Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, May 29, 2019

  • On ‘Jeopardy’ last night, one contestant described his occupation as “therapeutic humorist”. Another contestant fit the psycho ex-girlfriend persona to a T, so much so, Alex Trebek told her, “You’re starting to scare the hell out of me.” Speaking of Trebek, he looks great for someone who is undergoing chemotherapy to fight pancreatic cancer. He admitted in a recent ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ interview that he’s wearing a wig, and I’ll say it’s exceptional, you can’t tell he’s bald.
    • Pauley asked, “When you recorded the ‘Jeopardy!’ segments featuring James [Holzhauer], was that before you had had your diagnosis?” “Some of it was before, and some of it was after,” he replied. “And so, what the challenge for ‘Jeopardy!’ viewers is right now is to figure out, ‘Is that Alex’s real hair, or is that a full hairpiece?’ Because they all know that when you start chemo you lose your hair. So, which is it?” Noticing Pauley studying his hair, Trebek said, “This is not the real me. We have the summer months off. So hopefully, my own hair will grow back. ‘Cause I like my own hair!”
  • A 9/11 fact many of you may have already known but I did not until yesterday –
    • The authoritative study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology estimates there were 17,400 people in the two towers combined. Of the total, 87 percent evacuated. Of those who were below the points of impact, 99 percent survived.
  • Almost all fire departments have a similar looking symbol our outline, but I never knew how that came to be until a few days ago. It’s patterned after the Maltese Cross. Here’s my butchered abbreviated version:
    • This emblem had its beginning during the Crusades and was the symbol of the knights of that period. The cross design was adopted and put into use by the early Knights of Malta (Knights of St. John). Large crimson-colored capes were worn over the suits of armor. Not only were the capes symbolic, but they also helped provide a defense against one of the newest weapons of war–fire. As invading forces attacked a castle, the defenders would throw containers of naphtha and other flammable liquids. With their fellow troops engulfed in fire, the Knights of Malta would approach on horseback, rip off their capes, and use them to extinguish the flames on their burning fellow fighters.
  • The Lion King was on ABC last night. Whenever that movie is referenced, I automatically think of the Steven Curtis Chapman song “King of the Jungle”, in particular, the part which goes, “K-I-N-G of the J-you-N-G-L-E . . . He is the king of creation.”
  • On Pooping In The Dark—no Lights, No Phones, No DistractionsThis Story Is Part Of A Series On How We Make Time—from Productivity Hacks And Long Walks To Altering The Function Of Our Own Circadian Clocks.
  • What I Learned Trying To Secure Congressional CampaignsThis article is specifically about campaign security, or how to keep candidates and their staff and families safe from people trying to break into social media, read their email, or wire their campaign war chest to Nauru.
  • Flying a plane upside down under a low bridge is crazy and impressive.

This entry was posted in Personal. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.