] parent role by giving a civics lesson in that context might not be appreciated.
• [Steps down from soapbox.]  Has anybody actually seen a soap box?
• When I was a kid, trips to the Sears store's tool section occurred about every other Saturday.  I don't recall that we got clothes there much, but certainly Craftsman tools, and maybe some appliances.  In high school and beyond, I can remember buying some power tools at their outlet stores in Grand Prairie, Oak Cliff, and Haltom City. It's now looking like the iconic retailer may not make it through the Christmas season.
• A couple of points from last night's videos: Samson didn't lose his strength by getting a haircut, or having a glass of Merlot, or hooking up with that chick.  It was because he did not preserve those traits which had set him apart, he undermined the destiny God had prepared for him.  The message being that God's people are to reflect His values, not those of the contemporary culture.  It's an interesting exercise in the modern world.  Another point made was that young David was not so much given super power or accuracy to slay Goliath - he was doing what a young shepherd would have done every day (throwing rocks) - but because he used his meager ability faithfully, he achieved an unimaginable result.  How many times do we wait for some great event or epiphany to do something, instead of taking the small but disciplined steps in faith toward our destiny?  I know I'll be mentally marinating on this over the next several days.
• Possibly a first step toward Texas Secession?  Perhaps, but even if not, with all the mischief that goes on in New York and inside the D.C. beltway, why not bring it back to Texas?  Just don't tell these Mobile residents where it's stored...
• Found while looking for something else.  Too good not to post.  In 2008, taking the kids on a post-separation road trip through East Texas to the coast, we made a diversion so I could see Linden, where Henley grew up.  Apparently, he now owns about half of the town.

 henley