Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The Trump-Not-Releasing-Tax-Return controversy is perfectly timed. And it was prompted by Hillary releasing her returns.
• Trump is now blaming the press for his woes . . . . 
  
• I don't know why Fox 4 News keeps promoting "YouTube sensations Brooklyn and Bailey" but their audience can't be interested. I'm not.
• Last night I learned a group of people came out to the Trinity River near downtown Fort Worth to honor two guys who drowned. What got my attention was that they were part of the "DFW Kayak Fishing" club where its leader referred to them as a "brotherhood". Looks like I'm going to be joining a gang so you boys need to tread lightly in the comments from now on. 
• Had the ol' "drop off the kid at college" weekend. The whole experience is weird.
• Not as weird as having a flat tire on I-20 after dark in deep East Texas on the way there. 
• I can't drive through Hooks without thinking that Barry Switzer came there to recruit Billy Sims.  I didn't see any signs for Sims, but I did see one for this gal:
  
• I have a question: Why can't this plane fly itself? Seriously. The thing costs $148 million.
  
• Per the Messenger, there looks like quite the budget battle in Wise County government as the plummeting of mineral values causes a crisis. A few positions have been eliminated -- something that never happens in local government. (One official said every county employee should have their salary cut by $5,000 to solve the budget crisis.)
• Did you know the county has paid for a full time secretarial position at the DPS office in Decatur for thirty years? Side note: There are 38 troopers assigned to that office. Source. Edit: Link fixed
• The death of Sgt. Craig Hutchinson of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office was ruled a suicide. Round Rock police who investigated the incident announced their findings at a 3:00 p.m. on Friday press conference -- the time when you want to bury news. 
• More trouble at the Waco DA's office: A DWI prosecutor and Baylor grad was arrested for DWI. 
• Paula Jones took a selfie with Trump in the background:
  
• Let's find some parking by the Coliseum for the Dallas/LA preseason game on Saturday . . . 
  
• Let's check on the men vs. women press coverage:
  
• Crazy helmet that Air Force will wear on September 10th: 
  
• I caught the first episode of Hard Knocks. I get sucked in every year. 
• The Dallas Observer went hard to find out if Dallas DA Susan Hawk has been paid during her absences. No one in government will tell them. That's amazing. (Loved this line about our perceptions of Hawk going in: "Surely this sharp, affluent-looking, young (white) professional couldn’t be a junkie or a nutcase.")
• I don't trust swimmer Ryan Lochte and he was less than convincing in the recounting of his alleged robbery in Rio to NBC News.