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• Since Dairy Queen is having a buy-one-Blizzard-get-one-for-$0.99-sale we made a trip after dinner and decided to go through the drive-thru and eat in parking lot.  We let GirlGeeding sit in the front while we ate and shared our Blizzards and it reminded us of how we use to be able to ride in the front seat.  It also brought back memories of large bench seats in the front, and how it was a coordinated family activity to scoot that seat forward.
• I caught the last half-hour of History’s “Vikings” and I think it’s good enough for me to watch the second episode come this Sunday.  It’s a new scripted series, as opposed to some sort of historical documentary.
• A Delaware student used an ATM to withdraw $40 and accidentally received $1,800, which he gave back.  This reminded me of a time when I was in college and one of banks installed a new ATM at the student union building.  To encourage use, they came up with a marking gimmick, I think for a month, in which it would randomly spit out an $20 bill.
• A four-year-old fell out of a third-story window, did two somersaults, and ‘safely’ landed on his feet.
• This summer Jon Stewart will take 12 weeks off from ‘The Daily Show’ to direct a movie, John Oliver will keep the anchor seat warm for him.  Oddly enough, the movie he’ll be working on isn’t a comedy.
• If you are a Mila Kunis fan and have a spare seven-minutes, here’s an interview she did with a young and very nervous reporter for BBC Radio 1 that was actually pretty cool.
• Just in time for Easter: Chocolate Zombie Bunny
• Billy Murray would make an interesting Oscars host.
• Anyone remember Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts?  Here’s the latest, he’s a better man now thanks to friends and yoga.
• WifeGeeding and I watched the first episode of ‘Downton Abbey”.  It was entertaining but I think it will take a little getting into, and I’m a little confused by all the proper English culture and status stuff.  I do think that the Earl of Grantham can pass for Scott Pelley’s older brother.
• Regarding ‘Parks and Recreation’, Rob Lowe is literally funnier that I thought he could ever be.  That’s an inside joke for all you P&R fans.  I just started season four.
• The creator of ‘Mad Men’ tells fans the following in anticipation for season six that starts on April 7, “‘I would love for people to just watch the last 10 minutes of Season 5 right before Season 6 starts.”  I’m looking forward to this season, just a bit sad that it’s the second to last season.  Oh, and here’s a few behind the scene pics.
• Bob Hope died a decade ago but his home is on the market for $50 million.  It’s very futuristic but absolutely grand, resembling the starship Enterprise just a bit.  It has six bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.
• Most People in Dallas-Fort Worth Have a Below-Average Commute –  I can’t complain, my commute is just a jaunt upstairs.
• I’m surprised Frontburner didn’t have one mention about Larry Hagman’s last appearance as J.R.
• I think I’ve only seen two lightning bugs (fireflies) in my life.
• Random thought for political drama that I don’t even know that’s constitutionally legal: The Supreme Court Chief Justice dies and a sitting U.S. President in his or her final year nominates him or herself as Chief Justice.  That idea came to mind when reading up on President Howard Taft, who was appointed Chief Justice by President Warren G. Harding.  I guess that’s the only way for a President to ‘lose’ the title of President, by becoming Chief Justice?  But then again, John Quincy Adams became a congressman after the presidency, so I wonder what was the proper title to address him by, Mr President or Mr Congressman?
• One final thought about Taft’s presidency, did you know he appointed SIX justices to the Supreme Court in his only term? FDR appointed eight, but he did that over the span of twelve years, and Washington, in his two terms, appointed ten.
• I was going through some of my father’s old files and ran across the last printed edition of Camp Wolters newspaper.  I think one day I’ll dontate that paper to my hometown or it’s library.
• DWI suspect tries to flee accident scene in battery-powered toy truck
• Astronauts will use their feces as a radiation shield on 2018 mission to Mars
• Carrie Fisher Confirms Return As Princess Leia In Star Wars Episode 7

• I took advantage of the high 80-degree weather and took GirlGeeding for a bike ride with a stop in the park to feed the ducks – it was the best time spent all year.
• Speaking of bike riding- Washington Republican: Bicycles cause more pollution than cars
• What a tragedy in Florida with that sink hole that swallowed a man while he was sleeping.  I saw a backhoe demolishing the house and it made me wonder how nervous that backhoe operator must of been, surely he must of feared he could also become a victim.  I also wonder how much property values in that neighborhood dropped overnight.
• A few final Van Cliburn thoughts
  • It was reported that when he won the Tchaikovsky Competition that was held in Moscow in 1958, the judges first went to Premier Nikita Khrushchev to ask his permission to award an American the prize. If that story is true and if Khrushchev said yes, isn’t that one moment in his life extraordinarily life changing?  Imagine if Khrushchev said no . . . no ticker tape parade in NYC, no TIME magazine cover, and more than likely he wouldn’t have played for every living U.S. president since Eisenhower, or receive a Kennedy Center Honor, or the international competition in Fort Worth that bears his name may never have existed.  I’m sure he would have had a great career, but without Khrushchev saying yes, it certainly wouldn’t have been as grand.
  • It was well known that he was gay, but I wasn’t aware that he was a devout Baptist, which surprised me.  However, once I heard his funeral was held at Broadway Baptist Church where he was a long time member, that rung a bell.  Back in 2010 Broadway Baptist pulled out of the Baptist General Convention of Texas over homosexuality.  Per their pastor, “We’re committed to welcoming all people here, and we would not want to do anything that would be hurtful to anyone just to please the BGCT.”
  • While watching the coverage of his funeral on CBS11, it was reported that he was survived by his “long-time friend Thomas L. Smith.”  However, I saw other news outlets refer to Smith as “partner”.  I wonder why CBS11 went with “friend”.
  • “Van Cliburn” always sounded like a last name.
• I hope when I die, the years leading up to my death, I’m still able to walk and get about very well.
• Kate Middleton (and hair-receding hubby prince) attended a friend’s wedding recently.  I’m sure the bride must appreciate royal attendance, but at the same time, how can Middleton and the future King of England not upstage the bride?
• I’ve never eaten a bear claw.
• There’s a trend that’s been going around the Internet for a while of people holding old photos against current day backgrounds in which the photo was taken.  I’ve grown tired of many of them, but this one of an abandoned Detroit high school was a bit fascinating in a haunting kind of way.  It’s definitely worth a minute of your time.
• I bet every medium to large office has that one employee that has to ‘Reply All’ when it’s just not needed.  You know the type, the boss will send an email to the staff wishing a safe and sound 4th of July and that employee will be the only one to do a ‘Reply All’ thanking the boss and wishing him or her the same.
• Locust Swarms Descend on Egypt Like Biblical Plague
• 26 billionaires live in North Texas – The richest is Alice Walton who lives in my small home town, but on most lists it states she lives in Fort Worth.
• Leaked Memo: How Texas Tech Could Craft The Image Of Its New Coach And Become “The Hippest School In The Game”
• I fell for it and should have known better, especially for only $5k: $5,000 online baby-name contest revealed as hoax
• Surrogate offered $10,000 to abort baby

• Harrison Ford Joins Anchorman: The Legend Continues

• I’ll my you, J.R. Ewing, and I guess it’s fitting we are left wondering in your final episode who shot you.  At least we know it’s not Kristin Shepard* this time.

*Random fact, the actress that played Kristen Shepard was Mary Crosby, daughter of Bing Crosby.