Bag of Randomness
Friday, January 16, 2025

While reading an article on the penny being retired, this caught my attention.

American consumers made only 16% of their payments in cash in 2023, according to the Federal Reserve. A 2022 Pew survey found that two-fifths of consumers never use cash at all.

D-FW to receive 50,000 dozen free eggs following settlement over pandemic price-gouging – Egg company Cal-Maine will donate more than 2 million eggs as part of a settlement with the state of Texas.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement with Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., one of the nation’s largest egg suppliers, that includes the donation of more than 2 million eggs to food banks across the state as part of a lawsuit alleging price gouging during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At least 30,000 dozen eggs will be delivered to the North Texas Food Bank, and another 20,000 dozen to the Tarrant Area Food Bank, according to a news release.

Some folks love this integration; others hate where technology is leading us.

Google Starts Scanning Your Photos For People And Places—Decision Time

Google has now confirmed the biggest upgrade to Gemini we have seen… and sees AI link all your Google platforms together to personalize its offering. For some this is a game-changer. For others, it’s terrifying.

Google says it’s “a step towards truly personal AI.” If it works as billed it’s undoubtedly powerful.

… if you upgrade, “your Google Photos data is used to infer your interests, relationships to people in your photos, and where you’ve been, including by associating your face with corresponding location data and timestamps.” And inferring intelligence from photos is a heavy focus within the example use cases Google has released.

For example, suggesting tire types for a family car by “referencing our family road trips to Oklahoma found in Google Photos” and then providing the license plate by pulling “the seven-digit number from a picture in Photos.”

Trouble in Aggieland.

Texas A&M decided to publicly cancel my Ethics class, and share a false statement that I declined to provide information, which made it impossible for [them ] to request an exemption. See for yourself, if this statement is true.They are getting creative!

— Dr. Leonard Bright (@drleonardbright.bsky.social) 2026-01-14T22:12:02.475Z

Say goodbye to the forklift.

I consider Under Pressure to be the quintessential rock song, especially the live concert version. David Bowie picked Annie Lennox to perform Under Pressure with him at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. This rehearsal is amazing. I got a kick out of seeing George Michael standing in the background singing along.

Here’s the actual performance, post-rehearsal. Lennox was asked by a fan which one of her performances was her favorite gig, and she specifically referenced this moment.

Mack Brown, Vince Young, and their team were recently honored by the Rose Bowl. That’s one fine inscription. How fitting it was Keith Jackson’s last game. Also, on that last touchdown, I appreciate how Young acted. He didn’t spike the ball, do a dance, hoop or holler, or draw attention to himself; he was composed, cradled the ball, and it all let you know how much he valued the moment. Nice and dignified.

Yup, that’s what you call an executive decision.

No telling what future versions of the Fleshlight will be like.

Scientists develop nanophotonic material that changes color, texture, and shape on demand – A serendipitous discovery with some interesting potential applications

According to a newly published paper, this metasurface is the first polymer capable of changing both its color and texture on demand. This behavior is similar to that observed in many octopus specimens and other cephalopods, which can “tweak” their skin for camouflage, communicate complex messages, and more.

The researchers essentially developed the material by chance, using a patterning technique from semiconductor manufacturing known as electron-beam lithography. Stanford engineers noticed that the electron beam altered the polymer’s ability to absorb liquids. When they examined the nanostructures on the polymer film with a scanning electron microscope, they observed that the material could also display different colors and surface textures.

The future is now. And, I hope I made one person laugh with how I teased the article.

 

 

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Friday, January 16, 2025

Bag of Randomness
Monday, January 12, 2026

To pass a little time, I decided to see what was on Netflix. The first thing that appeared was the limited series His & Hers, and since I’ll watch almost anything with Jon Bernthal, I decided to give it a try despite knowing nothing about it. I had no idea I was going to binge-watch the entire series, all six episodes, and while the twist ending doesn’t quite land like The Sixth Sense, it does more than stick the landing, and you won’t see it coming.

In short, it’s a “who-done-it” set in a small Georgia town.

This TIME article argues for hosting data centers in space.

Data Centers are Lousy for the Planet. Should We Move Them to Space?

  • In the U.S., data centers burn through more than 4% of total annual energy consumption, says the Pew Research Center—a figure that is expected to grow by more than 130% by the end of this decade. And all that power generates a lot of heat. A large data center campus can throw off up to 100 megawatts of waste heat, sufficient to power 100,000 homes.
  • Even before the AI boom, in 2021 there were 8,000 data centers of various sizes worldwide—a number that has leapt to 12,000 in just the past five years. More than 30 countries are home to AI data centers. The U.S. leads the pack in data center count at 5,426, according to the World Economic Forum. The next closest country, Germany, has 529.
  • When it comes to energy creation and heat dissipation, space is a very sweet place. Put your data-processing satellite in just the right orbit and you will have constant exposure to sunlight—which solar panels can convert to bottomless energy. And position your radiators on the shaded side of your spacecraft and you can simply dump any amount of excess heat into the vast, -250°F environment of space.

And, you’re right. It would take a lot of them, and the trouble of getting them all up there.

Real estate developer Thrive Living is preparing to construct the first Costco with apartments in South Los Angeles.

  • The complex will have 800 apartments, 184 of which will be allocated for low-income households.
  • The Costco downstairs will have 185,000 square feet of shopping space.

As a lover of U.S. presidential history, I’m looking forward to reading this book featured in TIME. Hopefully, I’ll soon be employed and can actually afford to purchase it.

What I Witnessed Working In the White House for 37 Years – Gary J. Walters is a former chief usher at the White House and author of “White House Memories.”

Of all things, this tickled me, and totally doesn’t surprise me.

In 2006, I saw President George W. Bush take a bike ride around the State Floor. The bike had been a gift from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan. It was a fold-up bike of a new design. The president immediately got on it and rode it down the Cross Hall.

Oh, and here’s a random bit of presidential history trivia I learned just recently.

One assumes it was a coincidence that Lyndon Baines Johnson and his wife, Claudia, better known as Lady Bird, both ended up with the initials LBJ, but it was certainly intentional that both their daughters and one of their many dogs continued the trend. Lynda Bird Johnson was born on March 19, 1944, and Luci Baines Johnson followed on July 2, 1947. But I didn’t know that their dog also had the same initials, Little Beagle Johnson.

Granted, the Johnsons had several beagles, and not all of them had the initials. On June 15th, 1966, President Johnson‘s beagle was accidentally run over by the White House limousine in the driveway of the mansion.

The dog, according to the President’s deputy press secretary, Robert H. Fleming, was chasing a squirrel, ran between the front and rear wheels of the car and was struck.

Lynda Bird Johnson, the President’s older daughter, ran into a meeting the President was having with the chairmen of House committees to tell him of the accident. She was in tears.

In addition to House chairmen, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara were with Mr. Johnson when he got the news from his daughter. The President was holding a briefing session with his visitors on the Vietnam and North Atlantic treaty problems.

The President was reported to have said to an aide: “We are having a sad time at the White House tonight.”

Newsmen first heard of the accident in Lincoln, Neb., where the President’s wife told reporters after being told herself by a Secret Service man. She said the news was the kind “that makes you feel like you have been hit in the stomach with a hard rock.”

Mr. Fleming said that the limousine chauffeur, believed to be an Army driver from the White House motor pool, was driving very slowly but a rear wheel crushed the dog, killing it instantly.

When the Johnsons came to the White House in 1963 they brought two beagles, Him and Her. Her died after swallowing a stone while playing on the White House lawn.

…

President Johnson played daily with Him, as he had with Him and Her. It was this pair that Mr. Johnson lifted to a standing position by their ears on April 27, 1964, stirring national criticism from dog fanciers who disapproved of this form of beagle handling.

And in case you were wondering, yes, it was the same limo JFK died in. I’m serious.

The D-FW metro sales accounted for 38% of the state’s luxury home sales – More than 5,400 homes in Dallas-Fort Worth sold for over $1 million between November 2024 and October 2025, according to a new Texas Realtors report.

Oregon Staffer Was So Classy in Gifting Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds Ball After Game

 

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A post shared by Benjamin Rohaly (@coachrohaly)

 

 

 

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Monday, January 12, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Thursday, January 8, 2026

Yesterday, the revamped CBS Evening News broadcast live from SMU. During the intro, which started with “Live from America!”, they teased that their final story would be an interview with Jerry Jones. The new anchor had the audacity to say, “We’ll speak with the man who built America’s Team.”

DUDE! That ticked me off.

Jerry didn’t build America’s Team. He bought it. Coach Landry, Tex Schramm, and Gil Brandt made it America’s Team. Other than hiring Jimmy Johnson, who restored the star’s shine, he’s done nothing but ruin this franchise in terms of the actual sport aspect, which should be the main one.  Sheesh!

There was also a small crowd of folks lined up as if they were a choir. It was beyond obvious, especially given how diverse those 15 or so folks were. However, I’m also certain the Tarrant County Sheriff was one of them, which really made me raise an eyebrow.

It’s not even allergy season. This is why you may have been feeling like crud over the past month.

This isn’t encouraging news for those of us who have been unemployed since June.

🤷‍♀️ Dallas is a top travel destination for 2026

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Thursday, January 8, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Happy New Year, folks. May 2026 be the year of gainful employment for me, and nothing but joy and growth for you. I for sure haven’t had a “good” year in over five years, so here’s hoping my luck changes.

Let’s cue Fleetwood Mac – Landslide (Live) (Official Video) since it’s the first song I can think of with the word “changes,” even though I never really have paid attention to the lyrics or the song as a whole to know what it means.

I used to hate all things manga or anime. Perhaps I should clarify, all things manga or anime other than Star Blazers and G-Force. I can only guess the number of times I used to pass the time hand-drawing the Space Battleship Yamato.

However, I’ve proudly eaten some humble pie. I’ve been watching a couple of series with BoyGeeding to bond with him, and I’m very impressed with Hunter x Hunter. I never liked the animation style and expected predictable storylines, mundane plots, and a lack of simplified character development. I could not have been more wrong, and I’m happy about that.

I haven’t worn a pair of jeans in probably five years. For some reason, I came to the conclusion that they are either out of fashion or something old geezers wear. I don’t wear dress pants or khakis, but something similar.

I’ve watched A LOT of Star Wars AI, but this one blows them all away. Huge. Quickly. I can only imagine what the future holds for entertainment. I don’t want to see anyone else play Luke other than Mark Hamill, and I can totally see him signing his likeness away for a good sum for the fans. I promise I’m not under-selling how cinematic this is, and it looked great on my big screen.

Bob Sturm, who lives in Coppell, spotted a mountain lion* in his neighborhood.

*Yes, I know it’s a bobcat, but this is an inside joke for fellow listeners of The TICKET.

The judge handling the Maduro case is 92 years old.

Politico: 92-year-old judge handling Maduro case ‘doesn’t give a s–t what anyone thinks about him’

Tony Dokoupil’s debut as the CBS Evening News lead anchor was a disaster and validates my fear that it’s a sinking ship. A mini-meltdown is not a great way to start things. And to think over the weekend he had the audacity to say on social media, “I can promise you we’ll be more accountable and more transparent than Cronkite or any one else of his era.”

Tony Dokoupil’s ‘CBS Evening News’ Debut Is an Inauspicious Sign of Where CBS News Is Headed

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Tuesday, January 6, 2026