Bag of Randomness for Thursday, March 26, 2020

  • My wife and I both took a typing class in high school. But unlike my wife, I had to use an actual typewriter. I remember being bewildered there was no exclamation point key. To compensate, we would have to use four different keys: the shift key, the apostrophe, the backspace, and the period.
  • For Lent, I wish some of my friends would refrain from using the exclamation point. They tend to overuse it by including it in every typed communication.
  • When I use an exclamation point, I only try to use one, I never have a need to double or triple an exclamation point at the end of a sentence.
  • I think the meaning of the exclamation point has changed over the last decade. It used to convey intensity, but now it seems to convey sincerity. Replying back “Thanks.” can seem pointed or even snarly. But replying with “Thanks!” makes it seem likes something is really appreciated and has a certain niceness to it.
  • As for its origin, one theory states it is derived from a Latin exclamation of joy (io). Up until the Fifties, it was referred to as “bang”.
  • I’m a fan of the interabang: (‽).  It’s intended to combine the functions of the question mark and the exclamation point. Scott Pelley of  60 Minutes actually did a book signing at Interbang Books in Dallas, which was later heavily damaged by a tornado.

Amid a nationwide shortage of masks, Amish are sewing 13,000 to donate in Lancaster County

This story is about seven years old but still darn interesting.

I was swallowed by a hippo – ‘There was no transition at all, no sense of approaching danger. It was as if I had suddenly gone blind and deaf’

I reached over to grab his outstretched hand but as our fingers were about to touch, I was engulfed in darkness. There was no transition at all, no sense of approaching danger. It was as if I had suddenly gone blind and deaf.

I was aware that my legs were surrounded by water, but my top half was almost dry. I seemed to be trapped in something slimy. There was a terrible, sulphurous smell, like rotten eggs, and a tremendous pressure against my chest. My arms were trapped but I managed to free one hand and felt around – my palm passed through the wiry bristles of the hippo’s snout. It was only then that I realised I was underwater, trapped up to my waist in his mouth.

I wriggled as hard as I could, and in the few seconds for which he opened his jaws, I managed to escape. I swam towards Evans, but the hippo struck again, dragging me back under the surface. I’d never heard of a hippo attacking repeatedly like this, but he clearly wanted me dead.

It’s been funny witnessing WfieGeeding try to teleconference with her peers as they prepare lesson plans. She’s finally getting to experience what it’s like in my world. I’m reminded of this old conference call bit.

Coronavirus Has Slashed Global Air Pollution. This Interactive Map Shows How

How One Movie Theater Owner Is Selling Curbside Popcorn to Pay His Employees

Since he couldn’t sell movie tickets, O’Meara took inspiration from a nearby McDonald’s that was offering only takeout. Last Wednesday, he started to sell “curbside concessions,” hawking large tubs of popcorn for $3.

“We have a parking lot the width of a sidewalk and nobody else is open, so there’s plenty of space,” he said. “I’ll do what I can to get these kids paid.”

On his first afternoon in business, O’Meara sold $25 worth of popcorn in 45 minutes. He is now averaging $300 to $400 a day in concession sales.

My hometown of Mineral Wells is crazy again. I had no idea the original sign was made out of porcelain. I never understood why that entrance to Mineral Wells was chosen for the sign, I’d think more visitors would arrive to the town from Weatherford than Palo Pinto.

Back in the day—from 1933 to 1958—travelers on the Bankhead Highway were greeted with an unusual sign as they drove through the heart of Palo Pinto County’s biggest town. “Welcome to Mineral Wells,” read the placard spanning the roadway, “the Home of Crazy.” An arrow on the sign pointed toward the seven-story Crazy Hotel, two blocks away. Postcards of the novel greeting often showed the 14-story Baker Hotel towering in the background.

After the city removed the original porcelain sign in 1958, it went missing. Reports of the sign surfaced from places like a Dallas junkyard, but nobody ever found it. But now Mineral Wells residents can once again salute the sign after a local group raised money to erect a replacement earlier this month over State Highway 180.

Suzanne Vega’s a capella version of “Tom’s Diner” was instrumental in the development of the MP3.

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Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, March 25, 2020

This is the face of a man who is:

A. Doing his best to ward off COVID-19.
B. About to carry out a Dexter inspired murder.
C. Having a section of his house painted.
D. ___________

Like the rest of the quarantined world, I’m enamored with Netflix’s The Tiger King. You’ll see him wear a University of Texas longhorn hat throughout a lot of it, but what perplexes me is why on earth isn’t he wearing an LSU tiger hat? Seriously, how can he not be an LSU fan? Maybe he’s not a fan of purple and yellow, which would also mean he wouldn’t be a Hardin-Simmons fan. Fun LSU/HSU fact. When HSU started their football program back up in the early Nineties, they wore old LSU uniforms for games. Here are a couple of pictures from that era. Hardin-Simmons even interlocked or linked the “HSU” on the helmet as LSU does. HSU isn’t very good at being original at things. I thought our “All School Sing” was an original but then found Baylor lose it. Now, they even have special ring ceremonies like aTm. And for hand gestures, it’s the same as Texas Tech’s “get your guns up”.

The world needs a reboot of the Ice Capades more than it will ever need mustard. First World Problem: Even though I’ll order a Whataburger plain and dry, sometimes they put mustard on it. Usually, I’m not petty enough to return it, but there’ no way you can scrape off mustard, the bun absorbs it and the taste is overpowering, no matter how much ketchup I add.

Another First World Problem: Television reporters reporting from home who use Skype type applications never properly mic themselves. The simply use the mic on their phone or laptop and it sounds like they are talking into a tin can. They are professionals or work with professionals who can easily instruct them on how to attach a mic and connect it.

Lately, some of my not-so-close friends have started to shave or clip their hair on the shortest setting. As soon as they see me, the first thing they do is tell me they finally took the plunge, don’t understand why they didn’t do it sooner, and say that I was an inspiration and followed my lead. Next thing you know, they will start showing up with beer bellies telling me the same thing.

I’ve been reluctant in making an appointment with a pain management doctor concerning my back pain. I suppose I’m worried it’s a way of admitting defeat in some way or confronting a fear. A few times I’ve called to make the appointment but hung up after three rings, for some reason I was couldn’t make the commitment. However, yesterday I met with a pain management specialist and was really impressed with the doctor’s understanding, bedside manner, compassion, and knowledge. It’s like he totally knew what he was doing, duh. I also guess it helped that he was really familiar with my spinal surgeon, they are in the same building. Regarding COVID-19, the visit was everything you’d expect. Nurses were wearing masks and gloves, as was the doctor. Except for an examination of my body, he stayed about six feet away. Other than a slight change in medication, I was scheduled for an MRI and we’ll go from there. I have a follow-up appointment, but it’s scheduled in which the doctor will call me at a set date and time through some sort of telemedicine app.

Driving around northern Dallas yesterday felt like a drive on Christmas morning where parking lots are empty and traffic is fairly light. It would be a good time for fixing potholes or any other type of road construction.

Smartphone data reveal which Americans are social distancing (and not) – D.C. gets an ‘A’ while Wyoming earns an ‘F’ for following coronavirus stay-at-home advice, based on the locations of tens of millions of phones

On Tuesday, a company called Unacast that collects and analyzes phone GPS location data launched a “Social Distancing Scoreboard” that grades, county by county, which residents are changing behavior at the urging of health officials. It uses the reduction in the total distance we travel as a rough index for whether we’re staying put at home.

How do they know that? Efforts to track public health during the coronavirus pandemic are a reminder of the many ways phones reveal our personal lives, both as individuals and in the aggregate. Unacast’s location data comes from games, shopping and utility apps that tens of millions of Americans have installed on their phones — information the company normally analyzes for retailers, real estate firms and marketers. It’s part of a shadowy world of location tracking that consumers often have little idea is going on.

Spain turns ice rink into a morgue as coronavirus deaths pile up

 

What postponing the Summer Olympics means for NBC

Former Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States, Alan Greenspan (Mr. Andrea Mitchell), recently turned 94. I did a brief news search on him, and it appears he’s still active and working.

Whatever It Takes: How the Fed Aims to Rescue the Economy – The central bank is using tactics from the last financial crisis and deploying new ones to keep money flowing. Here are the basics.

The U.S. Navy’s Big Beautiful New Carrier Has Hilariously Messed Up Toilets

It has toilets designed so incredibly poorly that the entire system needs to be unclogged and flushed out with acid, yes acid, on a regular basis, at the cost of $400,000 a pop.

Navy sailors test positive for new coronavirus aboard a ship at sea – Three sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for the virus.

CBS offers a free month of All Access so you can binge-watch ‘Picard’ – Patrick Stewart made the announcement ahead of the season finale.

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Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Again, trying to accentuate the positive and look for a silver lining, at least a pandemic will decrease school or any other type of mass shootings. I guess when it comes to statistical data relating to that sort of stuff this pandemic will cause an anomaly.

And to think, I thought 2019 was a bad year and couldn’t wait for it to get over with. We aren’t even a quarter way through 2020.

Armchair Political Consultant – If I were working for Trump, I’d suggest the first lady come out with a series of YouTube videos, probably something simple like reading stories to kids and encouraging families to keep their chins up. She’s an under-used asset that can soften the president’s rough edges and combative nature and it will help come re-election time.

If a director is every looking to cast someone for Gerald Ford, I nominate the actor who plays the Mesa Verde bank president in Better Call Saul.

We visited a small Virginia town where drone deliveries have begun for real – Google’s unmanned aerial vehicles are bringing residents medicine and chocolates. Emergency supplies could be next.

Wing chose Christiansburg (population 22,500) as its first launching site for American commercial operations — it’s also testing in Australia and Finland — not only because of the relatively flat terrain and low population density, but because of nearby Virginia Tech University, a leading facility for unmanned drone research.

Oh, nuts. – Deerfield Testicle Festival On Hold

The Deerfield American Legion hosted “Testicle Festival” will not take place Saturday, March 21 as planned, as limitations upon the number of people together in one setting, have been set by the Michigan state government in a response to combatting COVID-19.

The festival has been moved to the date of Saturday, May 9. It will take place at the legion hall, 105 W. River St., during the hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The festival, which is held one day of the year, is generally a sign to the start of the spring season. It draw more than 2,000 people to the Deerfield community each year and it is the legion’s biggest fundraiser.

Funds raised from the festival — whether that be through sales of sliced and deep-fried cattle testicles and chicken gizzards, to beer sales and t-shirt sales — bring in the most funds of the year at the legion. The funds raised from the festival have allowed the members of the legion to continually make building improvements to the hall and its facilities, and to be able to give back to the Deerfield community.

Hotel thieves aren’t stealing toiletries – but framed art, TVs, a fireplace – They’re putting the average shoplifter to shame by taking paintings and mattresses. How do they get away with it?

 

 

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Bag of Randomness for Monday, March 23, 2020

I guess you can say I had a holy weekend and I’m totally poped. I binged-watched the nine episodes of HBO’s The New Hope and watched Netflix’s The Two Popes all in a three-day span. We just started to watch Netflix’s Tiger King and it’s as wheels off and entertaining as you’d imagine.

This family did a great job recreating Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

I wonder if any lawmaker of the stimulus bill being negotiated explored if there is a way for people to opt-out if they haven’t been financially affected. For instance, since I’ve always worked from home for the company I work for, I’m not affected financially like a waiter or waitress or a cosmetologist. It seems unfair for someone like me to benefit when I’m (thankfully) unaffected financially.  But then again perhaps people like me are minuscule. The government would be going further in debt if it’s just giving money away to people who aren’t impacted. But then again, they do want it to stimulate the economy, so I suppose they are encouraging folks like me to simply spend it and not save it or use it to pay down any debt. I suppose I could donate the money, but, well, I’m too selfish.

Rita Wilson is either feeling better.

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It was quite impressive and surprising to see Doug Dunbar of our local CBS11 doing the national broadcast of the CBS Evening News on Saturday and Sunday. It was a little odd seeing and hearing the national broadcasting formats, graphics, and music being used while he was broadcasting from the local station. Just to be sure this was happening, I confirmed it with Uncle Barkey on twitter. Dunbar later replied to my tweet with class remembering all those behind the camera making such an event happen. Sometimes I think he’s a bit full of himself and tries to pull off a Captain America vibe, but now I feel I’ve been too hard on him.

This online toilet paper calculator will tell you just how long your supply will last

Howmuchtoiletpaper.com is a website created by student software developer Ben Sassoon and artist Sam Harris, both based in London, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The tool calculates just how long your stash of TP will last you during a quarantine.

The layout is simple. Users enter how many rolls of toilet paper they have and how many times they visit the loo.
If you scroll to the “Advanced Options” section, you can really get detailed, customizing the average number of wipes per trip, the number of sheets per wipe, sheets on the roll, and people in the house.

Canadian Politician Defends ‘Paw Patrol’ For Encouraging Kids To ‘Embrace Capitalism’

Over the weekend, Canada’s Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer shared a video on Twitter responding to a CBC article critical of the kids show “Paw Patrol”.

“Does Paw Patrol encourage our kids to embrace capitalism?” the article questioned.

Interviewed for the article, criminology professor Liam Kennedy explained that the show consistently depicts government officials like Mayor Humdinger and Mayor Goodway as unethical, corrupt, or bumbling.

“I would argue that the Paw Patrol, as a private corporation, is used to help provide basic social services in the Adventure Bay community,” he continued. “That’s problematic in that the Paw Patrol creators are sending this message that we can’t depend on the state to provide these services.”

Kennedy added, “I just think that as time goes on, children might be less likely to critique the capitalist system that causes environmental harm in the first place and reproduces inequality.”

Baker Hotel window replacement

Here’s an earlier video of a tour of the basement, It appears the hotel was self-powered using steam, which I never knew.

It’s nice to see how this huge remodeling effort is being documented, quite nicely I’ll add, but I think HGTV could make a great show out of this, evening partnering with that couple in Waco and Fort Worth’s own Grace Mitchell. Hopefully, my tweeting will get some eyes.

I’ve actually been sitting on some Baker Hotel stuff for a while, trying to find a good time to post them. This seems like as good a time as any.

The backend of this video shows some great animation of what the grand old lady will look like once the restoration is complete.

At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, a more than decent fireworks show (for Mineral Wells standards) happened off the roof of the Baker Hotel.

 

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