BagOfNothing.com

For anyone who has any sorry for Dak Prescott because of his devastating ankle injury and how bad 2020 has affected you on a personal level, just take a moment to consider that Dak’s brother succumbed to suicide earlier this year.

This has been a surreal year, & that Dak injury was a surreal moment in the #NFL.

Tony Romo, who was replaced by Dak due to injury, broadcasting during Dak’s gruesome injury. As Dak’s former coach and current coach meet from opposite sidelines due to their shared love for Dak. pic.twitter.com/jfea4td5IR

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) October 11, 2020

Michael Gallup made the most impressive back-to-back catches in Cowboys, and probably NFL history, and no one will remember or be talking about it.

We took the kids to the drive-thru haunted experience held at one of the American Airlines Center’s parking garages on Saturday. Every time I asked BoyGeeding how he was doing, he’d simply respond with, “Terrified.” It didn’t phase DaughterGeeding at all.

I was most surprised passing all the restaurants and bars and seeing how packed the parking lots and insides were. Ain’t nobody caring about social distancing or wearing masks.

Promotion of the Senator John Cornyn and MJ Hegar debate was poor, I had no idea it occurred until after the event. I heard more about the lead-up to the South Carolina debate between Lindsey Graham and his opponent than I did for the one in my own state. The South Carolina got more coverage after the event especially because of the following remark by Graham, “f you’re a young, African American or an immigrant, you can go anywhere in this state, you just need to be conservative, not liberal”.

Human ‘microevolution’ sees more people born without wisdom teeth and an extra artery – Australian researchers found our faces have got shorter over time and our jaws smaller.

The Atlantic – Schools Aren’t Super-Spreaders – Fears from the summer appear to have been overblown.

Since early last month, I’ve been working with a group of data scientists at the technology company Qualtrics, as well as with school-principal and superintendent associations, to collect data on COVID-19 in schools. Our data on almost 200,000 kids in 47 states from the last two weeks of September revealed an infection rate of 0.13 percent among students and 0.24 percent among staff. That’s about 1.3 infections over two weeks in a school of 1,000 kids, or 2.2 infections over two weeks in a group of 1,000 staff. Even in high-risk areas of the country, the student rates were well under half a percent.

Illinois Woman Takes Bar Exam While in Labor, Gives Birth, Then Finishes Test  – She doesn’t know yet if she passed the exam but she’ll find out in December

Sounds like the setup for a Trump joke – Venomous caterpillar that looks like a walking toupee sighted in U.S.

Recycling was a lie — a big lie — to sell more plastic, industry experts say
Social Sharing – Less than 10 per cent of the plastics we’ve used have been recycled. A new documentary reveals why

The Most Haunted Places in America by Thrillist

Here’s the entry for Texas.

Texas
Yorktown Memorial Hospital
Yorktown (about 75 miles from San Antonio)

The old beds, gurneys, mirrors, chairs, and other medical equipment are still inside, this decrepit abandoned hospital, where more than 2,000 patients died before it shuttered in 1988. Today, vsitors have described inexplicable apparitions, whispers, shadowy figures in the hallways, wheelchairs rolling unpushed, and a particularly terrifying talking doll in the nursery that asks, “Do you love me?” So um. Go check it out! The owner allows for regular tours and paranormal investigations. —Keller Powell

Meanwhile at Target… a bride's ultimatum. pic.twitter.com/CgvIX70029

— gregarious (@mistergeezy) October 10, 2020

Back in June, I finally spoke up. It cost me very little to take a stand for my personal beliefs but I hope it made a small difference to a few. Here is the audio and happy Sunday. https://t.co/xR7qkn8aMA

— Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) October 11, 2020

Feds say plot was bigger than kidnapping Gov. Whitmer. It was civil war attempt.

The Wolverine Watchmen militia group didn’t just plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but they were on a mission to attack the state Capitol and target police officers at their homes as part of a broader mission to instigate a civil war,  authorities said Thursday in announcing felony charges against 13 militia members accused in a sensational case of domestic terrorism.

Kidnap. Civil War. Target police – at their homes.

There’s no need for Russia to interfere in our elections, we do enough damage to ourselves. But then again, they probably did a lot to provoke this sort of thing, and it doesn’t help that Trump asks these types of people to “stand by.”

And to think most folks are worried about Muslim terrorists. These were white American citizens.

On Wednesday, Chevron became the biggest oil company in America. It’s the first time Exxon and its predecessor, Standard Oil, haven’t occupied the throne since the late 1800s.

I read a discussion thread about people’s ability to visualize a story as they read. I fall in the category of not being able to do this. It’s something I’ve tried to connect with the material I’m reading, but as soon as I start visualizing my mind gets distracted and then I do that thing in which I follow the words on the page but can’t tell you anything about what I just read.

MLB’s American League Division Series started earlier this week at Petco Park in San Diego, which is 2,789 miles from the Yankees’ home field and 2,470 miles from where the Rays play.

This sounds too risky, something zombie or Jurassic Park crazy is about to happen.

Well preserved 2,000-year-old brain cells found in Vesuvius victim

Brain cells have been found in exceptionally preserved form in the remains of a young man killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago, an Italian study has revealed.

I discovered the preserved neuronal structures in vitrified or frozen form at the archaeological site of Herculaneum, an ancient Roman city engulfed under a hail of volcanic ash after nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD.

Other than this tweet, I know nothing about this Arlington’s high school drive-thru play, but it looks fun and creative and they are making the most out of what they can considering the circumstances. Good for them.

https://twitter.com/TView_Theatre/status/1313861144143163392

The Sports Industry’s Gen Z Problem – The next generation of consumers isn’t following in the footsteps of sports-hungry millennials

• 53% of Gen Zers identify as sports fans, compared to 63% of all adults and 69% of millennials.
• Gen Zers are half as likely as millennials to watch live sports regularly and twice as likely to never watch.
• Esports are more popular among Gen Z than MLB, NASCAR and the NHL, with 35% identifying as fans.
• Kobe Bryant and LeBron James ranked as Gen Z’s favorite sports figures with 11% and 10% of selections, respectively.

Photography of Gravestones for a Historic Survey: A How-To Guide

How to take good gravestone photos:

The headstone that was being photographed in the image above.
The ideal gravestone or grave marker (not everything is stone, after all) photograph will include the entire face of the gravestone in one shot. This is best achieved by kneeling or crouching on the ground in order to line up your shot. Alternatively, you could use a tripod set quite low in order to achieve the same angle.

Getting a straight-on shot ensures minimal distortion in the photograph, which is especially important for not only reading the inscription, but to ensure that there is minimal distortion in your scale bar.

Somewhat related.

Honestly this is exactly what I want my funeral to be like, except I want bagpipes playing the entire time pic.twitter.com/sMbFpWmszS

— influencersinthewild (@influencersitw) September 22, 2020

Bit a language warning for ya.

What would happen if I tried to explain what’s happening now to the June 2020 version of myself?

Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/Ms7capx4Cb8

Part 2 here: https://youtu.be/xdyDpP2s-og

Somebody, please test the fly that was on the vice-president’s head for COVID.

You learn very early in debate school to answer the question you want to answer, not the question that was given. Mike Pence must have been an outstanding student.

Remember that time President Obama killed that fly during an interview?

I called a local business to get an estimate on a fireplace remodel. The teardown is already complete. They told me an estimate would involve a service call of $89, which they would wave if I wanted went forward with the work. That surprised me, it’s the first time anyone ever wanted to charge me for an estimate. I went back and looked at their website. They advertise to call them for an estimate, but nowhere does it state they are free or will cost anything.

I wish the media would quit saying Election Day is 28 days away or whatever distance we are from November 3rd. Election Day is right now, people are voting, and have voted for days. November 3rd is actually the end of the election already going on.

— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) October 6, 2020

I’m sure this isn’t only happening in my hometown.

‘Shocking number’ of Mineral Wells ISD students failing online learning, district says – “Several have never logged in or communicated at all in six weeks,” the district said in a letter to parents.

Trump’s medical bill would cost an average American citizen at least $100k, report says

17-year-old Maci Currin, of Cedar Park, Texas, is the brand new Guinness World Records 2021 book after being confirmed as having the world’s longest legs (female) and the longest legs on a teenager. She’s 6′ 11″ tall. Her left leg measures 135.267 cm (53.255 in), while her right leg measures 134.3 cm (52.874 in). And, she participates in high school volleyball.

On October 13, 1960, Nixon and Kennedy debated each other with one of them in L.A. and the other was in New York. It was a split-screen telecast. The same thing should happen with the next Trump and Biden debate for safety reasons. Not only for the candidates for to limit exposure to everyone who will make the broadcast happen. But Team Trump will never allow it, especially if the moderator has the ability to mute a participant’s mic. Trump thrives at being able to interject and interrupt, not complying by the rules, and bullying his opponent.

Court documents ask Parkland parents to prove mental anguish – Parents who sued a school district after their children died in a mass shooting at a Florida high school are being asked to turn over psychiatric records to prove they’ve suffered mental anguish

BoyGeeding took a study break and tried knocking down a wasp nest with his Nerf gun.

Wade Phillips still wants to work.

Watching and waiting the League not one team. Just looking to see if I can get an opportunity to help someone Win.

— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) October 7, 2020

Sobering (and brought to you by the military publication the Trump administration wanted to defund) – Years after they fought in Afghanistan, US troops watch as their children deploy to the same war

Nineteen years ago on Wednesday, a generation of Americans deployed to Afghanistan to root out the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks, believing that by fighting in the country more than 7,400 miles away, they would spare their children the need to do so too.

But as the U.S. war in Afghanistan begins its 20th year, some of those same service members have watched as their sons and daughters have deployed to continue the fight.

“When we started this, people asked why I was going, and my response was, ‘So my sons don’t have to fight this war,’” said Master Sgt. Trevor deBoer, who has deployed to Afghanistan three times with the 20th Special Forces Group since 2002.

Nearly two decades later, deBoer’s son, Spc. Payton Sluss, also served in Afghanistan — including at Forward Operating Base Fenty, north of the city of Jalalabad, where deBoer had served.

“My feet were walking the same land you were,” Sluss said to his father in a joint phone interview with Stars and Stripes.

Kayak put together a 29-stop, 7,500-mile road trip itinerary that connects the spookiest sites across the country. The only stop in Texas is the USS Lexington.

Ordinary People Caught On Camera Reacting To A 10-Meter High Dive

Vice-President Pence doesn’t want to speak behind a plexiglass barrier at tonight’s debate. Here, the Trump campaign has a chance to build a literal wall and they won’t don’t it. Heck. I’m sure Mexico will even pay for this one.

The Lincoln Project continues to impress me, and I won’t forget about them after this election. I typically vote straight ticket, but if a Lincoln Party Republican winds up on a ticket in a future election, I will first consider them before anyone else. The reason is simple; they demonstrated they will put the country first above all politics. It’s a true profile in courage, and they have won my respect.

Mark Cuban and Senator Ted Cruz got into a Twitter fight yesterday. The funniest comment I saw about it was, “If Cuban ever wants to get on Cruz’s good side, he should try insulting is wife.”

If case you have forgotten, Cruz tried to defend his wife by stealing Michael Douglas’ lines from The American President. So, according to Cruz, the best way to defend your wife is to bum lines from a movie and hope no one notices.

I’ve said it once, and I shall say it again, I’d rather have Donald Trump as president than Ted Cruz.

I don’t think Biden will win Texas (I’m reverse jinxing myself), but not only does his campaign think it’s in play, but so does the Lincoln Project and a Democratic super PAC .

Biden targets Texas with $6M advertising blitz

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign will spend $6 million on television advertisements in Texas as Democrats sense a new opportunity to gain substantial ground in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to a statewide office in a quarter century.

Biden’s campaign is not alone: Forward Majority, a Democratic super PAC, has committed $6.2 million in spending aimed at flipping the state House.

Lincoln Project plans Texas offensive against Republican Donald Trump, steps up Hispanic outreach

On Tuesday the Lincoln Project will announce Operation Sam Houston, a million-dollar effort that includes television and digital ads, according to a strategy shared with The Dallas Morning News.

The initiative comes a week after the Lincoln Project bolstered its mobilization of Hispanic voters in Texas, including hosting a Spanish language roundtable last week co-sponsored by the voting rights groups Mi Familia Vota and UnidosUS Action Fund.

My state may be flooded with conservative Christians, but their leadership are Trump-level insane. I’m already embrassed to be a Hardin-Simmons graduate, this guy isn’t helping.

Texas megachurch pastor Jack Graham, 70, – who sat next to two people at Rose Garden superspreader event who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 – holds maskless service and is NOT isolating because he’s ‘totally, ridiculously healthy’

The 70-year-old was sitting next to California mega-church pastor Greg Laurie, who tested positive for coraonvirus on Monday, and directly in front of former New Jersey Gov Chris Christie, who tested positive on Saturday.

Any song on a loop, but some are worst than others.

OKC jailers face cruelty charge; playing ‘Baby Shark’ on loop is ‘inhuman,’ prosecutor says

Man dressed as Hulk charged with smashing Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Employee accused of stealing at least $1.3 million in printer toner from Austin Public Library and re-selling online