I just flat haven’t been writing about the Texas Legislature near enough.  Darlin’, they are a mess.

Here’s the short version.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ embattled GOP House speaker announced Tuesday that he won’t seek re-election after a growing number of Republicans called for his resignation following the release of a secretly recorded conversation in which he sought help to oust members of his own caucus in 2020 and used foul language to disparage Democrats.

The decision by Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen comes less than a week after the release of the hourlong tape that sparked among the biggest political scandal in the state in years. Bonnen’s retreat puts Republicans’ fragile dominance of the state Legislature further at stake.

Okay, that’s just the surface.  The secret conversation was recorded by a far rightwing group who wanted press passes (they are in no way members of the actual press) so they could be on the floor of the Texas House when votes were taken.

Bonnen made a Donald Trump deal with them – if they’d help him get rid of some Republican members of the  legislature he didn’t like, he’d get them press passes.

The longer story is that he said that Donald Trump “is killing us” in urban and suburban districts, called a Republican female lawmaker “vile,” and called a Democratic state representative “gay.”

The fight has been going on for several months but Bonnen took his sweet time to announce he wasn’t running again.

So once again we see what petty self-righteous people Republicans can be.

“After much prayer, consultation, and thoughtful consideration with my family, it is clear that I can no longer seek re-election as State Representative of District 25, and subsequently, as Speaker of the House,” Bonnen said in the statement.

Yeah, right.  A little late for the prayers and thoughtful consideration, ya think?

Thanks to everybody for the heads up. And Steve for the reminder.

CNN has the story –

The author will remain anonymous, and sources familiar with the book tell CNN that “elaborate precautions have been taken to protect the author’s identity.”

Remember all those years we guess who Deep Throat was?

Well, it starts again.  Who is it?

Remember when some people thought it was Rick Perry?  Or Mike Pence?  Or Elaine Chao?  Seriously, they did.

Got any guesses?

Poor little Donald, everybody is being mean to him.  They are writing bad things in the newspapers, people boo him when he goes out in public, they jeer him, they hate him, they lynch him … whoa, wait.

President Trump on Tuesday called the impeachment inquiry a “lynching” in an inflammatory tweet that drew swift condemnation from Democrats as a senior diplomat viewed as a key witness testifies.

Lynching? Are you kidding me? Until I see that sumbitch hanging from a tree, he needs to just shuddup.

The “acting” ambassador to Ukraine is set to testify today.  He became alarmed over text messages he was receiving and now he’s going to tell congress why.

I gotta admit something. I think Trump likes having people appointed to positions as “acting” so and so.  I think it means more to him that simply the fact that they haven’t been vetted and approved. I think he likes actors. I think this whole thing is a reality teevee show. But, I’m losing my mind over it all so who knows.

I had coffee and Alfredo Eggs (scrambled with pico and a fresh tortilla) over at the Dairy Queen this morning. It’s World Series day and nobody takes that lightly around here.

So, anyway, Alfredo was showing me some real interesting stuff at the Republican National Committee’s FEC forms, and I know you guys love these things, too.

For example

B RILEY FBR INC 1300 NORTH 17TH STREET SUITE 203  ARLINGTON, Virginia 22209 09/05/2019      BUILDING MAINTENANCE 780.00

There’s nothing wrong with maintaining your building but having an investment bank do it probably isn’t a smart decision.  B Riley FBR is not a janitorial or construction company. It’s an investment bank.  Maybe they cleaned up but I don’t think it involved a mop or windex.

And here’s another one.

EVAN ESTRATE – VENDOR             1229 AIRPORT PULLING ROAD NORTH  NAPLES, Florida 34104  09/27/2019                OFFICE SUPPLIES              3,250.00

Well, you gotta have office supplies, but if you check out that address, you find an auto body shop. Did somebody get drunk and dent a fender and had to hide it?  I dunno and neither do you because what the hell?

You can have a look around and see if you can find any.  Hell, you ain’t got nothing better to do and neither do I.

Thanks to Alfredo for breakfast and a heads up.

Okay, so the accounting firm of Ernst & Young decided that the women at their firm weren’t doing it right.  So, they brought in some other people to do a workshop on how to do it right.

These were just a few pieces of advice that around 30 female executives at Ernst & Young received at a training held in the accounting giant’s gleaming new office in Hoboken, New Jersey, in June 2018.

Surely they have the date wrong.  Surely this was like, I dunno, 1950?

Nope. Last year.  They even had a scoresheet.

The executive attendees were told not to talk to men face to face …

• If you’re having a conversation with a man, cross your legs and sit at an angle to him. Don’t talk to a man face-to-face. Men see that as threatening.

Don’t speak up at meetings ..

• Don’t directly confront men in meetings, because men perceive this as threatening. (Women do not.) Meet before (or after) the meeting instead.

And even …

Attendees were even told that women’s brains are 6% to 11% smaller than men’s, Jane said. She wasn’t sure why they were told this, nor is it clear from the presentation. Women’s brains absorb information like pancakes soak up syrup so it’s hard for them to focus, the attendees were told. Men’s brains are more like waffles. They’re better able to focus because the information collects in each little waffle square.

It’s 2019.  Two years ago, we had a choice between a man and woman for President.  Obviously, even with Trump’s bigger brain, we made the wrong choice.

Earnst & Young says they are not doing this particular training now but they won’t say if they still hire the consultant who did it.

Thanks to Carl for the heads up.

I’m figuring that any minute now, Trump is going to deny ever meeting Ivanka or what’s his name – the dumb as dog dump son?

Evidence to the contrary does not matter, at all, even one whiff.

Thanks to Deb T for the heads up.