Bag of Randomness for Monday, June 24, 2019

  • We ate at Babe’s Chicken Dinner House for lunch yesterday and a young adult woman brought what I assumed to be her emotional support or companion dog which literally sat at the table. A manager stopped by and the dog quickly removed his paws from atop the table as if he knew better. It appeared the manager was asking for some sort of card or paperwork but the young lady had a little trouble finding it, which I didn’t anticipate. I’d thought she would be used to having to show that sort of stuff and have it at the ready, especially since the dog didn’t have a vest or anything else to easily identify its role. Eventually, she provided the documentation and the animal stayed seated in the chair for the entire meal.
  • We traveled to the east Texas town of Van for a family reunion of sorts, WifeGeeding was included as a cousin. I got a kick out of these cookies. Van has a strong oil history.
  • BoyGeeding spent a good amount of time fishing with his grandfather. He caught eight perch and two catfish. I think DaughterGeeding finished the day catching two catfish, she wasn’t as into fishing as her brother.
  • Some of you are experts at smoking meat, so I was wondering what y’all would think about this setup. I was impressed. The was the back porch of a relative’s house.
  • One thing I thought most strange about this family reunion was that I didn’t see anyone take any photos, especially considering today’s culture. Further, I was surprised there wasn’t one big group/family photo taken. I wasn’t expecting anything professional, but the scenery was beautiful and there was a 93-year-old in attendance and someone who traveled as far from California. I just thought there’d be a picture to show all the different generations since they don’t gather often.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • The most commonly spoken language in every US state, excluding English and Spanish
  • Has travel demand to the Dominican Republic dropped and are hotel prices lower? – A 10th American has died while vacationing in the Dominican Republic
  • We caught a little bit of the Wallenda tightrope walk last night, which reminded me of the time this guy’s safety harness came off and laughed it off. But back to the Wallendas, one of their relatives, Karl, fell to his death at the age of 73, here’s video of it if you are interested.
  • I think most people would at least chuckle at a horse playing with a rubber chicken which makes a squeaky sound.

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Bag of Randomness for The First Day of Summer 2019 and Our Sixteenth Wedding Anniversary

  • In yesterday’s LiberallyLean post, the author was intrigued by Senator Marco Rubio’s version of the Lord’s Prayer he referenced in a tweet. That reminded me of my mother’s funeral in which I gave the eulogy. I thought I’d end it with the Lord’s Prayer as we spread her ashes, something unifying and commonly recognized. Things were pretty smooth until we got to the fourth line – some said “forgive us our debts,” some said “trespasses,” and others will said “sins.” It was a little awkward (and a tiny bit amusing) but I left confused as to why there were multiple versions of what I was taught as “THE” example of how to pray. I suppose that’s what started a phase in my life in which I delved into church history and denominational differences trying to figure out how and why there are so many churches (denominations, different sectors of belief) when at one time there was simply “one church” (Yeah, I know, it’s still “one church”, THE body of Christ, but you know what I’m saying.) That’s a long answer. But as for the Lord’s Prayer, I learned those raised in Presbyterian or Reformed traditions are more likely to say “debts ” while those who come from Anglican/Episcopal, Methodist, or Roman Catholic traditions are more likely to say “trespasses.” Those whose churches were influenced by ecumenical liturgical movements of the late twentieth century are probably more likely to say “sins.” Earlier this month, it was announced the Pope approved changes to the wording of the Lord’s Prayer. Instead of saying “lead us not into temptation”, it will say “do not let us fall into temptation” to clarify God does not, in fact, tempt people (I’m just the messenger, not saying I support the change, feel free to yell at the Pope – @Pontifex). I suppose for all of us English speaking folk, we have William Tyndal to thank, who first translated the Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek texts and for the lack of better phrasing, used certain preferences and liberties. All of this also reminds of an elderly man I once heard talking about his time in elementary school. Each morning, along with the Pledge of Allegiance, the whole class prayed together saying the Lord’s Prayer. He said he didn’t look forward to the part in which the Methodists said it one way, the Baptists another, and the Catholics, who made up most of the class, proclaimed it differently. He claimed all of this highlighted the different makeup of the class and small squabbles of which one was the “correct” version. So, I think these different versions have less to do what version of the Bible(NIV, KJV, NRSV, etc)  is being used than what Christian tradition a person comes from (Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism, Presbyterianism, Anglicanism, Baptists, Pentecostalism, Methodism). Huh, this became one long bullet point and I probably should have broken it up, oh well.
  • Since I referenced the Pledge of Allegiance, I’ll throw this out there – Personally, I don’t think Christians should be reciting it. This isn’t the liberally-hippie side of me speaking, but more the faith-based side of me being a stickler for things. Christians shall only pledge themselves to Christ and no other. Pledging your allegiance to something or someone is basically an oath to commit your loyalty to that entity. Jesus himself said, “But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all,” (Matthew 5:33-37) and “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). I suppose some of you will say I’m using those verses out of context or taking things to literal or to the extreme, and that’s cool. This topic doesn’t bother me enough to squabble or debate, it’s just a light amount of sanctimony I think everyone goes along with because they feel like it’s the right thing to do. If you are wondering, yes, I myself recite the pledge.
  • Delving into denominational differences and church history can seem daunting and intimidating, but if you’d like to explore it with some light reading, I suggest Adam Hamilton’s Christianity’s Family Tree: What Other Christians Believe and Why. Perhaps I shouldn’t say it’s light reading because I never read the book, but I did watch the eight-sermon DVD. A nice complement to that would be Richard Foster’s Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith. Even though he doesn’t make the specific analogy, I like the idea of how all these different streams of orthodoxy and denominations flow into the one river of Christiandom. I’m sure many of your expert theologians are raising an eyebrow, and that’s okay, I’m just an armchair theologian if that.
  • Your church history is far richer than you’d expect.
  • I was pretty shocked when I saw the news stories that the Baker Hotel in my hometown of Mineral Wells was being renovated. Anyone from Mineral Wells will tell you they have heard the rumors a thousand times, but this time there was a nice formal announcement followed with, “Renovations will begin immediately.” That’s mind-boggling to me.
    • I wonder what the new owner(s) meant by immediately. Did the actual manual labor begin yesterday afternoon?
    • The project will cost $65 million. Personally, I think that’s a little low for what needs to be done if they really intend to restore her to her full glory.
      • This sentence from Texas Monthly scares me and one reason I’m not as optimistic as others.
        • “Ahead of today’s announcement, Fairchild declined to discuss from where his group had secured the $25 million they still lacked as of earlier this year. But he was more than happy to remind me of the details of their ambitious plan.”
    • The first year of work is dedicated to removing lead paint and asbestos which sounds like a pain in the arse. That sort of work sounds mundane and it will be hard for the public to see any progress. Heck, I’d just like to see what the outside of the building will look like when/if cleaned. I guess you have to pressure wash that sucker.
    • I have my doubts even if she is restored that it will be a business success, but I have my hopes. And yes, this post is Mineral Wells heavy. I’ve always said it’s not much, but it’s home. It shaped me, it’s a part of me, and it’s special in its own unique way even if just for me.
    • The new logo looks nice, it’s regal-modern-classic and clean if that makes sense. And, the website is spiffier than I’d imagine. However, I did spot one image that’s out of place. The photo of the auditorium chairs wasn’t taken inside the Baker but from the old high school built in 1914. Here’s my proof, this is drone footage filmed inside the abandoned high school and I’ve cued it to the specific portion.
    • Somewhat lost in the news is that the Welcome Mountain sign will also be renovated thanks to a family donation. Yes, I know it’s not an actual mountain, but here’s a little history of the sign, which predates the Hollywood sign.

      • The sign was given to the city of Mineral Wells in 1922 by George Holmgreen of the San Antonio Iron Works with the understanding that the city would maintain the many electric bulbs in it. At the time of its installation it was the largest noncommercial, electrically lit sign in the country. 
      • This section of the article really caught my attention.
        • In 1972, a Warrant Officer Club stationed at Fort Wolters stumbled across the weathered sign and moved it from the city’s East Mountain to the Bald Mountain, where it could greet visitors traveling west into town on U.S. 180.
          • My father was a warrant officer stationed at Fort Wolters. I wonder if he had any involvement. Surely, he would have mentioned it to me at some point if he did.
      • I regret never hiking up that “mountain”.
    • I watched parts of the announcement ceremony.  Mr. Holiman, my former middle school principal who later became my high school principal who later became mayor, spoke at the event. I wasn’t even sure he was still alive. He helped get this effort moving when he served as mayor and he’s simply beloved by the community. In his speech, he stated when he first moved to Mineral Wells, he could not even enter the Baker Hotel because of segregation. But in three years he wants to stay the night as one of the first guests of the restored hotel when it reopens. Jovially, he said he’d like to stay for free.
    • For Mineral Wells, that’s an impressive crowd.

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Bag of Randomness for Thursday, July 20, 2019

  • I ran across this insightful question the other day and love it. I asked it to a friend. What I appreciated was that he chose not to answer immediately, he wanted to think about for a day or two. Sometimes it’s better to mull over something than to try to find an immediate answer.
    • The 16-year-old version of you just moved in and is now your new roommate. What’s the first thing you two would fight about?
  • Something else I ran across: In England, 100 miles is a long distance… in the U.S., 100 years is a long time.
  • I find it a bit surprising our state only had one vet school, and those Aggies weren’t going to openly welcome it.
    • Texas Tech receives $17 million to build the state’s second vet school
      • Funding for the Amarillo vet school, which was part of the budget signed into law Saturday by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, has long been a source of strife between Tech and the Texas A&M University System. Currently, A&M has a monopoly on training future veterinarians in the state, and advocates of its program have said funding Tech’s will unnecessarily drain limited state resources. Backers of Tech’s initiative have contended that A&M’s program, which has received national recognition, does not train enough large-animal vets to meet the demand in rural areas.
  • How To Prepare for Flat Earth Conference Coming to North Texas in November
    • Note to self: Don’t hang out in Frisco in the middle of November.
  • Estimated 10,000 people in DC are spies
  • 20 of the most Prolific Music Producers – Good to see Brian Eno make the list.
    • Behind all our favourite songs are the music producers – the masterminds that bring the songs to life. But who are the best of the best? We’ve looked at 20 of the most prolific music producers of all time, tracking their impressive careers over the years. Between them they’ve worked on thousands of records, helping produce some of the most beloved hits of the past 60 years.
  • Life In Space, According To 50 Astronauts
  • Here’s a new video about the possible restoration of the Baker Hotel in my hometown of Mineral Wells. It’s a tad too long and the music is a bit dramatic. To borrow a line from a friend, you know it is quality when they use Vimeo instead of Youtube. One of the men in the video was the second boss I ever had. I worked for him first as a busboy, then a waiter, and finally mowing lawns, sprinkler repair, and any sort of landscaping duty a sixteen-year-old boy could handle. Sometimes I miss that work, it built a lot of character and there was a lot of solitude.
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Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, June 19, 2019

 

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