Bag of Randomness

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  • If I ever got a chance to walk on the moon, the first think I’d do is just run and hop around.  The second, pick up a rock and see how far I can throw that sucker.
  • DaughterGeeding is over three years old and she got her first haircut last night.  Well, a trim, actually.
  • I’ve noticed a lot of men wearing camouflage shorts this year, don’t expect me to join them.
  • I think it’s been well over a decade since I last wore jorts, or jean shorts.
  • When my father died 15 years ago, we got all sorts of flowers and plants, more than my liking personally, but I did appreciate the sentiment.  I’m proud to say that one of them is still alive and taller than me.  Here’s a blurry pic of it, and that portrait you can barely see is of my father in his Army uniform when he was a young officer.
  • My dad served first in the Navy and did bombing runs in the Atlantic theater.  After the war he was in the Ohio National Guard, and at the start of Korea, entered the Army.  The other day I was going through his things and found his aviator flight book which lists a lot of bombing runs and training stuff.  If there’s any interest, I’ll take some pics and post them.  Most of the flights were in a PV-1 Ventura and a SB2C Helldiver, and a few in a N2N.
  • I think shorthand in texting and instant messaging is acceptable, but sometimes I find it annoying.  For instance, one coworker shorthands “good” to “gud” which makes the word look silly and she’s just saving one keystroke from a correct spelling.  I also find “u” for “you” annoying, but think it’s more acceptable since you are saving at least two keystrokes and I don’t do as much as a double-take.  She also uses “pls” for “please” and “thx” for “thanks” – I’ve got time for that.
  • Man, an XBox sure is loud.
  • Google Is Working On Its Own Video Game Console
  • If someone told you there would be a movie with major Hollywood stars in which there’s a scene where the President of the United States is riding in the back of the presidential limo firing a rocket launcher, you’d think that person was crazy.  But that movie opens this weekend.
  • Gov Perry likes to advocate that Texas is a low regulation state, but this abortion bill is adding more regulation.  He also has taken a stand on government creeping in on our personal lives, but supporting the bill goes against that stand.  I guess life is full of contradictions for all of us, we just have to weigh what’s more important to us when it comes to our values and where we stand on certain issues.  Not’s not a stab at him, we all are like that in some capacity.
  • Sometimes money trumps valuing life, there have been wars over oil, after all.
  • Wendy Davis’s Filibustering Mizuno Sneakers Getting Great Reviews on Amazon
  • When I’m eating at Braum’s and look at their little grocery, I often wonder who would buy some of those items.  Is there really demand for the Braum’s version of Coke?
  • Give me the sugar cone over the waffle cone and cake cone/cup thingy.
  • I was walking DaughterGeeding back from the restroom at a restaurant yesterday and an elementary school girl got in our way but politely apologized.  The kid was so friendly and genuine, I walked over to her parents and told them their kid had great manners and they are doing a good job of parenting.  I think I made their day.
  • Chef Dean Ferring recently talked about his divorce . . . I always thought he played for the other team . . . or maybe that’s why he’s divorced.
  • The Philadelphia Phillies AAA team will be giving away a free funeral on ‘Celebration of Life’ night.
  • Cap’n Crunch and 9 Other Fake Military Titles and Their Backgrounds
  • An artist is spending a year on an egg shaped wooden boat.
  • Detention officer’s ear bitten, thanks inmates for helping her
  • It airs in September – ‘The Price is Right’ tapes special all-Plinko episode
  • The Onion – Eminem Terrified As Daughter Begins Dating Man Raised On His Music
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11 Responses to Bag of Randomness

  1. guest says:

    Regarding Braums's grocery story-We love their brand of bread as it stays fresher longer that Mrs. Bairds. They have great fresh frozen fruit, strawberries & peaches, that tastes just like you picked it off the tree. Great on angel food cake & topped with whip creme. I'm not affiliated at all with Braums – but my one complaint is that the Decatur store has got to be the nastiest restaurant in town and how they get by with it is beyond me.

  2. RPM says:

    On the Cap'n Crunch brouhaha, anyone who's ever been to sea knows that Captain is a title, not just a rank. The person in command of a vessel is the Captain regardless of rank. I knew a BMC (Chief Boatswain's Mate) that was Captain of a buoy tender. He preferred to be called "Skip" or "Chief" unless he was on the bridge. Also, I don't think the S.S.Guppy is a military vessel. S.S. stands for Steam Ship or Sailing Ship, U.S.S. stands for United States Ship. There were "GUPPY" class submarines but that stood for "Greater Underwater Propulsion Power" and only a few were built. The rest of the were converted to the improved Tench and Balao classes while being built.

    Rick Perry and his ilk love regulations, unless it's something they don't want regulated. That WAS a stab at him. Everytime I look at Rick Perry, I see Robert Tilton.

    • Micah says:

      Listen, i'm no Rick Perry fan…i think your Robert Tilton comparison is a pretty good one. I hope when you refer to his "ilk" you are referencing politicians in general….I don't really see much difference anywhere across the political spectrum when it comes to "regulations, unless it's something they don't want regulated". I haven't paid attention to know what other stuff might be included in this abortion bill…wouldn't be surprised if it's loaded with pork.

      However, Is it really so strange to regulate people from aborting their babies past a certain stage in the pregnancy?? Let's be honest, we're dealing with one human making a decision to end the life of another.

      Let's be honest, though. It's not really about regulation. Abortion is already regulated….pretty much everything is regulated. Everybody draws the line somewhere….I guess it's more about where to draw the line. I would argue that we are not strict enough on abortion. Others would argue that we're too strict. Still waiting to hear an argument from the pro-choice folks that is based on reason and logic, but not rooted in selfishness.

      • Geeding says:

        I feel like when you say that pro-choice people are rooted in selfishness, then you are saying those who want freedom are being selfish. Pro-choice folks want the freedom to do what they want to their own body, abortion being one of them, and the concern is, if that choice it taken away, what other freedoms can be taken away. Maybe this is a bad example, but I think you'll understand what I'm trying to reason . . . but instead of taking the choice of abortion away, could the government one day say that plastic surgery is dangerous and immoral and take that choice away, except in the case of disfigurement? I think there's a difference between wanting freedom and being selfish.

        I know a lot of pro-life folks will ask "what about the life of the fetus, what about their choice?" but that's a whole other argument in itself which would include trying to define where does life begin. You'll have people of faith saying at conception, but not all folks are of faith and believe differently. But like I said, that's a whole other argument and separate from saying that pro-choice people are rooted in selfishness.

        I would also say that most pro-choice folks want to decrease the number of abortions. They want the freedom of that choice, but I think most of them overall understand that it's a situation that no one would want to be put in, so that's why they favor ways of trying to bring unwanted pregnancies down.

        I don't know you very well, Micah, but I like you and have heard great things about your character from friends that we have in common. But I feel like you saying pro-choice folks don't use logic and reason and are rooted in selfishness was just a bit too callous. Crap, now I sound judgmental.

        • Micah says:

          hehe, really just a bit bored and trying to stir the pot 🙂 DIdn't mean to come off that callous…my apologies. And no worries, you're definitely not being judgmental…a good debate is a healthy thing.

          But, just to be clear I didn't say that pro-choice people are rooted in selfishness. I said that i've yet to hear an argument from pro-choice people on this topic that is not rooted in selfishness. I believe that we're all selfish, inherently…it's a fundamental part of the human condition. The fight against our selfish nature is a constant and worthy battle.

          The main reason i used this terminology is that, at its core, the choice to abort a baby is very simple. It's either do what you want or need vs doing something for another person (the baby). You either choose yourself, or you choose the other. I'm not equating selfishness in this case with good or bad.

          The arguments on the pro-choice side that make the most sense to me are those that are pragmatic about things (i.e. why bring a baby into a world when the parents are equipped to care for him/her, it'll reduce crime down the road, etc.). In these cases, the question of whether or not the baby is alive is not the key component. Like you said, it's a separate argument, and I'm certainly no scientist, but i haven't read many arguments that a "fetus" is not living human that are very convincing.

          I guess my main question to pro-choice folks would be, if they became convinced that a fetus was indeed a living human, would they still be pro-choice on this issue? The answer separates people into 2 different camps, philosophically speaking.

          • Stefanie says:

            I am pro-choice and I have an argument that I do not feel are selfish (IMO).

            I use the Mirena birth control. It's very effective. And, considering I've had two women in my family get pregnant after getting their tubes tied, my doctor and I both felt this was best. But, as we also discussed, the only fully effective method to not get pregnant is abstinence. I'll admit I'm selfish in that I would like to continue to have sex with my husband. *Sorry.* But, if I got pregnant, how would I know? I don't have a period (look up Mirena if you don't know why). Unfortunately, it would be much later into the pregnancy when I'd realize something was happening. I have two GREAT kids and would LOVE to have more but I've been told that my body can't take it. My last one definitely pushed me to the very edge. So, is it my decision or my FAMILY who decides the next step? I know my decision (keep it). I know theirs (we need YOU). Why do a bunch of voters get to decide our family life? How is that fair? How is that fair to my family?

            Second, this bill does make abortions safer for women in a practice that is already incredibly safe. But, the REAL reason is not to make the practice safer (even though that appears the guise with all the new regulations). What it really does is effectively cut the number of clinics down to 5 in the State of Texas…only 5 would be able to comply. I read somewhere that in the State of Texas, out of all abortions, only three that were done after 20 weeks. So, we know we aren't stemming some really horrible trend (for example a scenario where even 10% were done at this stage). Instead, it's real goal is to cut access to those women who, on the whole, are having abortions **under** 20 weeks. It was designed to PREVENT access to abortion clinics. And, I don't think Gov Perry has been shy in making that point.

            Here are some ideas:
            – Why argue and spend MILLIONS on fighting this stupid argument INSTEAD of investing in scientific research on how to safely remove a fetus from a body and be able to bring it to term outside the body. Or, perhaps, even transfer a fetus from one mom to another? That is a REAL solution for everyone.
            – Why not ever talk about holding men financially accountable for pregnancies for the rest of their lives? It took two to tango. Why not? How about repeat offenders that get many girls pregnant? Why not mandate castration?
            – Why limit access to abortions and, in the same breathe, complain about supporting social services?

            • Micah says:

              Hey Stefanie – I think you make some good points. If my family were in the situation you described and it came down to choosing between the life of my wife and that of my baby (and i couldn't have both), I would choose my wife (she might choose the baby, and i guess ultimately it would be her choice). In general, I don't have a problem with abortion if the life of the mother is in jeopardy (some folks in the pro-life camp would vehemently disagree with me). I am curious, however, as the frequency of this scenario. My guess is that it's fairly uncommon compared to the overall quantify of abortions that are performed. Technically speaking, though, I think my point about the arguments fundamentally being selfish still holds up. Again, i'm not saying selfish is good or bad. The reason that I harp on this point is that if you step back and look at the general conversation, it is interesting that the pro-choice argument is sold as something that is good and virtuous, while at the same time being an argument that at its core is all about preserving the interest of the self over others, which many people would agree is generally not good. I find this to be an interesting and difficult juxtaposition. From my point of view it's hard to reconcile these two things.

              With regard to the proposed legislation I don't know many specifics, so i'll take your word for it. I tend not to trust politicians, regardless of their leanings, so I'm sure Rick Perry's reasons for this are more along the "pandering to his base" lines as opposed to something more altruistic.

          • Geeding says:

            I appreciate you taking the time respond and further explain yourself, Micah, and in doing so with grace. You are absolutely right, we're all selfish and it's just part of being human. I find these kind of debates and arguments can be a bit challenging in text as opposed to the verbal back-and-forth in front of one another. Maybe one day we'll get that opportunity, but then again, your height and long reach intimidates me.

            • Micah says:

              hehe, i'm a gentle giant….nothing intimidating here 🙂 I agree with your statement about debates being challenging in this type of forum…in person is ideal…but a forum certainly is more convenient.

      • RPM says:

        By "ilk" I was referring to Dewhurst, Abbott, ect. currently in Austin that have gerrymandered there way into power.

        If it was just a 20 week limit there wouldn't be much of a fight, it's everything else in SB5 that's causing the stink.

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