Your Bag of Nothing for Monday, January 13, 2025

  • This was a nice way for Habitat For Humanity to Honor President Carter.
  • While watching the first half of the Cotton Bowl from AT&T Stadium, my screen would randomly freeze or become out of focus. It was very similar to what the Tyson/Paul fight looked like on Netflix. That stadium is cursed. The Longhorns certainly don’t play well in it; they are 1-2 in games there.
  • Any Longhorn fan complaining about Quinn Ewers is a bonafide idiot. All the guy did was go 27 straight games with a Passing TD (longest active streak in the FBS), go 21-5 over the last 2 seasons, and returned the program to relevance by taking them to the College Football Playoffs two straight years. Also, beating Alabama and Michigan in their home stadiums is a pretty big accomplishment, even if Michigan wasn’t as strong a last year. It is crazy that his former roommate at Ohio State sacked him and caused a fumble that he was able to run back for a touchdown. It amazes me how life can be more unbelievable than fiction. If you saw that written in a story or in a movie, you’d roll your eyes.
  • I understand it’s only January, but this will be the best run in all of football for 2025.

  • I think Ed Werder might be on to something.
  • This man is a genius.

  • I’m not sure why I found this old video about checking frozen ground so interesting, but I did and wanted to share it. I guess I just never thought how it was done.

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Your Bag of Nothing for Friday, January 10, 2024

 

  • This video of the LA wildfires is insane.

  • There’s nothing like a state funeral for a president. Solemn, sacred, pomp religious overtones, and the pageantry and distinctive elements of military tradition get me every time.
  • What was distinct about President Carter’s funeral was that two of his eulogies came from people who died in 2006 (President Gerald Ford) and 2021 (Vice-President Walter Mondale). Their respective sons delivered both. People forget how much Carter and Ford disliked each other and then became close friends post-presidency.
  • When I took BoyGeeding and DaughterGeeding to Washington, DC, two summers ago, I made sure we took in the National Cathedral. It was moving to stand on the spot where many dead presidents in coffins were placed for their funerals. It was also interesting to sit and pray in the pew seat sitting presidents have used to attend ceremonies and take in the history.

  • In case you didn’t know, the National Cathedral is an Episcopal Church. During the tour, the tour guide and I got into a fun conversation, and he mentioned that he thought one day I would be part of the Episcopal Church. And, in 2024, I was confirmed in an Episcopal church.
  • I had to research the friendship between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and Garth Brooks, who sang at both their funerals and celebrated his 100th birthday with him. It’s bewildering that John Lennon’s Imagine, the song that literally starts with “Imagine there’s no heaven,” was sung for one of the most devoutly religious presidents in history who taught Sunday school at his Baptist church for decades. This is what I found.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood developed a close friendship with President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, through their mutual dedication to humanitarian efforts, particularly their collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. Over the years, the couples worked together on numerous projects, fostering a deep bond rooted in shared values of service and community building. – People

Their performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine” at both Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter’s funerals was a tribute to the Carters’ appreciation for the song. Despite its secular lyrics, including the line “Imagine there’s no heaven,” the song resonated with the Carters’ vision of peace and unity. It’s reported that President Carter had a particular fondness for “Imagine” and had requested Brooks to perform it at his funeral. – Tennessean

While some observers noted the contrast between the song’s secular message and the Carters’ devout Christian faith, the choice reflects the Carters’ broader humanitarian ideals and their hope for global harmony.

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Your Bag of Nothing for Thursday, January 9, 2024

  • School’s closed today and tomorrow, thanks to an impending winter storm. The kids really lucked out, snagging two days off during their very first week back from winter break—what a way to start the new year! It got me thinking about my own school days as a small-town kid in the Eighties.

    These days, parents get emails, texts, and alerts, not to mention the school district’s name popping up on the TV screen crawl. Back then, it was a whole different ballgame. Mom would be stuck redialing the school office, only to be greeted by that relentless busy signal— there was no informative voicemail greeting and leaving a message wasn’t even an option, just the sound of “try again.” Meanwhile, Dad would hover over the radio or keep an eye on the TV, hoping to catch the news. Waiting for our tiny school district to show up on the TV crawl felt like a lost cause.

  • Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I heard a busy signal on a phone. It’s funny how something so small can stir up such vivid memories.
  • Last night, I saw the kitten still on my back porch when I got ready for bed. BoyGeeding and I made him a little shelter and set out some cat food and milk. But I couldn’t find the little fella in the morning, and he never made another appearance. How. Freaking. Rude. I laid out the welcome mat, made his bed, provided a meal, and he left without as much as a thank-you. I hate cats. They are just rude. Uncouth, I tell ya. Not even a thank-you. Here’s hoping he returned to his owner and is warm inside a house.
  • During my recent deep dive into the details surrounding JFK’s assassination, I came across something surprising about the widely circulated autopsy photos. When I first saw them as a young adult, I was shocked that such graphic and unsettling images could be made public. The image of his naked body and lifeless eyes staring open haunted me—it felt as though all dignity had been stripped away.What I’ve since learned is that these photos were not officially released by the government or the Kennedy family. In fact, all official autopsy photographs remain under the strict custody of the National Archives, where access is tightly controlled. While many researchers believe these public images are likely authentic, there’s no definitive way to verify their origin or whether they were part of the official autopsy. Some argue they could be altered or unrelated, leaving room for doubt about their authenticity.
  • President Biden welcomed his first great-grandchild yesterday after his granddaughter Naomi had a cesarean section birth in Los Angeles. Biden, 82 and just 18 years younger than the late Jimmy Carter, is believed to be the first sitting president to be a great-grandfather while in office, according to The Associated Press.
  • I think this 100-inch virtual display has potential. But I’m not sure of the $950-a-year subscription model.

  • I’m fortunate to have made a few Canadian friends because of this silly blog, and I always enjoy bantering with them, learning more about their government and culture. With President Trump floating the idea of annexing Canada, one of my Canadian friends stated that would hurt Trump and his party because most of Canada would be blue. He also had a few questions about how adding Canada to the U.S. would affect the Electoral College, something he was unfamiliar with. Curious, I asked Perplexity AI  that question. For your entertainment, here’s the interesting answer.

    If the U.S. annexed Canada and transformed each province into a state, the Electoral College would be significantly altered. Here’s an estimate of how the Electoral College might look for the new Canadian U.S. states:

    1. Ontario: 38 electoral votes
    2. Quebec: 26 electoral votes
    3. British Columbia: 16 electoral votes
    4. Alberta: 14 electoral votes
    5. Manitoba: 7 electoral votes
    6. Saskatchewan: 7 electoral votes
    7. Nova Scotia: 7 electoral votes
    8. New Brunswick: 6 electoral votes
    9. Newfoundland and Labrador: 6 electoral votes
    10. Prince Edward Island: 3 electoral votes

    These estimates are based on population comparisons with existing U.S. states and the current Electoral College system. Each new state would receive a minimum of 3 electoral votes (2 for senators and 1 for representative). It’s important to note that:

    1. The total number of electoral votes would increase from 538 to approximately 668, changing the majority needed to win from 270 to about 335.
    2. The Canadian territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) would likely remain as territories without electoral votes due to their small populations.
    3. This annexation would significantly impact U.S. politics, potentially creating new battleground states and altering the existing two-party dynamic.
    4. The addition of these new states, which tend to be more liberal, could shift the balance of power in the Electoral College.
    5. Existing Electoral College votes for current U.S. states would need to be recalculated and redistributed to account for the new population balance.

    This hypothetical scenario would require a complete overhaul of the U.S. political system and would likely lead to the formation of new political parties or coalitions to represent former Canadian values and interests

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Your Bag of Nothing for Wednesday, January 8, 2024

  • Everyone is talking about the impending winter storm coming Thursday, which will blanket the area with snow. Of course, loyal readers know this will be an emotional trigger for me. But I think, as most things do, I’m handling it better as time goes by. Thankfully, BoyGeeding will be with me.
  • Driving my new car home from Denton last week on I35, all of a sudden, it sounded like the air conditioner fan went from low to high. Confused, I toyed with the climate controls and confirmed that wasn’t the cause. I didn’t think I hit anything as I was alert and saw nothing in front of me. I pulled over as soon as possible and examined the car, thinking I must be dragging something underneath. Nothing stood out looking at the front of the car, but underneath the engine splash shield, also known as the skid plate, lower engine cover, or engine splash guard, was dragging and bent out of shape. Unable to safely remove it, I drove to a nearby oil change place, and a worker was kind enough to remove it for me. Unfortunately, a wire came with it, and I was told the shield wasn’t correctly attached. He didn’t charge me anything, but I gave him twenty. Since I didn’t know what the wire was for, I opted to take the car to the dealership to get worked on, even though I found the engine splash guard as low as $122 online. The dealership told me I should contact my insurance because it was apparent to him that I hit something. USAA made an appointment to take it to the body shop, where I dropped it off, and called me the following day to tell me they couldn’t work on the car because it was clear it was in a collision and not repaired correctly, and the air conditioner was also damaged. They would now have a field adjuster look at my car, make an assessment, and then told me I could take it elsewhere to get it repaired. Some folks think I should ask the dealership how their 150-point inspection missed several things. But I’m thinking since I bought it “as is,” that will do no good. Others are telling me to reach out to CarFax about their buyback guarantee. Some are telling me I’m just SOL. As much as I want to take action on something now, I think it’s best to let a few things fall in place, such as letting the field adjuster do his job and get an estimate, and then go from there. But I am bummed I didn’t catch some of these things earlier before buying the car.
  • I am not a cat person in the slightest. But I found this kitten with two different colored eyes on my back porch yesterday afternoon.

    I let out DogGeedingII to chase it away, but that old dog just kind of sniffed at it. When I called OtherDogGeedingII to shoo it away, the kitten stood its ground and was prepared to fight. It’s literally freezing outside. I wouldn’t be concerned if the cat were an adult, but it’s still a kitten. Anytime I approached it, he ran away. When I went to trivia last night, I talked to our competitors we smack talk with who work at an animal hospital. They gave me the contact information for a rescue organization but also suggested that I contact my city’s animal control. It would be adopted quickly because it is a kitten with two eye colors, so my fear of it being put down would be put at ease. On the way home from trivia, I stopped by the store to buy some kitten food and a few other things. BoyGeeding and I used some stuff left over from owning our rabbit and made a shelter for the cat to stay in overnight. I’m trying to do what I can before the winter storm hits and everything is shut down.
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