Bag of Randomness for Thursday, December 5, 2019

  • Yesterday, DaughterGeeding was getting her braces worked on and I couldn’t help but notice the snowflake above her and the assistant’s head and wonder how’d they react if the adhesive hook suddenly gave way. I noticed every patient being worked on also was in the same predicament. As one person on Twitter said, this wasn’t quite Final Destination, more of “Midday Detour”. Truth be told, this is a phobia of mine. You won’t catch me sleeping directly underneath a ceiling fan and back in the day when restaurants would hoist a heavy CRT TV near the ceiling I’d refuse to sit underneath it.
  • Not long ago, WifeGeeding revealed to me that she had an affinity for arrows and if she would to ever get a tattoo, it would be an arrow. While in the orthodontist waiting room, I noticed Lindale native Miranda Lambert had an arrow tattoo on her hand. WifeGeeding is also a Lindale native. So, the only logical conclusion is that WifeGeeding wants to be Miranda Lambert.
  • I’ve always wanted a doggie-door. We couldn’t get one installed in my childhood home because the door to our backyard was a large sliding glass door. This week, I fulfilled the dream of owning a doggie-door, here is a picture of DogGeedingII and OtherDogGeedingII teaching BoyGeeding how to use it.
  • We haven’t decorated Christmas one iota.
  • U2 are getting a channel devoted exclusively to their music on SiriusXM sometime next year.
    • “[U2X Radio] will feature music from U2’s acclaimed decades-long career,” the company said in a statement. “Never before heard interviews and live concert recordings; favorites and surprises from the archive; band curated playlists sharing personal influences both new and old; plus content celebrating their Dublin roots and much, much more.”
  • Netflix’s Movie Catalog Has Shrunk By 40% Since 2014
  • https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1200429771794059264
Posted in Personal | 1 Comment

Bag of Randomness for Monday, December 2, 2019

  • Yes, I know the above nativity scene is neither theologically or historically correct. Obviously, Tootsie Rolls didn’t exist during biblical times.
  • We’ve lived in our house for about 13 or 14 years and for the last several years we’ve been one cooktop upgrade from having matching stainless steel appliances for the first time. I decided to make that a reality on Black Friday when I spotted a unit on sale marked $450 off. I tend to be skeptical of any sale when I’m told how much I’d be saving because, in essence, I have no idea what they intended to sell it for in the first place. But this deal hit a price point I’ve been looking for and sometimes you just feel a “need” to buy something because you’ve been putting it off for so long. WifeGeeding and the kids were in East Texas visiting her family on that day so I decided to install it myself and surprise them when they came home the next day.
  • It’s funny how intimidating anything can be when you first become a homeowner, but over the years your confidence starts to add up as you tuck another endeavor under your belt as they become slightly more complex. I’m at the point in which I prefer installing a lot of things myself because I think I can either do it better or just enjoy trying to tackle the challenge. The gas range made me pause because I have a fear of natural gas from all those house explosions due to a small gas leak. To better calm my fears, I had my neighbor who installs kitchen countertops to inspect my work who spotted something I would have overlooked. Other than that, it went well.
  • Later that day, our 15-month over-the-range microwave decided to act up by not turning off. When turned off and the door closed, it was making a loud humming noise and the metal felt warm. I kept the door open and that worked, but after a while, the sound came back. After some trial and error and a lot of research, it appeared the magnetron needed to be replaced. The part would cost about $120, I’d have to wait for it to be delivered, then I’d have to take it down, disassemble and reassemble, test my repair and hope that it worked, and then would have to reinstall it over the cooktop and attach it to the wall. I chose a slightly costlier alternative. All the chains were advertising the exact same model microwave for a Black Friday price of $200 and two of the closest stores had them in stock.
  • While visiting her family in East Texas, WifeGeeding’s brother and father went hunting near what they call “the river bottom”. They stayed out later than normal, I think it was around dusk they started to drive home. As they neared a narrow bridge, they notice a man on the opposite side of the road approaching them. Her father, being his typical small-town friendly self, slowed down to strike a conversation. The man walked up to the driver’s side window and pulled a gun. WifeGeeding’s brother yelled something like, “He’s got a gun, go, go go!” and his father took off. They never looked back; however, both heard three gunshots and neither was injured and quickly called 911. The police met them in a church parking lot and they were able to determine their truck was hit two times (a picture of one of the bullet holes is below). There were actually three bullet holes, but one bullet made an exit and entry hole. As they waited in the church parking lot for the police to arrive, an older woman (with several missing teeth) drove up in a beaten-down car. WifeGeeding’s brother warned her not to drive any further down the road, but her reply was something like, “Oh, that’s my son,” and then drove off. WifeGeeding’s brother was too caught up in the moment to get the make, model, or license plate of the car. As far as I know, the man was never identified, questioned, or arrested.
  • Loosely related – Once when I was dating WifeGeeding and visiting her family, a lot of drove to Shreveport to visit the riverboat casinos. At one point, her father wanted to visit the local Bass Pro Shops and I chauffered him. While there, he told me how he noticed a lot of vehicles as of late had bullet holes. I explained to him those aren’t actually bullet holes but decals and were able to find some in the store. He was bewildered why anyone would want to have a fake bullet hole on their vehicle and politely questioned the sanity of the younger generation.
  • Survey: You need an annual salary of $113,000 to be happy in Dallas
    • A survey from Purdue University and GoBankingRates.com found that you need an annual salary of $113,085 to be happy in Dallas. It also found that people need to be making between $64,620 and $80,775 annually for their emotional well-being.
    • The survey also found that in Los Angeles you need to earn $204,855 to be happy, in New York City, you need to earn $219,765. Nationally, the study says that the ideal salary needed to be happy is roughly $105,000, they say that’s generally enough to make people feel comfortable and happy enough to explore bigger goals.
  • Nearly 40 percent of online Black Friday purchases were made with phones
    • While working on my graduate degree, I remember writing a paper about the future of “mobile tech” and the ability to make on-line purchases. I never thought it would take off, thinking no one would want to punch in a credit card number on a tiny two-inch square gray screen, but this was years before the first iPod or iPhone.  (Heck, the CueCat never took off!) I’m certainly no visionary.
  • Dwayne Johnson and Danny DeVito crash a wedding after wrapping film promotion in Cabo Mexico. The video really isn’t great nor all that entertaining, but it got me thinking if a celebrity ever crashed a funeral. That sounds like something Tom Green wouldn’t have done.
Posted in Personal | 1 Comment

Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, November 26, 2019

  • And to think I thought it was impossible to fit ‘MURICA in a bottle or to actually taste freedom.
  • The kids are out of school all this week for Thanksgiving break. I think when I was a kid we only got Thursday off and years later the following Friday. BoyGeeding walked into my home office yesterday and asked, “Dad, what do you do on the computer all day?” He knows is that I work for the government but doesn’t really understand what I do. I’m not good at breaking things down for a child to understand.
  • I saw one offensive drive by the Baltimore Ravens last night and was taken back at the speed and quickness of several of their players, it’s insane how talented they are.
  • If the Cowboys are forced to wear white and choose not to wear their standard uniforms, they deserve to lose. And yes, Epstein didn’t kill himself.
  • I feel like every year, a week before Thanksgiving, there’s a story about how bad weather may ground the iconic balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s not a full-fledge conspiracy theory, but there’s a part of me which thinks it’s something Macy’s like to say just to drum up some free publicity. What they should do state that during the parade, one random balloon will break apart, kinda like the Barney one years ago.
  • Thank you, Congress and Mr. President – President Trump signs animal cruelty bill into law, making it a federal felony
  • I think these will make a nice Christmas gift (No, WifeGeeding, I’m not hinting I want these.) The US Mint is selling commemorative coins to celebrate the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary. Prices start at $31 for an uncirculated half dollar, $60 for a proof silver dollar, $230 for a five-ounce proof silver dollar, and a $463 for an uncirculated $5 gold coin. One side features a moon bootprint on the lunar surface on the coin’s obverse is the iconic ‘Buzz Aldrin on the moon’ photo.
  • There’s a lot to dissect about this tweet.
    • The agency he was the head of was the one he wanted to abolish.
    • “Happy Holidays” – That sounds like liberal speak, why didn’t he fit in a “Merry Christmas!”?
    • He’s dressing like Trump, notice the red tie and oversized blazer. It’s a different material than his pants, which means he’s not wearing a suit. I would have thought he’d always wear a suit to the White House, especially on his last day. Maybe the jacket is oversized because he’s lost some weight. If that’s the case, it’s time to start a conspiracy theory about his health and that’s the reason why he’s leaving his post.
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments