For Political Junkies*: This Is Going To Be So Entertaining. And Scary.

Wow. In one day, Steve Bannon gets fired by Trump and returns to run the web site of incredible influence for the hard right. (Some call it the alt-right.) This is about to get insane. He's about to spill his guts.

For those who want to learn about Bannon, who I find to be a fascinating and smart (yet a man without a soul), watch this episode of Frontline on his background named, eerily, Bannon's War. I It explains how critical he was in getting Trump elected. It aired in May. (Edit: I just went back and watched it. If you care about this topic, as everyone should, it is a must watch. It explains so much and has so much foreshadowing). Oh, how things have changed for Bannon.

And make no mistake about it, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is Jewish, is behind this. Trump loves that guy and brought him into the White House.

In that shocking 22 minute Vice documentary about the Charlottesville rally, a neo-Nazi leader said he  he hoped for a leader who was "a lot more racist than Donald Trump" and who "does not give his daughter to a Jew." It began showing the neo-Nazis marching with torches on Friday night yelling, "Jews will not replace us!"

Later Trump, in one of the most idiotic rants ever, said there were "good people" on "both sides." And referred to the Friday night march as "peaceful." I'm sure his daughter, who converted to Judaism, and her husband really appreciated that.

Now Bannon, who is a borderline neo-Nazi, is back to run a website after being fired, for all intents and purposes, by a Jew. And now he is after Trump. This is going to get crazy.

Earlier today, the standing editor in chief of Breitbart tweeted simply "#War" the moment after Bannon was fired. I just hope he was talking about a war in the media.

Edit: Wow. There's already a pretty good alternative theory out there. Bannon and Trump are on the same page, and Bannon can help him more at Breitbart than in the White House. You appease your daughter and son-in-law by firing him, but you now have a person who can be a flamethrower without restriction. In the next week, we will learn. Will Breitbart be for or against Trump?

Edit: Here's a tweet on Saturday that support the alternative theory:

Fascinating.
__________
*Edit: Or if you care about this country.

Edit: Bannon seemed very comfortable in Saudi Arabia

We'll always have the Saudi trip pic.twitter.com/foqMdmb8h0

— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) August 18, 2017

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

Drunk Girl + Dumb Guy = Broken Ribs.

Get me this dog!

Just exactly what was his plan?

Or his? 

Hey, I've got a kayak!

Get me these dogs, too!

Wow

Some of you boys saw this coming. 

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/arlington/article167953237.html

Edit: This is from a Six Flags "street show". I'll date it around 1970. Good lord. 

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• A Keller doctor accused of exposing himself in a Target parking lot was caught because of the vanity license plate on his BMW which read  "ISPINE."
• Conservative Republican Senator Bob Corker from Tennessee yesterday: “The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability, nor some of the competence, that he needs to demonstrate in order for him to be successful." Focus on the words "stability" and "competence." 
• And Mitt Romney went off on Trump this morning. 
• I don't care if Confederate statues are left up or taken down, I'm worried about young people openly being neo-Nazis in America. 
• I'll occasionally mention local talk show host and Morning News columnist Mark Davis because I'm stunned how he has gone from a conservative who gave wonderful arguments to justify his positions to a borderline Sean Hannity nutcase. Well, I'm not the only one. D Magazine went after him not once but twice this week. Davis responded. 
  
  
  
  
• After the Spain terrorist attack yesterday, Trump tweeted out "study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught.” “There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!” Trump is referring to his campaign speech where he claimed Pershing ordered 49 of 50 prisoners executed after the bullets were dipped in pig's blood. In addition to supporting mass murder, it is a lie. He's now said it twice. (Also yesterday he said 35 years ago. He said 25 years during the campaign.)
• Uh, oh. Is there a statute of limitations? Side note: The boosters should have saved their money. Side note #2: He's never been very bright.  (And this story isn't in the same ballpark as Pony Excess.)
  
• Grace Baptist Church in Decatur has "There are no atheists in hell" on its marquee sign.
• Anyone else skeptical of this story?: 

• 
• In the 1960s, the American Nazi Party considered Dallas "a key center of the party's movements." 
  
• A government employee called "a spokesman for the New York Court system" (they have that?) who was making $160,000 a year was investigated by the New York Post for possibly not working as much as he should. He talked to the reporter by phone. After that he accidentally "pocket dialed" the reporter, and the reporter recorded a four minute conversation the spokesman had with an unknown individual. The spokesman was caught saying he had just lied to the reporter and added, "The story’s true. I’m not doing anything. I barely show up to work and I’ve been caught.” Uh, he was fired. 

This Is A Weird Story

Police are working to piece together how a woman, who went missing in July, ended up naked on a remote road in rural Alabama on Saturday after surviving for a month on berries and muddy water. More.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• If there are "two sides", here was one of them last night in Charlottesville singing "Amazing Grace" among other songs: 
  
• Save this dog!
• 
• Remember that video of the officer secretly recording the prosecutor that I posted? We have an update: "ROCKPORT - Aransas County prosecutors won't be accepting cases from the Rockport Police Department due to an ongoing dispute they said relates to the accuracy of case reports."
• Sheesh: 
  
• And Another: 
  
• School starts way too early. Both on the calendar and on the clock. 
• We had a very funny all time ceremonial first pitch last night. And the cameraman who got hit has a fantastic photo of the incoming ball. 
• Regarding the girl that was found dead in the Arlington landfill, which police said afterwards there was no threat to the community, what ever happened with that?
• Regarding the alleged home invasion of the upscale Fort Worth home, which police said afterwards there was no threat to the community, whatever happened with that?

The Blues Brothers Scene I Referenced This Morning

Everyone Watch This

And the bravest person in the whole thing is the reporter.

Above The Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I am at a loss for words that Trump went completely off script yesterday and equated Nazi Protesters to Nazis. And he did it with extreme passion. 
• I am also at a loss for words that anyone -- and I mean anyone -- would defend it. At least we are learning people's true colors. Mark Davis. Everyone on the morning show on WBAP. Fox News (which initially desperately tried to act like it didn't happen). 
• After I watched the remarks in full, I was positive his presidency was over. There is no way someone can say that and survive. Now I'm not so sure. 
• I forgot to mention this yesterday: 
  
• The Blues Brothers scene where Jake and Elwood drive into a bunch of "Illinois Nazis" sure feels different now. 
• Is it just me or is the standard portion of food that a restaurant serves enough for two meals?
• Tom Cruise was injured while filming a movie. He'll be fine. I was more fascinated that the movie was Mission Impossible 6.
• Breaking News. Is it just me or does the military seem to have a lot of non-combat helicopter/jet crashes?
  
• That's a female, right?:
  
  
• My office got a robo-call which was an IRS scam. It has happened to so many people: You are told you owe money (I don't), and I need to call them immediately. There are so many people who have been hit with this.
• I was walking into Walmart yesterday with my standard office outfit of a white shirt and tie when an angry guy comes up to me and asks, "Are you a manager here?!"
• What is the purpose of those heavy duty grill guards that are on the big trucks? And are they standard options? Is smashing into stuff a problem? 
• The Texas Legislature's special session ended last night. Nothing got done. And that is a good thing. 

And Even He Deleted It!

This is incomprehensible.

Find And Arrest These Nazis

WARNING.

Criminal evidence.

The vicious criminal assault of Deandre Harris by white supremacists. The clearest video.

ARREST THESE MEN. pic.twitter.com/oV13SGv1Uw

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) August 15, 2017

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Legendary Arkansas coach Frank Broyles died yesterday. When he was hired, his salary was $15,000. After coaching he went into broadcasting. He then became part of a team that was never better than this:
• 
• Trump tried to do damage control yesterday by coming out and giving a stronger condemnation of the Saturday events in Charlottesville. He looked like a child told by his parents to go next door and apologize. (Ticket fans: I promise 100% I wrote this before Junior Miller said the exact same thing this morning at 7:20 a.m.)
• Aggieland has cancelled a white nationalist rally scheduled for 9/11. I think that's wrong for a public university to do that. Let them speak. They have that right. And I definitely want to hear what they have to say. 
• And I'm split right down the middle on whether to remove Confederate statues. On one hand, they remind us of history. On the other, statues are put up to honor someone. But it is absolutely wrong for a mob to destroy one like what happened in North Carolina late yesterday.
  
• The Mooch was on Colbert last night. I'm still sad he's not Trump's spokesman any longer. The guy is full throttle entertainment.
• Road rage?
  
• One piece of advice I gave to the College Sophomore in the House. Never, ever, honk at someone. In this day and time, your momentary anger can get you killed.
• In the past, I've criticized the FBI for finding idiots online and setting them up to do something they aren't smart enough to ever pull off. In the past, they just went after Muslims. (The Dallas case in 2009 was a prime example.) Well, at least they don't discriminate now: 
  
• Three CEOs have resigned from Trump's "Manufacturing Council" because of the way he handled the Charlottesville crisis. 

This Seems Perfect For Today

Language warning.

Brad Pitt's anti-Nazi speech seems so appropriate after a weekend which has led so many people to be shaken to the core.

(Credit: I got this from The Ticket which just played and edited version of it.)

This Is Odd

UPDATE:  Trump lashes out as MERCK CEO quits business council... Developing... https://t.co/a4Cg86yPlM

— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) August 14, 2017

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I watched what happened in Charlottesville in real time on Saturday, and it may be one of the most horrifying days of my life. 
• And what happened the night before is something I  thought I would never see.
  
• Many of those people have been identified. And some of them are not happy about it yet try to justify their conduct. 
  
• This is the face of hate. This is the face of terrorism. If you are an employer, you need to start researching online every employee to find out if they are part of a racist organization. I discovered "Proud Boys" a few weeks ago.
  
• She is dead:
  
• Those White Nationalist were openly supporting Hitler and Nazis. What would a World War II veteran think? 
• I always feared a civil war, but I never thought whites would try to start it. 
• KXAS Channel 5 News had a pretty big typo:
• 
  
• 
• Mrs. LL hit me with a hard question this weekend: Would you represent him in this case? 
• Trump's "many sides" off script statement tells you all you need to know about him.
• Changing gears here, Mrs. LL went on a rant about the Teacher Retirement System. I'm still trying to figure it out. 
• I watched "Hell or High Water" this weekend. That might be the greatest Texas movie of all time. And Jeff Bridges portrayal of a Texas Ranger reminded me of two guys in Wise County.
• Mrs. LL thinks Jeff Bridges is not a good actor. This will not end well.