Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I preached all during the primary that the Trump campaign was going to cause the implosion of the Republican Party at the national level. Now it is happening. Dissension among the rank and file. Trump fired his campaign manager a month before the convention. Trump is low on campaign cash ($1 million to Clinton's $42 million). And the all important minority voting block is revolting.  This election is basically over and the GOP better worry about long term damage.
• The Senate voted on gun control amendments to an appropriations bill yesterday. All failed. In fact, more people died in the Orlando shooting than those who voted for the bills.
• It took me a few hours to realize the actor who died in a freak accident, Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in Star Trek was the young actor and not the Chekov from the original series. I remember him most from the great Alpha Dog.
• Random Trivia: The original Chekov character was played by Walter Koenig, 79, who got the role, in part, because he looked like the Monkee's Davy Jones. In fact, he even wore a mop-top type wig in the original series to accentuate the look.
• I've not mentioned much about the Rangers (9.5 game lead in the West this morning) because I'm beaten down by the fact there are 91 games to play. The last regular season game is on October 2nd. 
• Someone asked me yesterday why I link to a page of Google News search results when I mention a news story. Answer: I figure if you are interested enough to click on the link that you'd rather pick your own source than read a particular story that I handpicked for you. I'm fair and balanced that way. 
• BagOfNothing's odd story of the morning: He once played football with a teammate who had a baby arm. (Ticket fans just laughed. The rest of you will be offended by that reference. And I'm now telling Mrs. LL there used to be a Baby Arm geocache -- she will be giddy about the news.)
• "I want to emphasize once again that the main reason I’m doing this is that I refuse to ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and teenage years, working and sweating, while we were all in the air conditioning." - A DA in Alabama Louisiana on his decision not to indict two Crimson Tide football players on dope and gun charges. 
• Yesterday, the Supreme Court allowed evidence to be used against a defendant even though the person had been illegally detained. It's not necessarily ground-breaking but does involve something I hate: A "three-prong test" with a "cost-benefit" analysis. I feel sorry for any prosecutor who actually reads the case and has to advise the police. The only thing he can say is, "Yeah, the courts might bail you out from time to time but don't think you can go out there and stop people without a reason and always get away with it." 
• A 13 year old died at a Southlake ISD swim practice. How does that happen? There were 24 students in the pool and two coaches on watch. 
• Dallas DA Susan Hawk is on her third "leave of absence" for depression.  She needs to resign - not because of mental health issues but because the office can apparently run just fine without her. It actually is a pretty good case study that the office needs to be an appointed position instead of an elected position. (Side note: I get hypnotized by Hawk's duck lips.)
• DFW news this morning: "A semi driver followed a man he thought stole another semi. Alleged thief was hit, killed by the 1st semi driver." I hope, at the very least, that the guy actually stole the semi. That being said, I'm not sure he deserved a privately imposed death penalty for stealing a truck. Maybe there's more to it.