Bag of Randomness

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  • Next Friday I’ll be in Abilene to help select a scholarship winner in honor of my late buddy Micah, who had his favorite verse Micah 6:8 tattooed on his arm, and that verse happens to be the web address for the scholarship.  Yesterday that verse was read at the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and I heard the verse used by both my pastor on Sunday and on Adam Hamilton’s online sermon.  I really liked that Adam Hamilton sermon by the way.
  • During that trip we’ll be getting BBQ from or going to Jo Jo’s Barbeque. You got to love a place that provides directions from the city water tower.
  • When I saw this photo of Gene Jones (wife of Jerry) at the George W. Bush Presidential Center opening, I seriously thought it was an old photo of Annette Funicello.
  • I’d love to know what they were talking about, and Carter always seems out of touch with the bunch.
  • It’s a shame Nancy Reagan couldn’t have made the trip, though understandable.  Seeing six first ladies all together would have been a neat treat.
  • I’m still disappointed the presidents didn’t take a picture on the grassy knoll or looking out of the sixth floor corner window of the Texas Schoolbook Depository.
  • I watched all of the ceremony on KTVT and was surprised that the mic was left open, you got to hear a lot of side conversations of the presidents, though nothing meaty.
  • It’s interesting that both George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter are the same age, one looks much healthier than the other.
  • The military band on top of the roof was a cool touch for the presidential introductions.
  • Dikembe Mutombo made an appearance and posed for photos, and Dick Cheney looked like he was trying to pose as JR Ewing.  I don’t even think JR has shot anyone in the face.
  • I thought it was a bit odd for Gov Jan Brewer and Gov Chris Christie to be in the crowd.  I should have started a rumor on Twitter that Christie took a trip to Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, home of the best chicken friend steak in the universe.  I think Babe’s is a great place to take an out of state guest.
  • I have a feeling out next president was in the crowd since Hillary, Jeb Bush, and Chris Christie were all in attendance.  Off hand, I think I could be comfortable with any of those three.
  • I’m disappointed that all five presidents didn’t take time for a photo op in Dealey Plaza.
  • It must have been an exhausting day for our local media covering the opening of the Bush Library and the ceremony in West.  For the most part, I thought they did an excellent job, and they even covered the protesters.  It seemed a lot of them were upset at not getting close enough to the event to be seen or heard, but come on, you got to respect private property rights.  And I have to give it to the former president for giving a slight mention to opposing opinions and it’s something that must be had in order to have a democracy.
  • Phil Donahue was actually part of that protest.
  • The community of West, Waco, and Baylor sure know how to put on a memorial service, I only intended to catch a piece of it but had to watch it til its entirety.
  • I wonder if some folks are upset that President Obama didn’t take the time to land and see the damage of West as opposed to flying over it, somewhat similar to what President Bush did with New Orleans.  While both are tragedies, those are some apples and oranges and I never thought what Bush did was wrong.
  • I breathed a sigh of relief that nothing went wrong in our area yesterday, so bravo to DPD, the Secret Service, and all those involved.  Oh, and the weather was fantastic.  I remember it rained cats and dogs at Clinton’s library opening.
  • I also wondered how President Obama was going to be treated at both events, but I shouldn’t have doubted our southern hospitality and Texas friendliness.
  • I’m not a supporter of Texas secession, but this image did make me chuckle.
  • Bravo to the latest cover of Boston magazine
  • Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” shot up almost 600% after the Boston bombings, and he’s cool enough to donate the proceeds to the bombing victimes.
  • The University of Victory offers a Science of Batman course.
  • If you’re a fan of LOST, then you’d get a kick out of this picture.
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Whataburger to sell its popular ketchup at HEB

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SAN ANTONIO — Today, at the Whataburger Family Convention, a biannual gathering of more than 2,000 Whataburger attendees, CEO Preston Atkinson announced Whataburger will launch into retail sales for the first time by bottling its popular line of condiments — Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup and Original Mustard — making them available exclusively at all Texas and Mexico H-E-B stores this summer. H-E-B will also add a new product based on Whataburger’s iconic brand called Whatafries.

Full WOAI Article

 

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Interesting Facts of Living U.S. Presidents

  • There have been six men who have been the only living United States President (no former President being alive).
  • During three periods in United States history, there have been six men alive to have been United States President. 
  • Richard Nixon is the only man to have been both an only living United States President (1973–1974) and one of the six living presidents (1993–1994).
  • There have been nineteen Presidencies during which a United States President has not died, the most recent being the Presidency of George H.W. Bush.  
  • The longest streak of Presidencies without a Presidential death is four, as no United States President died during the terms of Ford, Carter, Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
  • Because of his serving 3+ terms, Franklin Delano Roosevelt holds the distinction of serving over the longest period during which no Presidential deaths or changes occurred. 
  • The longest period between deaths of United States Presidents was the 26 years, 2 months, and 18 days between the death of George Washington on December 14, 1799 and Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1826. The shortest were the five hours between the death of Jefferson at around 12:50 PM and the death of John Adams at approximately 6:00 PM on July 4, 1826, which immediately followed the longest.
    Only three times, in 1826, 1862 and 1901, have two United States Presidents died in the same year. 

    • If the longest period between deaths is to be exceeded, no President must die before July 16, 2033 (both the current oldest and the second oldest surviving Presidents, George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, would then be 109 years old).
    • The second longest was the 21 years and 3 months between the deaths of Lyndon B. Johnson on January 22, 1973 and Richard Nixon on April 22, 1994.
  • Harry S. Truman died December 26, 1972, just 25 days before Nixon’s second term began. Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973, just two days after Nixon’s second term began. They died only 27 days apart, yet in two different years and two different Presidential terms.
  • In order to beat the 6 president record, and assuming that Richard Nixon remains the only president to resign from office, no president can die until at least 2021, assuming that President Barack Obama’s successor serves only one term. 
  • Since January 20, 1981 – a period of 32 years, 79 days – there have been at least four presidents living, by far the longest such period in history.

More details from this Wikipedia article.

Posted in Interesting, Political, Pop Culture | 2 Comments