A couple of weeks ago, 29 year old Nicholas J. Ellingford, was playing Roy Rogers in the checkout line of his local supermarket.  He was trying to show off his

Nick has a Glock 9mm and tried to “show it off to a buddy,” according to the Lincoln City Police Department.

The cool part comes next.

Ellingford mistakenly pulled the trigger as he stuffed the piece back into his pants, police said. A bullet tore through the gunslinger’s groin and exited his thigh, just barely missing the man’s femoral artery.

You know, when Nick shows off, he really knows how to do it.

He was airlifted to Portland and is expected to make a full recovery.  Well, maybe not “full,” you know.

The police said he did not have a concealed handgun license and could face criminal charges for his reckless behavior.

Thanks to Fenway Fran for the heads up.

John Cornyn has often gotten into trouble for taking questionable political contributions and by questionable, I mean from crooks.

Now I don’t know if that’s because everybody in the Republican Party is a crook or that crooks are just naturally attracted to John Cornyn.

Back in April of last year, a man named Harry Sargeant gave Cornyn $5,600, the legal limit.  The limit was legal but Mr. Sergeant isn’t.  He owns a company named Sargeant Marine.

Sargeant Marine and its affiliates, through its employees and agents, concealed bribe payments to Brazilian government officials by creating fake consulting contracts and fake invoices by using cash payments and by wiring millions of dollars from the United States to offshore bank accounts held in the name of shell companies of bribe middlemen.  As a result of the Brazilian bribery scheme, Sargeant Marine and its affiliated companies earned profits of approximately $26.5 million.

They plead guilty last week and agreed to a $16.6 million dollar fine.  That means they only came out $10 million ahead, which certainly makes bribery a little bit unattractive.

Thanks to Alfredo over at the Dairy Queen for the heads up.  

Here’s a handy little list of people renting from Trump to impress him.

Ladies, my cookie days are over if that’s how you spend the money.

You shouldn’t have to pay to play.  Additionally, I do not think that Donald Trump represents the values of the Girl Scouts.

Last week the Senate unanimously voted for a resolution supporting the peaceful transfer of power following the election.

And then it went to the House.  There the vote was 397 – 5.  Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Steve King, Thomas Massie and Clay Higgins voted nope.

They got their Proud Boys secret decoder ring and keys to the dark web immediately following the vote.  Boy Scout Troop 63 of Hoxeyville, Michigan, responded the next morning, saying that we should not fret. “We can take those five guys out. We have sticks and zip ties.”

Thanks to Mel for the heads up.

If you have a comment about the debate during the debate or shortly thereafter, I will heck every so often and see if any comes need approving.

Bubba and I had chili tonight and made made cookies for a debate snack!

Williamson County is just north of Austin.  It’s a beautiful place and I have lots of friends there. Their Democratic county chair, Kim Gilby, is the best.  For about the past 15 years, Ole Glen Maxey and I go there every election season to hold  fundraiser for them just because they are such good people who are trying their damnest to flip that solid red county to a shade of blue.

Williamson County is a lot of letters, so Texans call it WilCo, like Austin is ATX and deep East Texas is Land of The Screaming Assholes.

Every now and then you’ll see comments from Texas Ellen when she’s not playing with her grandkids in the gorgeous Frio River.  I’ve known Ellen for 30 years.  We met online during dial-up and became friends during Glen Maxey’s first attempt at databasing voters.  Ellen’s friend Elizabeth Moon (yes, the famous one) joined and and financed several of our outreach programs along with some occasional high caliber snarking right here.

Several commenters – Alan in Austin comes to mind – are in WilCo.  I love those folks.

I told you all this to give you an idea why this day is important and that I share in their cheer for justice. You should, too.

Chody

A grand jury has indicted Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody on a felony evidence tampering charge in the case of Javier Ambler, a Black man who died in 2019 after being stunned with a Taser multiple times by deputies.

The grand jury accused Chody of destroying or concealing video and audio recordings “with the intent to impair their ability as evidence in the investigation,” according to the indictment. Jason Nassour, a county attorney, was also indicted on the same charge.

Black Lives Matter.

Williamson County sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull Ambler over March 28, 2019, after he failed to dim the headlights of his SUV to oncoming traffic. Twenty-eight minutes later, the 40-year-old black father of two sons lay dying on a North Austin street after deputies held him down and used Tasers on him four times while a crew from A&E’s show “Live PD” filmed.

The former postal worker repeatedly pleaded for mercy, telling deputies he had congestive heart failure and couldn’t breathe. He cried, “Save me,” before deputies deployed a final shock.

This happened a year and half ago.  That’s how long justice took. The deputies were putting on a show.

Allan from Austin has volunteered to match up owners of Chody for Sheriff signs with Democrats who have wood burning fireplaces.

When your sheriff and your county attorney team up to hide justice, it takes a long time and some very determined people.

Williamson County is 80% white and 7% black so this took courage.  Thanks, WilCo, for not letting it die.

 Thanks to Alan in Austin for the heads up.