Bag of Randomness
Thursday, August 27, 2026

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the 9 to 5 lyric “Tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen / Pour myself a cup of ambition” is a beautiful work of creative genius.

I can’t believe that, as many times as I’ve listened to that song, I never picked up on the typewriter key-striking sounds. She created the sound using her fingernails. I always picked up on the typewriter ding, but never the keys, or nails, until now.  The nail-clacking sound in the final recorded track includes a formal liner-note attribution in the album credits: “Nails by Dolly.”

She wrote the song during downtime between takes of the 1980 comedy, which took weeks to come together.

I’m also thinking about how wonderful it was that the song was played at Buckingham Palace. I’m trying to imagine what a 10-year-old Dolly would have thought if someone told her that one day a song she wrote would be played at the King’s home. Heck, I wonder what she would have thought if someone told her that when the movie came out.

For her 80th birthday on January 19, 2026, U2 frontman Bono surprised Dolly Parton with a live bagpiper playing “Happy Birthday,” a cake that read “Love… Bono,” and a pint of Guinness.

The Alamo Draft House asked Dolly to help the audience with their theater manners.

Now that Dolly is gone, who is our nation’s most unifying figure? Dolly was loved by the extremes and everyone in between. At one time, I’d say Tom Hanks, but he was unjustly attacked by the far right. So, it can’t be anyone who has ever been vocal or acted politically. No sports figures come to mind. Michael Jordon is respected, but most agree he’s a bit of a jerk because of his competitive nature. Bill Gates literally gave the title of World’s Richest Man away and dedicated his life to helping humanity, but his Epstein association has ruined his reputation. There’s Dick Van Dyke, but he’s not going to be with us much longer. Danny DeVito? I guess there’s something about having a “D” in your name, especially the double-D’s. Keanu Reeves, but he certainly doesn’t reach the same scale and impact as Dolly. Danny DeVito? Globally, 90-year-old Julie Andrews comes to mind. Locally, Roger Staubach, who is 84. But even when he does pass, I doubt it will be the first story on network national news like Dolly.

As much of a critic of President Trump as I am, the lowering of the flags is a wonderful gesture to honor her. And, as an armchair political consultant, a savvy move, especially as the midterms approach.

Usually, #2 is the funniest and #1 is mediocre. But she finishes with a strong #1 if you ask me.

A Robert Smigel Dolly/SNL tweet. He only posted a portion of the skit, but I was able to hunt down the full one. Gosh, this was such a great cast. I wonder how many of y’all are clueless about the pop culture she drops.

Needless to say, everyone at @nbcsnl adored @DollyParton when she hosted. As Jan Hooks said, her only two requests were “I won’t use any cuss words and I won’t make fun of Jesus.” Otherwise she was up for anything. Here’s a sketch I helped with that was Conan O’Brien’s idea .

I wasn’t a Tim Curry fan. But his comments about death in a CBS Sunday Morning interview last year, especially living after a debilitating stroke, really caught my attention and caused me to do a lot of reflecting.

I think it may be comforting to go bye bye.  And I want to earn it.

I want to earn the privledge of not being here.

Here’s the segment of the interview for the full quote in context.

 

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This is about the dumbest thing TCU has ever done, and I’d be irate if I were affiliated with the school. Obviously, they have been influenced and emboldened by the current presidential administration. What do you expect when the Pentagon creates a policy mandating that reporters agree to sign a pledge, the censorship of Stars and Stripes, as well as all the other actions limiting a free press?

When I first saw the flooding footage out of Nepal, I thought it was AI.

Let’s see how the current administration is keeping Texans safe.

Just two weeks into the new school year, a Rio Grande Valley school district is closing all campuses for two days because of what officials described as the “rapid spread of COVID-19.”

Nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef imported from Argentina and sold in Texas and Florida is under recall, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as questions swirl around the beef. And a string of food recalls issued this summer grows.

Yes, I’ve been more vocal lately. I’m complicit if I stay silent.

So much winning:

White House brags about ‘Lake America’ by sharing US map that puts DC in the middle of North Carolina – ‘You guys can’t even put DC in the right place on the map,’ one commenter wrote, while another chimed in: ‘Ah yes DC in lovely North Carolina’

Apple Maps is getting ads, and there’s no way to turn them off – Apple Maps loses one of its ad-free advantages over Google Maps as sponsored listings arrive

Be sure to like and subscribe. Actually, there’s nothing here for you to like or subscribe to. It’s not even possible. I just hear it so often; I felt compelled to type it.

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