Your Bag of Nothing for Monday, March 10, 2025

  • It’s my first day at my new job. I really want to make the most of this opportunity. I’ve been white-nuckeling it thinking the offer would be rescinded since DOGE and the new administration have been so unpredictable. Now, I’m looking forward to that first paycheck.
  • Sometimes I miss the days before streaming when you had to physically go to a Blockbuster and commit to a movie.
  • I don’t understand why people say “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” What else am I supposed to do with cake? Just stare at it?
  • I really don’t like dating and wonder if I can ever be compatible with anyone again. But sometimes, you meet someone exceptional and they give you hope. At the same time, you have to manage your expectations, otherwise your heart will get stomped on, again.
  • Ever notice how restaurants will call something “artisan” just to charge an extra $4?
  • Waste of time and resources? – CDC to study vaccines and autism, despite several studies already finding no link
    • Even if their new study supports all the old studies that say the same thing, the people who want to believe differently are going to continue to believe that way. As I was told going through a divorce support group, rule number one is don’t try to make sense out of crazy because you’ll only go crazy trying to make sense out of crazy.
  • John Goodman and Tom Cruise are teaming up to film a movie. That’s an interesting combination. Too bad Goodman injured his hip while shooting.
  • Someone posted this on Twitter, but when I fact-checked it, I think it’s incorrect: The ‘Blazer’ we wear nowadays, got its name from a British ship HMS Blazer in 1837, when the Captain of the ship had to meet Queen Victoria, and he designed this new jacket for the crew to look impressive. The design and name took off. 
  • Reagan and Gorbachev Agreed to Pause the Cold War in Case of an Alien Invasion
    • Shultz was talking about the Lake Geneva summit and mentioned the two leaders ducked out of a meeting to take a walk to a nearby cabin.“I wasn’t there…,” Shultz said before Gorbachev cut him off.“From the fireside house, President Reagan suddenly said to me, ‘What would you do if the United States were suddenly attacked by someone from outer space? Would you help us?’“I said, ‘No doubt about it.'”“He said, ‘We too.'”

      “So that’s interesting,” Gorbachev said to much laughter.

  • Dedicated to longtime and loyal reader Ben The Lawyer.

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Your Bag of Randomness for Thursday, March 6, 2025

 

  • I really don’t have an answer, and I wonder if the answer differs from high school, NCAA, and NBA. And, I’m not sure why, but I get a kick that this is coming from Scottie Pippen, who once dined in Mineral Wells, TX.

  • Here’s the article and here’s the video.
  • Employee refused to remove pronouns from email signature. A Texas agency fired him for it.
    • As I’ve said before, I’m all for pronouns but not for the reason why it’s debated. I’ve worked with a lot of people from overseas, and a lot of times I simply can’t tell if I’m dealing with a male or female based off the person’s cultural name and my ignorance. It’s awkward referring to the person in conversation with another person if you can’t identify them as male or female, the last thing I want to do is offend anyone in a professional setting.
  • I love The Onion.

    LOS ANGELES—In the aftermath of a stunning trade that saw the point guard move from the Texas city to Los Angeles, a homesick Luka Doncic was reportedly spotted Wednesday gazing longingly at a photo of a barren Dallas office park. “Oh, to be back among those absolutely desolate and soulless business complexes,” said Doncic, explaining that he yearned to again experience the industrial sprawl of the city that prioritized uninspired concrete structures and highways over green spaces and pedestrian-friendly walkways. “Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate Los Angeles’ lack of any discernible character, and the similarly congested traffic has made the transition so much easier. But it doesn’t hold a candle to Dallas. The Pacific Ocean will just never compare to a man-made pond that’s been dyed blue.” At press time, Doncic vowed to someday return to Dallas to attend a dental conference at the downtown Hilton.
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Your Bag of Nothing for Wednesday, March 5, 2025

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Your Bag of Nothing for Monday, March 3, 2025

  • It’s hard not to talk about politics when the new administration is directly responsible for your unemployment by terminating your job. It’s been a challenging couple of weeks. I’m fortunate to say that I accepted a job offer on Friday and my start date is a week from today. While it’s going right back to the same environment that continues to be rocked and is unstable because of DOGE and the new administration, it’s something, for now. Supposedly funding for this project was already approved by Congress and dollars are accounted for, but I’m also hearing how contracts and other things are still behind canceled left and right and recinded offer letters. So, for right now, I’m able to catch my breath at least a little, but I’m cautious it can all change on a dime. Just to be on the safe side, I’m still job hunting.
  • Interestingly, one benefit my new company provides is unlimited time off.
  • It’s crazy how half the country could not be happier with the state of affairs and the other half feels this is the most unstable our government has ever been. It’s hard to complain knowing this is exactly what the voting electorate knew what they were getting and this is what they wanted. I want to give the new administration the benefit of the doubt, but it’s hard when the people you have forged relationships with are no longer able to provide for their family because of DOGE. It’s bewildering how it takes six to eight months for me to have a full background check performed on me with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security interviewing my friends and family and verifying my work and educaiton history and DOGE staff not even old enough to rent a car have more clearance and access than I do almost immediately.
  • Rep. Mark Alford tells fired KC federal workers ‘God has a plan’ at hostile town hall
  • ‘Never felt more betrayed’: Red-state Army vet rages after Elon Musk fires him three times
  • I remember most of my conservative friends were elated when Dubya was elected and enacted the rule that a suit and tie was required inside the Oval Office because it helped bring dignity back to the office. Today conservatives are frustrated that President Zulenskyy didn’t wear a suit but are totally chill when Elon Musk wears a ballcap and a t-shirt. How hypocritical can you get?
  • “POC” was targeted because they thought it meant “people of color.” It stood for “point of care” in medical emergencies: This Is the Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.” – ProPublica
  • Charles Barkley was once traded to the Lakers, celebrated by drinking excessively, and later in the day found out the Sixers nixed the deal and had to play in a game. – Twitter
  • For some reason, I wanted to honor Gene Hackman by watching some of his movies that I never got around to watch. First up, Unforgiven, which he won his second Academy Award for. Dang, that was an exceptional western. I have this habit of watching older movies like these, then researching what the audience and reviewers thought at the time of release. After that was Mississippi Burning. Wow, that was something else. It was interesting watching a young Frances McDormand and Willem Dafoe. Dafoe said that he usually wouldn’t have taken such a role but he was eager to work with Hackman at least once in his career and lept at the opportunity. Other actors of note that caught me by surprise were Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson from Groundhog Day), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy), and R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket).

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