Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

The now defunct Deadspin gave us great stories and graphics like this. 

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• The presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican Party: 
  
  
  
• You've probably seen it, but he was destined to get crushed in this lawsuit once this part of his deposition was played to the jury. He was asked about the Access Hollywood tape and he said that not only was it true that "stars" could grab any woman, but that it was also "fortunately" true.  What a moron. 
  
  
  
• Business news moments ago: Inflation has cooled for the 10th straight month. 
• DPS confirmed that the Allen mall shooter was a neo-Nazi when it said investigators "determined that Garcia subscribed to neo-Nazi ideology, with neo-Nazi tattoos and patches found on his person at the scene of the crime." Side note: DPS's $300,000 Man, who is still employed somehow, was not at the press conference yesterday. DPS sent the "regional director" and at least seven others instead. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• There's been a weird attempt on social media to deny that the shooter was a neo-Nazi and has even gone so far as to say it as all a false flag. A big supporter of this weirdness is Elon Musk. Why did it offend him when he heard that there were reports that the guy was a white supremist?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• I told you yesterday that the bill to raise the purchase age of an AR-15 from 18 to 21 didn't stand a chance. Late last night it died, without having the House or Senate ever even vote on it, when it was left off the calendar deadline. 
  
  
  
• A DPS unnamed trooper was hit by friendly fire to the north of us in an incident where law enforcement killed a man in a "hail of gunfire" --  although the deceased didn't fire a shot. It all began in Archer County and ended up in Wichita Falls. The deceased, Anthony Scott Nelon, 45,  has the exact same name as man who used to live in Paradise. I'm trying to figure out if it was him. 
  
  
  
• Trouble in Denton County after a "forensic death investigator" was arrested for theft. That's a weird position she held in that it doesn't appear that she worked for any law enforcement agency but is simply employed by Denton County (who doesn't have its own medical examiner.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The convicted murderer out of Austin who had racist rants on social media before the killing and who Gov. Abbott announced his desire to pardon, has still yet to be sentenced. Yesterday, prosecutors told the judge they wanted 25 years. The defense asked for 10. (In Texas, a person can never get probation for murder regardless of the circumstances.)
  
• No!!!!!
  
  
  
• In the weeds legislative action last night. One of the most disturbing Texas bills which was momentarily killed last night, but was basically resurrected in a different version, is House Bill 20 which allows the equivalent of private storm troopers with no law enforcement to "enforce" the border. It's disturbing because it grants "immunity from criminal and civil liability."  That creates private death squads.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

For a while, the Messenger fell into the hands of a different editor and publisher. They put this on the front page. I thought that was weird then, and I still do. 

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•  Look at their faces. 
• Wylie ISD announced that 4th grader Daniela Mendoza and 2nd grader Sofia Mendoza were killed in the Allen shooting. The sisters attended Cox Elementary in Sachse. Their mother is in critical condition. 
  
  
  
• You see this family? The only one still alive is the 6 year old at the bottom. His parents, Cindy and Kyu Cho, are dead along with his 3 year old brother, James.  
  
  
  

• A 26 year old engineer, Aishwarya Thatikonda.
  
  
  
• And now we learn that the shooter was a full blown neo-Nazi.

• Fox News tells us not to rush to judgment before we badmouth racists. Hey, lady, it didn't take rocket science to crack the case.
  
  
  
• Other than Wise County's own troubled Rep. Ronny Jackson falsely who quickly and falsely blamed illegal immigration for the murders, let's see how a couple of others initially handled the news. 
• The True Texas Project is the same outfit which welcomed Kari Lake and Kyle Rittenhouse in Farmer's Branch last month -- an event which was promoted by the Wise County Conservatives. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• You just knew she would spread false information like a Nazi. 
  
  
  
• How bad is it getting? Eric and Laura Trump will be at Trump's National Doral in Miami this weekend speaking at "Reawaken America" tour which will have featured speakers of nutcases Scott McKay and Charlie Ward. McKay says the Jews killed Lincoln and  Kennedy. Charlie Ward regularly shares Hitler videos.  You know, totally normal stuff.  Have I mentioned we are headed to a dark place? 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Don't for a second think anything will come of this bill which prevents those under 21 from legally purchasing an AR-15. I bet it won't even get a vote in the Texas House. They fear the NRA and the gun nuts more than they care about children. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Audio.
  
   
  
  
  
• Yesterday, the Fifth Circuit announced that the appeal of the Trump judge's ruling in Amarillo will be heard by a three judge panel which consists of two Trump appointed judges.  There's now no need for briefing or argument. 

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

Let me tell you, one of the craziest criminal cases of all time seems to have already been forgotten. 

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•  The American carnage continues -- this time close to home in Allen, Texas.
  
  
  
  
  

  

  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  Of course, it is an AR-15. It's always an AR-15.

  
  
  
• Extreme warning. Here's a collection of graphic photos and videos if you are so inclined:
• This gruesome 10 second video of the bodies of a victims outside the mall is pretty much being a deleted, but here's a still shot taken from it. 
• A private dashcam video clearly shows the shooter exiting his vehicle and opening fire on those people.  This was a planned attack.
• Screenshot of deceased shooter with the gun by his side. He's wearing a tactical vest and has a high capacity magazine. 
•  The red circle is where the shooter opened fire. The green circle is where he was killed. I don't know how he didn't murder more than he did.  Source. Kudos to the lone cop. He did what an army of DPS troopers and police didn't do at Uvalde. 
  
  
  
• The press conferences that officials in Allen waited hours to have was despicable. No information was provided and no questions were taken. Instead, elected officials jockeyed to get in front of the cameras to introduce themselves and offer their "thoughts and prayers." And none of them was more pathetic than state rep. Jeff Leach. I've despised this man for years. But the way, he was dogpiled in 4,800+ replies on Twitter for his shallow response was wonderful.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Gov. Abbott ran to Fox News on Sunday morning and blamed it all on "mental health." He treats guns like they are his god.  He won't dare utter a blasphemous thing about them. Oh, and this from 10/28/2015:
  
  
  
• The shooter turned out to be an Army veteran. Wise County's troubled Representative Ronny Jackson embarrassed us again as he went on Fox and Friends yesterday morning and blamed the mass murder on illegal immigration. It was the first thing out of his mouth.  Video.
  
  
  
• Oh, the Washington Post reports that a patch on the gunman’s chest at the time of the shooting, said “RWDS,” an acronym that stands for Right Wing Death Squad. It's popular among the Nazi crowd out there. I don't care what his political beliefs were. It's easy access to an AR-15 which is the problem. This isn't hard.  
  
  
  

  

  The Proud Boy who was just convicted 
  of Seditious Conspiracy.

  
  
• In possibly related news, eight people were killed in Brownsville outside a migrant shelter yesterday morning when a driver ran over them. Was it intentional? We don't know. But when you dehumanize them like Ronny Jackson does, you turn them into the Jews of Germany. Here is the graphic video which I watched once and wished I hadn't.
  
  
  
• Who would have thought that Wise County elections wouldn't be mentioned until now?
• Bond packages got killed in Decatur and Bridgeport.  It's always going to be a close vote on any school bonds these days, but the kiss of death is having shockingly high tax property appraisals going out days before the vote. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Interestingly, Northwest ISD's gigantic $2 billion bond packaged, including a new "6A size" football stadium, passed.
• The "woke" controversy didn't hurt the Decatur candidates since both of them ended up victorious. One of them cruised to victory while the other unseated an incumbent after trailing by two votes after early returns. The voters have spoken.
  
  
  
• A conservative Texas legislature got a 19 year old intern liquored up, slept with her, and then she went to obtain the morning after pill the next day. This weekend, a committee recommended he be expelled.
  
  
  
• Here he is sitting at his desk as he waits to hear the news. I'm not sure adultery will get you ostracized down there, but that abortion pill fact sure will among that crowd. 
  
  
  
• Here's the full detailed report with all the seedy details. Discreet, he was not. 
• Jacksboro's David Spiller was on the committee.
  
  
  
• Seven dead horses.
  
  
  
• Oakland Athletics announcer Glen Kuiper has been suspended indefinitely after using a racial slur during a pre-game show. Video. Oh, my.
• There was a wild single clap of thunder last night in Wise County that I swear rumbled loudly for 30 seconds.