Bag of Randomness


  • This is how pencils are sharpened in a factory.
  • When I see specials on how certain products are made, sometimes I’m more impressed and more interested in how the factory was created and the thought process involved.
  • It appears that Texas Ranger and “I am Second” spokesperson has experienced a relapse with alcoholism.  If he wasn’t a world class athlete, he certainly wouldn’t be getting the help he needs, and I doubt if there is another active local athlete who is put higher on a pedestal.  With that said, I hope the best for him.
  • I wonder how this is going to impact contract negotiations, does this mean the Rangers can get him for cheaper?  Perhaps the Rangers should have pursued Prince Fielder harder, but then again, his contact demands were crazy.
  • I recall that at one point the Rangers were going to hire his father-in-law to basically follow him around and be an accountability partner because the person that was doing it left the organization.
  • Donovan McNabb stated he doesn’t want to retire.  It would surprise me to see Jerry sign him as a backup.
  • If it’s a choice between weights or cardio, give me weights.
  • I was involved in an argument at work and at one point was told, “Lets go outside and finish this.”  Thankfully, I have witnesses, and at the end of the day, I made an effort to tell him I would like to make things right before I leave and we left on a handshake.  And in case you were wondering, there’s no way I would have been able to compete with the guy, he about the size and looks like LeBron.  But uglier.
  • The UIL listed Texas high school district realignments yesterday.  I never liked the name UIL, I always thought HHigh School” should have been noted in the name instead of “University” although I understand why “University” was used.
  • If you are skilled in combative-western boxing, here’s a job to train the Navy SEALs.
  • NASA has released another amazing picture of the Earth.
  • My two brothers-in-law have always use the name “Walt” towards each other as some kind of punchline, which was a major concern for me in naming our about-to-be-here-son, so that’s why I sent the email that I did the other day expressing how special that name means to me, and that to me it’s not a punchline and that I have a concern that our son would feel his name was being made fun of.  The response I got back didn’t give me much hope that they would respect my feelings or be considerate to my son regarding his name.  I thought with the approach I took with that email that some grace would be extended.
  • I use to get upset when people told me I was a sensitive guy, but now I just kind of realize that makes me who I am, for better or worse.  I’m also getting to the point that I’m going to stop repressing things that really upset me and I’m going to try to be direct but respectful about my feelings.
  • The elementary kids across the ally were playing loudly in the backyard around 10:30 PM last night.  I played the grumpy old man asking them to keep it down.  What elementary school kids are doing outside playing at that time makes me question some parenting skills.
  • I had no idea that Scar from The Lion King had a cameo in Hercules.
  • I just found out that I work less than a mile from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure national headquarters.  You know, if there’s one organization I wish they would cut ties with, it’s the NFL because I’m sick and tired of watching football players wear pink for an entire month.  Perhaps I would be OK with a week, but man, an entire month is way too long, that’s a quarter of the NFL regular season.
  • I like how The Office is no longer allowing everything to fall in place for Jim, even though things did kind of work out for him yesterday.
  • There was a reference to the Donner Party on last night’s Big Bang Theory which made me look it up on Wikipedia.  In short, a trip from Missouri to California went bad and cannibalism was involved.
  • Thankfully the Super Bowl will be played and the onslaught of Smash commercials will hopefully decline.
  • Happy Birthday, Tim.
Posted in Personal | 5 Comments

McDonald’s drops use of gooey ammonia-based ‘pink slime’ in hamburger meat

McDonald’s confirmed that it has eliminated the use of ammonium hydroxide — an ingredient in fertilizers, household cleaners and some roll-your-own explosives — in its hamburger meat.

The company denied that its decision was influenced by a months-long campaign by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to get ammonium-hydroxide-treated meats like chicken and beef out of the U.S. food supply. But it acknowledged this week that it had stopped using the unappetizing pink goo — made from treating otherwise inedible scrap meat with the chemical — several months ago.

Besides being used as a household cleaner and in fertilizers, the compound releases flammable vapors, and with the addition of certain acids, it can be turned into ammonium nitrate, a common component in homemade bombs. It’s also widely used in the food industry as an anti-microbial agent in meats and as a leavener in bread and cake products. It’s regulated by the U.S. Agriculture Department, which classifies it as “generally recognized as safe.”

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