Flocked Up

We got this news yesterday. See this from the Trib:

Karl Rove, former adviser to President George W. Bush and longtime Texas GOP political consultant, said he will vote for Jon Rosenthal, a Houston Democrat running to serve the Texas Railroad Commission, after Republican Bo French posted racist comments on Sunday about South Asian students at the University of Texas at Austin.

Rove made the comments at a members-only lunch event at the Headliners Club in Austin, where he called French a “bigot,” according to three attendees to whom The Texas Tribune has granted anonymity to discuss the conversation.

Rove will be the exception. Racists and racism are a huge part of the MAGA base. MAGA leaders are going to be reluctant to put too much pressure on French. They don’t want the racist element of MAGA to stay home 7 weeks from today.

Hopefully, voters will handle this matter and make Bo French toast.

Here is what the UT System posted:

“When I stood on the sidelines at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday night and looked up at the seats filled with incredible fans, I saw Longhorns. It’s the same remarkable view I have at graduation ceremonies and anytime I’m on campus. I’m proud to celebrate all our Longhorn students today and every day. Thank you for making us proud.”

Kevin P. Eltife, Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents

A very weak response. Why bother putting out anything if this is the gibberish UT thinks is appropriate.

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From things are flocked up department, see the featured photo. Here is from the end of the Chron hard copy front page story:

About 3,200 of the department’s 5,400 officers have access to Flock, (Houston Police Chief Noe) Diaz said, though about 1,300 would be considered “frequent” users. The department logs “north of 90,000 queries a month,” Diaz said.

Critics note that volume — which makes Houston the place with the most Flock searches in the U.S., based on some databases of nationwide searches obtained by critics and the media — also makes verifying the legitimacy of the queries tough.

Flock has some built-in checks asking officers to log their reason for each search, but control of the system largely rests with the police departments that pay for access to it.

“We have seen them abuse it, and it is not transparent,” (Christopher) Rivera (of the Texas Civil Rights Project) said, citing cases of officers at police departments locally and across the nation conducting improper searches of ex-spouses, former partners and others.

No HPD officers have been accused of improperly using the system, though critics note it remains unclear how Houston police could ferret out improper use across more than 1 million searches annually. 

Diaz said HPD searches are examined after the fact and reviewed internally “in batches.” Should someone have a repeated search of a particular plate — and police leaders notice in the review that the reason for that search is suspicious — the officer could face discipline. 

“We have to have parameters,” Diaz said. “So the community understands it is being used correctly and wisely.”

Rivera and others remain unconvinced.

“At the end of the day, it is going to blur our rights in the name of safety,” Rivera said.

Here is the entire Chron red: Houston to lose over 200 Flock cameras after Abbott freezes funding.

I really don’t have a strong opinion on Flock cameras. In reading the end of the Chron story, it is obvious that we don’t have a handle of the Flock technology. That can be a bit scary.

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We are 75-75 and hold a 1 game lead in the AL West, a division that nobody wants to win. We have the next 6 at Daikin Park, then end the season with a 6-game roadie. The Royals are in town for 3, and we must handle business, or say adios to the playoffs. It is simple. Tonight is the final Dollar Dog Night of the 2026 season. Aww.