Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Trump meeting with NATO summed up in one photo:

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  "Squirrel!"

• And this from Fox News regarding Trump's remarks a moment ago: 
  
• Chief of Staff John Kelly, who is reported to despise Trump, was obviously disgusted when Trump fired of his Germany Is Controlled By Russia comment. So how did Sarah Huckabee Sanders handle it at a press conference? She, once again, lied.  “[Kelly] was displeased because he was expecting a full breakfast and there were only pastries and cheese.” Sheesh.
• Mrs. LL is out of town and took a late flight. Once she arrived, she learned the light rail was shut down as well as all of the rental cars booths. She Ubered to the hotel only to learn her room had flooded from above. (They gave her a free room -- across town.) I think she got to bed at 4:00 a.m. 
• I've always been amazed by those massive warehouses around Alliance Airport. Well, there are going to be two more thanks to Hillwood Development: One of the buildings will have 782,000 square feet and the other will be 500,000 square feet.
• Stormy Daniels was arrested in Ohio during a performance when she allegedly fondled the breasts and buttocks of undercover officers. There were at least four undercover officers in the club. (Uh, too many cops?) This is one screwed up country. (But she takes a heck of a book-in photo.) 
  
• Papa John's founder resigns after using the N Word during a conference call. Bad pizza will never be the same. 
  
• Caviar? The government will try to seize anything. 
  
• The Pre-Season All Big 12 team is out. Odd: Tech, which hasn't played defense in the last decade, has three first team defensive players. OU has none. (Another oddity: Texas only had one player named. That tied Baylor.)

  

  That's a lot of hair.

• Ted Cruz's opponent might not beat him this time, but change is a comin'. 
  
• Tony Romo, for some reason, has agreed to do ads for an often mocked car dealership. I can't stress this enough: Romo sounds absolutely goofy. 
• Heard this the other day in light of self-driving cars soon to become common place: A child born today will never have a driver's license. 
• My Family Unit uses the Life 360 app. Based upon cell phones and GPS, we know where everyone is at any given time. You know, I don't mind that a bit. (But I would hate to be a teenager in this day and time. How are you supposed to do Hood Rat stuff like I did on the mean streets of Bridgeport?)

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Let me help you: Pick a lower arbitrary number as your goal. (Notice they didn't say they have a budget shortfall of $36,000. They are just saying they didn't make as much money as they wanted.)
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• I've gone full country because I've started using liver to catch catfish. The worst part is getting the catfish off the hook (maybe the nastiest fish there is with fins they use as weapons) before I chunk it back into the lake. 
• A friend of the alleged victim yesterday accused an NFL player of doing this. The post was later taken down. She better be right or she has a serious defamation case on her hands.
  
• Those new Dallas motorized scooters have their first victim:
  
• I could look at this all day: 
  
• Worth watching (and quick loading): In the 11th, an Astro batter hits a foul ball that goes straight down. Somehow it changes direction and rolls fair. The batter is just standing there, the catcher picks up the ball and tries to tag him but drops the ball. The batter then runs towards first base, the catcher has an easy play by throwing to first, but his throw beans the batter in the back of the head. Runner scores. Astros win.
• How to become a Supreme Court Judge. (Spoiler alert -- if you were at the top of your class at Stanford, UT, Michigan, or NYU you are out of luck):
  
• By all means, let's confirm him!!!
  
• I have a new ear worm after reading this: "Can’t stop reading 'Kavanaugh' to the tune of Van Halen’s 'Panama'”
• Trump managed to piss off Germany this morning. 
  
• According to the Messenger, the cost of the proposed "Bistro" inside the Decatur High School library is now at $670,000 (and rising.)  I was just lucky to have a coke machine in the hallway that wasn't empty back in the day. 
• Messenger: Above the Fold. 

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• With the upcoming high school football on the horizon, nearby Diamond Hill has a chance to set a state record. They currently have 72 consecutive losses! The record is 80 held by Houston Jefferson Davis (now renamed to "Northside") set from 1985 to 1993.
• Hot news question: We haven't received the best information on the Thai Cave Boys over the last couple of weeks. Any possibility they truly didn't get over two miles into that cave? I would be real interested in an American news team exploring that cave once everyone is gone. 
• Burying the lede: As of this morning, everyone has been rescued.
• There is no more of a lie than every Supreme Court nominee saying, "My job it to interpret the law and not make law."
• Nominee Brett Kavanaugh's wife graduated from Abilene Cooper in 1993.
• If confirmed,  Kavanaugh would make history by becoming only the 107th white man to serve on the United States Supreme Court out of 113 previous justices.
• I would hope so: 
  
  
• On more than one occasion I proclaimed Baltimore Oriole (and former Texas Ranger) Chris Davis as the Official Liberally Lean MLB Player for his huge turnaround. Baltimore felt the same way and gave him a 7-year, $161 million contract in 2016. Things have taken a turn: 
  
• College Football Guru Phil Steele has released his Top 25 and Texas is at #10. The pressure begins. 
• I didn't know Trump Jr. is dating a Fox News anchor. (His wife has filed for divorce but it is not finalized. They have five kids.)
  
• And I completely missed that Fox News' Jesse Watters' wife is divorcing him after he had an affair with a 25 years old Fox employee. (He became a "rising star" after working for Bill O'Reilly who got fired for sexual misconduct.)
  
• But, in Watters defense, he is a valuable Fox employee since he routinely interviews "Diamond and Silk" and the "Party Bros".
  
  
• Everyone is bent out of shape about a guy who died in New Orleans and, before being buried, has been embalmed and on display propped up in a chair wearing a basketball jersey and sunglasses with a video game controller in his hands. (I know that I posted a photo of guy a few years back who was on display on a motorcycle.)
• Trump, on the White House lawn, before leaving for a NATO meeting this morning: “I have NATO, I have the UK, which is in somewhat turmoil and I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of them all.” Huh?

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I decided to buy Chess for Dummies and download a fee app where I can play a computer opponent which has skill levels of anywhere from Idiot to Genius. Let me tell you, I'm now able to school the Idiot like nobody's business.
• Austin had a big weekend: 
  
  
  
  
• This has to happen more often but not reported by the "victim."
  
• Kay Granger is still catching heat for frolicking in Russia on the 4th of July. It made me think about her district and how it includes a sliver of Wise County (Decatur included.) Bridgeport is represented by Max Thornberry whose district is huge. If things were done correctly, however, they both have basically the same population.
  
  
• I read about the Rangers but rarely watch them. But it did get my attention on Friday that (1) 45 year old Bartolo Colon pitched a complete game and lost, (2) The game took two hours and five minutes. I'd watch baseball if all games if they took that long.
• Then the next day Cole Hamels gave up eight runs in the first inning and was pulled with two outs. The game took over three hours.
• Got this sent to me on Saturday: 
  
• A shooting death on Saturday night at Lake Bridgeport is making metroplex news. An 80 year old allegedly complained about fireworks, went to go get his gun, a 33 year old went and got his gun*, the 80 year old came back and fired, and the 33 year old allegedly returned fire striking the 80 year old in the head. No arrest was made. I'm curious if the 33 year old had a pistol or rifle and how far he was away from the 80 year old. (*Proof that we still live in the Old West.)
  
• How's my experiment going of not allowing comments (which means I don't have to look at every single one of them) and rarely posting to Twitter? Fantastic. 
• I've been specifically asked to not use the phrase "Ted Cruz's opponent" but instead refer to him as Beto O'Rourke (who drew huge crowds in Fort Worth over the last couple of days.)
• I heard on the radio this morning a phenomena I was not aware of: Young people wearing MAGA gear just to trigger those who hate Trump. You know, kids being kids. And then it dawned on me that Texas Monthly last month had an article about how a young girl in an affluent Houston suburb was wearing Trump gear and the crazy consequences it caused. The story didn't focus on the motive for her wearing it, but it got me thinking. 
  
• This stripper got her $20,000 back after Florida police illegally searched her car. They just told her to "pop the trunk" without probable cause or consent. (And I loved this sentence from the story: “It’s amazing how something as simple as a traffic stop can lead us to crack a lot of cases,” a police spokesman told WFOR-CBS4. “A lot of serial killers are behind bars because of traffic stops." Uh, a lot of serial killers?)

  

  "I'll take it in ones and twenties, please."

• I'll ask it again: These guys on the clock? 
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• Trump, not surprisingly, got duped by North Korea. After our Secretary of State went there to see how that denuclearization was going, the Rocket Man refused to meet with him and the country later said . . . 
  
• I've written about the Collar Bomb Bank Robbery case before and was happy to see a new documentary about it on Netflix. It is still the most bizarre criminal case ever.
  
• Messenger: Above The Fold
• Fixed it based upon this morning's news:

It's Friday. Let's Get Out Of Here.

 The ol' switch out a real watermelon trick. (I'm a little worried about his look of anger.)

 He's not scared of his reflection. He's terrified once he learns he has no hair.

 Tap out! Tap out!

 Where have you gone Mary Lou Retton? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you. 

Let me guess. Dopey?

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• As of this writing, wisecounty.com is down.  The hosting company is Verio -- the worst hosting company in America. 
• We have entered the "Get off my lawn" stage:
  
• Official metroplex body count on area lakes: One drowning on Lake Lewisville, one on Lake Granbury and one of Grapevine Lake. 
• When is the last time we've had a drowning on Lake Bridgeport?
• The news keeps referring to the wild fire in Palo Pinto County as a "surprise fire." Aren't all wild fires surprises?
• Trump was off the rails last night in one of his Klan pep rallies as he offensively confused DNA testing with a Rape Kit and managed to insult the #MeToo movement at the same time.
  
• The incredibly corrupt EPA Chief, Scott Pruitt, finally resigned yesterday. But take a look at his very odd resignation letter. I kept expecting him to refer to Trump as, "Me Lord."
  
  
  
  
• A lady from Dallas has been all over the news for shooting a guy in the head (he didn't die) after he tried to steal her car with her kids inside it. That reminded me of the very odd Texas law that allows the use of deadly force when the victim reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to prevent theft during the nighttime. 
• Very random memory: Ant farms.
  
• Last night a former Thai Navy SEAL died from lack of oxygen while working on getting those kids out of the cave. That situation is going to get worse.
• I have absolutely no interest in this story.
  
• Over the last couple of days, local media tweeted/posted on their web sites about an ice cream company bringing back a product and failed to disclose it was a paid ad. Those guilty: Fox 4, WFAA, Star-Telegram, and Dallas Morning News.
• I saw one of their vans in Wise County yesterday: 
  
• I think it's weird that some people brush their teeth in the shower. 

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