A big thank-you to the San Antonio Spurs. That was a classy move with the way they introduced Dirk when the opposing team starting lineup was announced. Like all home teams, they announce each opposing player in the most mundane way. However, when they got to Dirk, they turned out the lights, played a tribute video, and then announced Dirk with so much fanfare you’d think he was a hometown hero. Their former nemesis was brought to tears.
I hope one of our local media outlets will get the backstory on how the Mavs got those NBA legends to show up for Dirk’s tribute and how they kept it so secret. When did they fly in? How and when did they get to the arena without anyone noticing? How long ago was this planned? What’s a chafing dish?
The upstairs toilet decided to overflow, but it wasn’t from the bowl, it was coming from the tank. The flush valve wouldn’t shut off, so the tank kept filling and water exited from the toilet handle. This was discovered when one of the kids noticed water was rapidly dripping from one of the downstairs fire alarms and the light fixture (which looks like a small fishbowl) was half full of water. The first thing I did was shut off the main power. I simply don’t mess around with electricity. After shutting off water to the toilet, I removed the fire alarm and light fixture from the ceiling and dried everything as much as possible. The drywall ceiling was a bit damp and only shows damage if you stare at it. I was puzzled with what to do to prevent mold, there was no open access area to dry the area between floors, I’d have to cut through the drywall. I think we were lucky we caught it in time that there wasn’t enough water to really soak or flood the house.
This is one of the better articles you’ll ever read about AI. It delves into the difference between AI and automation and how it represents more of a marketing term than a technical one.
I’m enjoying all this black hole coverage. I became enamored with the black hole ever since I watched Interstellar, and the movie got so much right, despite the title of this article.
I really like these two videos from this scientist. He posted the first video a day or two before the photo was revealed predicting what it would look like, and he was dead on. It one of those you don’t think you’ll watch all the way through since it nine minutes long, but he pulls you in with his gift of teaching. The second video was posted after the image of the black hole was revealed and provides some great background and graphics which really conceptualizes it.
I’m so happy I watched Dirk’s last game and especially glad I watched the post-game ceremony. Holy cow, Mark Cuban really knows how to honor a guy. Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Detlef Schrempf and Shawn Kemp, each of whom Nowitzki called his personal player influences were surprise guests. Larry Bird never does this sort of stuff.
Dirk is so loved by this city. We were fortunate to watch him grow before our eyes, fight through defeats and setbacks, and celebrate the triumphs. The man could have easily left for another team, but chose to stay here and play for less money. Not only that, he gives back to the city in many ways. Charity, as you’d expect, but you find him rooting for all our local and Texas sports teams. And now, he’s going to make Dallas his home and proclaims himself a Texan. It was fun celebrating him and to see him celebrate us.
It was fun watching the Mavs play last night, seeing all the local celebrities be a part of it. I’m a little surprised former President George W. Bush wasn’t in attendance, but then again, I don’t recall him ever being present for any games at the American Airlines Center – he’s more of a Rangers and Cowboys fan. Oh, and occasional SMU basketball fan. But at least he made a video tribute.
I only want Dirk to play one more year, at least one game next year, for the sole reason that he wouldn’t have to go into the Basketball Hall of Fame with D Wade at his side.
I’m not a fan of lemon wedges in any of my drinks. Back in the day, I used to specifically request wait staff to not give me one because I didn’t to be wasteful, but now WifeGeeding will snag it and put it in her drink.
WifeGeeding received a text from our new pastor’s wife (the pastor doesn’t have a new wife, we have a new pastor who is married) late Sunday afternoon inviting us to dinner at a local BBQ joint where kids eat free on Sundays. They have three kids close to the ages of our kids, and she said it was a last minute sort of thing so don’t feel any pressure if we can’t make it. Usually, I’m a bit suspect when it comes to these sort of invites (remember, I’m a cynic). In similar past experiences, I’ve discovered an ulterior motive. For instance, there was a time some church friends invited us for dinner in which we thought they wanted to get to know us better but their real intent was to ask for money for an upcoming mission trip overseas. But, that wasn’t the case this time. All they wanted to do was spend some time together getting to know us and for our kids to play with each other, no asking us to volunteer or take part in something. They are new to the area and living in an apartment and I’m sure they just wanted to feel like a normal or ordinary family. I did my best not to bring up church-related stuff. Sure, the church is his is life and he’s my pastor, but I wanted him to feel like I was trying to get to know him as a person and as a friend. Usually, I fear interaction with other humans, but it was actually nice to step outside of my comfort zone and get to know someone new.
I’m so glad I got out of high school before promposals became a thing.
During a routine medical visit last week, it was revealed to WifeGeeding that she has a cyst on one of her ovaries. The doctor isn’t concerned (and neither are we) but she’s scheduled for a sonogram as a precaution.
Despite living in Texas all of my and growing up in a small rural town, I still get annoyed when I see cowboy hats worn indoors. Lately, it has really bugged me when I see law enforcement representatives wearing them inside the White House.
We have Hamilton tickets for a performance later this month.
Before the start of last night’s game, CBS game commentator Grant Hill stated one team will have the chance to become “a forever champion” which made me laugh because I immediately thought of how Louisville had their 2012-13 national championship in men’s basketball taken away. (As if any organization can take away that moment or memory of when it happened is absurd.) I’m such a cynic when it comes to college sports, the corruption kills me, as well as how much money the non-profit organization NCAA makes from “student-athletes”. The NCAA reported revenue of $1.1 billion for the 2017 fiscal year.
Auburn gymnastics coach Jeff Graba released an update on Cerio’s injuries. She apparently avoided breaking her legs, though she still dislocated both knees and tore multiple ligaments in both knees.
Last night’s game had two players wearing jersey number “0”, I wonder how often that happens as I don’t see that jersey number often.
Basketball shorts are becoming slightly shorter and tighter, but nothing like the “nut huggers” we had to wear in the Eighties.
The cadaver assigned to Nielsen’s team was a 99-year-old woman who had died of natural causes. Her name was Rose Marie Bentley, but the students didn’t know that then.
But as the students and their professors were soon to find out, Bentley was special, so special she deserved her own unique spot in medical literature and history books. The reason? A condition called situs inversus with levocardia, in which most vital organs are reversed — almost like a mirror inside the body. That, along with a host of other weird but wonderful abnormalities, made Bentley a sort of medical unicorn.
