Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Scary: "State law enforcement regulators shut down the Lone Star College System's police training academy, the second time in four years the state has forced closure of the beleaguered police academy over failures to meet state standards." 
• And Another (North Carolina):
  
• I had someone tip me off, with documentation, that DPS will issue a ticket for not paying a toll to NTTA (technically a private entity?) and a criminal case will be filed in a Justice of the Peace court. What I saw was stunning. I'll do a post on it today or tomorrow.
• Wise County Constable Doug Parr took a plea deal yesterday and will resign. Two thoughts: (1) The plea deal was fair and appropriate but that 40 days in jail as a condition of the probation really jumped out at me, (2) the Messenger  needs to be congratulated for exposing all of this in the beginning. That is why a free press is so important in the country. 
• The Ticket finally went off on FBC Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress this morning and said everything I have said about him for years. And I'll never not love this photo. Gordon Keith said this about it: "Jesus's selfie in front of Caesar was the first thing I learned about in VBS."
  
• I was listening to the radio this morning and heard a commercial for "flavored" mouth guards for athletes. And it said that for everyone purchased one would be donated to a "needy athlete." I thought it was a joke, but it is real. 
• I saw someone else comment on the Decatur siren test at noon that, even though you knew it was coming, it caused a few seconds of anxiety due to the fear of nuclear war.
• The FBI raided the home of Trump's former campaign head as part of the Russian probe. That certainly is a witch hunt, right? 
• Some history: 
  
• The Mooch is about to start TV appearances. I cannot wait.
• There was a shooting in the parking lot of Stonebriar mall. I haven't read the story but I'll take a guess it was fighting over a parking space.