BagOfNothing.com

• DaughterGeeding has a softball playoff game today in Oak Cliff.
•  I feel like the authorities associated with the Allen mall shooting are a bit slow with releasing information, like there is something they don’t want the public to know.
• The Allen mall shooting has dominated the news, so the other tragedies from last weekend seem to go unnoticed.
  • An active shooter attacked an outlet mall near Dallas on Saturday afternoon, killing eight before being shot dead himself by an Allen cop. The following morning, 570 miles south, a car plowed into a group of migrants waiting at a bus stop, killing eight more. Then, eight hours later, a dispute on a Dallas Dart train led to another deadly shooting.
• News from the Netherlands – Father found dead in son’s freezer hadn’t been seen in 25 years, neighbors say
• Robert De Niro Confirms Birth of Baby, Now Father of Seven Children at 79 – The Oscar-winning actor, who has children ranging in age from 51 to a newborn, broke the news during an interview with ET Canada.
• The Michael Keaton renaissance continues. We’ll see him reprise his role as Batman this summer, and now there’s this – ‘Beetlejuice 2’ Set for Fall 2024 – Jenna Ortega is set to star in the Warner Bros. sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 film.
• My favorite Michael Keaton fact is that his real name is Michael Douglas.
• General Motors hires former Apple exec to run software unit – General Motors has hired a former high-ranking software executive at Apple to run a new software organization at the automaker
• Money almost literally falling in their lap – Potato-sized meteorite hits through roof of New Jersey home
  • A metallic object believed to be a meteorite punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom. The family who owns the home discovered the black, potato-sized rock in a corner — still warm.

• WSJ video – Why Elon Musk Is Building Two Old-Fashioned Company Towns in Texas – With his plans for Snailbrook and Starbase in Texas, Elon Musk is dusting off an old concept: the company town. But the nearly 200-year history of company towns shows they rarely live up to their creators’ utopian vision.
• Texas Bill Would Train Third Graders to Use ‘Battlefield’ Tourniquets –Two Democrats in the Texas House have co-sponsored legislation that would require third graders in public schools to have access to bleeding control stations and tourniquets “approved for use in battlefield trauma care by the Armed Forces of the United States.”
• Don’t fish with a gun in Kansas, game wardens say
• Judge clears trans woman’s indecent genitalia exposure charges on grounds area covered by ‘body fat’
• Woman survives on wine during five days stranded in Australian bush
• Thailand’s cannabis sellers say US growers are eating their lunch – Local cannabis growers say their business is being undercut by cheaper illegal imports from overseas
• FDA Clears Smart Toilet Seat for Heart Health Monitoring

• I’m sorry I didn’t post a Bag of Randomness last week or give any notice I was taking time off. I was going through a rough time and the doldrums got the best of me. Truth be told, I have to be in a certain mindset to write. Most of the time, I’d rather not post than put up something cruddy. Hopefully, gray skies will clear up. I apologize to the individuals who were nice enough to reach out and show their care and compassion. I should be better at following up and replying. It’s just when you are in a dark place, it’s hard to get moving or make any momentum.
• BoyGeeding missed his last soccer game of the season because he wasn’t feeling well. I have a feeling I won’t see him play organized soccer again.
• It’s crazy how normalized mass shooting has become, even if it’s in your own backyard. The press briefing was maddening, 20 minutes of local officials patting each other on the back.
• Yesterday’s sermon at our church was Paul’s message about not getting a divorce. It felt strange being in the same room as my ex as it was being preached. It would have been interesting to take a trip inside her head during that time. In a weird sort of way, as it was being preached, I started to feel more and more vindicated. Not in an I’m right and she’s wrong sort of way, but more like a hug from God telling me that I stuck by biblical principles and gave it all to save a marriage and family from being torn apart. I’ll ever understand why she didn’t want to go to counseling at least one time to keep the family together. Family is worth the fight.
• The other night I was in my bedroom and BoyGeeding walked in. I grabbed a back scratcher to scratch my back, but he stopped me, “Dad, you don’t need a back scratcher, I’m here to scratch your back for you.” Funny thing, the only reason why I bought that back scratcher was because I didn’t feel comfortable asking my then-wife to scratch my back. It’s hard to explain, but when I asked her to do something for me, she often made me feel as if I was being an inconvenience.
• While I don’t like other people going through the same experience, it’s slightly comforting to know that I’m not an outlier – US Surgeon General calls for action regarding the ongoing ‘epidemic of loneliness and isolation’ – Recent research shows half of U.S. adults experienced loneliness daily.
  Recent research shows half of U.S. adults experienced loneliness daily.
• I had a delightful evening (in other words, a date) Saturday night with a published scientist. The next day we met and took a long walk together. I’m happy to have made a new friend.
• Reddit Video – Guide dog helps a blind person use the toilet

• Where are the lip readers? https://t.co/kdmELZhA7Q

  — Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) May 6, 2023

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