Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, December 4, 2018

  • George H.W. Bush and Barbara have such a large family it would be easy to mistake them for being Catholic or Mormon.
  • One of my favorite memories of former president George H.W. Bush involves him attending a Cowboys game at Texas Stadium sometime after he left office. It may have been a playoff game against the Packers. Madden and Summerall were on the call. Bush was in a suite drinking a glass of milk. The camera focused on him and Madden used the telestrator to circle the milk and commented on the wholesome image and the great example he was setting drinking something healthy instead of alcohol or soda. I looked for a good two minutes for the video but most of my searches resulted in Frank Caliendo doing a Madden or George W. Bush bit. So let this be a lesson to you kids, avoid broccoli but drink your milk and you too can live to 94 years of age.
  • I saw some people on social media didn’t understand why former senator Bob Dole saluted G.H.W. Bush with his left hand. I guess they didn’t realize he basically had his arm blown off by a machine gun in WWII and learned to cope. He often held a pen in that hand to try to minimize the effect it had on it.
  • Y’all know I’m a sucker for presidential history, but I’m not a fan of these state funerals because it makes the person and the office monarchal. We are a system of checks and balances, separate but equal power, and this stuff tends to tilt importance and power to the chief executive. I also think too much money is spent on these sort of things – federal employees (and I) get a paid day off, a presidential aircraft transports the body to and from Washington, personnel, security, yadda, yadda, yadda. I prefer the simpleness of Nixon’s funeral, but then again, his had to be toned down because of that whole resignation thing.
  • Speaking of Nixon, and Trump, many think it’s a tradition for a sitting president to speak at a former president’s funeral. It’s not, though it has happened for the last three. For instance, LBJ died just two days after Nixon’s second inauguration and he didn’t speak at LBJ’s funeral. Truman died just a month before LBJ and didn’t have a state funeral, which I read mainly because his wife didn’t wish for it. With the death of those two, there were no other living former presidents.
  • It’s well noted that only two pairs of father and sons have become president. However, John Quincy Adams was the sitting president when his father died (as well as Thomas Jefferson on the same day – July 4, 1826). If it were not for Jefferson’s death, I bet Quincy would have had his father lie in the White House. In case you were wondering, Jefferson was buried the day after his death, Adams three days after going to the great beyond.
  • Eight presidents have had funeral processions down Pennsylvania Avenue, including all four presidents to die by assassination. Again, less is more.
  • A bit before Thanksgiving my neighbor lost his wife to cancer. It was her second bout and her son recently became a teenager. It’s hard trying to be there for a neighbor and friend without trying to be intrusive.
  • That same week, a former medical doctor of mine committed suicide leaving behind two young children.
  • I work from home and have converted a room to a small home office. Every day, OtherDogGeedingII, the new pup, will bring a different toy from BoyGeeding or DaughterGeeding’s room into the office and prompt me to play. Sure, I could easily have the kids close the door to their rooms and resolve this “problem” but it’s entertaining to see what the pup brings me when he wants my attention.
  • It took her three years, but DaughterGeeding earned her black belt in Taekwondo. I know some of you think these things are trivial and just a way for adults to make money off of parents. Even if that’s the case, along the way, she picked up some confidence and discipline and learned how to set an achieve a long-term goal (this one took over a third of her life). Sure, she ain’t no Bruce Lee and not a fighter, this was more about form and technique. For instance, from memory, she had to perform the technique for all her previous belts – white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, red, and black/red.


  • To mark her achievement, I took one of the boards she had to break for her black belt test and made a personalized Christmas ornament out of it by carving, painting, and matting. She seemed to appreciate it, and I hope it’s something which hangs on her tree with her future family after I’m no longer part of this earth.
  • Harvard Professor Suggests Eating Only 6 French Fries Per Meal
  • The crazy thing about growing old is seeing others grow old.
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21 Responses to Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, December 4, 2018

  1. AndreaJN says:

    Welcome back!!
    I love the ornament you made for DaughterGeeding’s black belt accomplishment!

  2. Ben W. says:

    Welcome back, my friend – you were missed!

    Congrats to DaughterGeeding – what a remarkable accomplishment!

    I often wonder when you post things about your family and receive positive feedback in these comments, do you share with them? I certainly hope so. To me, it would seem to be a good teaching moment for them to learn just how much of an impact their lives have and how even people they don’t personally know are out there cheering them on and celebrating their accomplishments.

  3. KC1 says:

    Welcome back! You have been missed!

  4. Alex says:

    Welcome back, my friend! You were missed!!!

  5. Alex says:

    See the book “The President is Dead” that recounts stories of what happens behind the scenes historically after presidential deaths. For example, Lincoln was buried, dug up and reburied along his death tour upwards of 15 times.

  6. Ricardo Perry says:

    Hope you, your family and other loved ones are doing very well.
    Merry Christmas.

  7. Doug Baker says:

    Wait a nice surprise to find the bag today. Welcome back!!

  8. @lablair says:

    Good to see you back!

  9. Melissa says:

    WELCOME BACK!!!! I missed you! Keith, you are such a good dad. Sometimes I feel as if you don’t give yourself enough credit but you, sir, love your babies to be sure! Love that ornament! I’m sure your daughter will treasurer it for years!

  10. Larry says:

    Glad to see you back.

    Although, the Ashley Madison ad is a little confusing.

    • Ben W. says:

      Generally, the content for website banner ads is generated based on your search history, soooo….

      🙂

      • Anonymous says:

        I admit, I looked at the site once, when I first heard about it. Out of curiosity of course. That was at least 3 years ago.

        I was wondering if you have any control over the ads.

        I feel as if I were caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

  11. ALEC666 says:

    Does this mean you’re back? please, don’t tease us like this…

  12. Bryan B says:

    Welcome back! Of course, this was the one week I haven’t really checked to see if you were back in some capacity. I should have known that a week chock full of presidential lore might bring you back.

  13. RPM says:

    I’m confused as to which song should be running through my head, Karn Evil 9 by Emerson, Lake and Palmer or the theme to Welcome Back, Kotter. Either way, it’s good to see you back online!

  14. Coxie says:

    Welcome back–You have been a missing piece in my morning routine.

  15. Purplee33 says:

    We have missed you! I enjoy all the bits of presidential trivia, congrats to daughtergeeding for her accomplishment! Hard work pays off.

  16. Suzi says:

    You spelled “daughter Geeding” wrong on her ornament

  17. WGII says:

    Happy to see you back on line. My day always starts with your blog and it’s been an adjustment! Hope you and the family are doing well!! Merry Christmas!

Comments are closed.