Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, November 28, 2017

  • I’ve teaching myself how to let go of sentimental things and downplaying the importance of tradition. It’s one reason I’ve had the same Christmas tree for over 20 years. But when the kids were visiting their grandparents last week I decided to replace the old tree with a new one and have it set up (sans ornaments) when they arrived home. I kept dithering on buying a prelit tree. I think they are a great idea at first but then after about two years a section goes out and you end up buying string lights anyways. But I talked myself into buying one with LED lights thinking the technology is “sturdier”.
  • WifeGeeding’s parents aren’t much for movies or television. However, her father recently called telling her how much he enjoyed Big and was wondering how he could get a copy to show his wife.
  • I think this would be worst than Skynet – Spider drinks graphene, spins web that can hold the weight of a human
  • Many U2 fans were upset about how pre-sale tickets were handled for the upcoming tour and leaders of the most prominent fan sites wrote a letter to U2 and their management, who actually responded pretty thoroughly.
  • CBS fired Charlie Rose last week which leaves an open spot on their morning show. Scott Pelley was removed as the evening anchor earlier this year, maybe he would be a good fit. ‘CBS This Morning’, unlike their ABC and NBC morning competitors, is supposed to be just news so you won’t see cooking segments and such. I think he’d be a good fit.
  • If a Democrat is ever elected president again, I predict you’ll see Ronan Farrow as the White House Press Secretary at some point during his or her tenure.
  • Y’all know I’m a fan of presidential history and trivia. Remember when all the living former presidents gathered at College Station recently and George W. Bush whispered a line to Obama which cracked him up during Clinton’s speech? Well, I’m pretty sure I know what W whispered and it’s only because someone close to the situation claims to know. First, a little backstory. We all know Clinton has a reputation for speaking longer than he should. There are some legendary stories about it. He also has a hard time leaving a conversation. One of the best examples of that is the time Obama frustratingly walked out of Air Force One and yelled “C’mon Bill, let’s go. I gotta get home!” as they were leaving Israel for Shimon Peres’ funeral. So, at College Station, George W. Bush emphasized to the former presidents that it was important to stay within the time limit and Clinton assured all present that it would be not a problem. On the way to the stage, W playfully bet Obama that Clinton couldn’t do it. As Clinton went well beyond his time limit, W made eye contact with Obama and mouthed, “I told you,” and that’s what caused Obama to crack up.
  • After watching Hell or High Water, I researched the Texas Rangers law enforcement agency. In 2017, the average Texas Ranger is about 44 years of age. Regarding the movie, I give it a thumbs up, even though it was all filmed in New Mexico despite the setting being West Texas.
  • There was a story last week about a woman who was arrested for sending a bomb to both Obama and Gov. Gregg Abbott. It was reported Abbott opened his package but it did not detonate because “he did not open it as designed”. I’m thankful the man is okay, but I’m curious to know how much mail does the governor actually open himself. Offhand, I’d say almost zero, that it’s all done by a staff with the exception of a handful. I’m skeptical the package ever got near him.
  • An article for my fellow U2 fans who feel like you always have to defend Bono.
  • There are now more bowl eligible teams (79) than needed
    • The Longhorns fired Charlie Strong last year, but Strong’s current team is ranked while the Longhorns aren’t even bowl eligible. It doesn’t take much to become bowl eligible anymore.
  • Phillip Rivers, the starting quarterback of the Los Angeles Charges, never moved from San Diego and commutes. He hired a driver and spent $200,000 to convert his SUV into a film study room. Here’s what it looks like.
  • Munich ends its long-running love affair with Linux – It’s returning to Windows in a bid to simplify and eliminate headaches.
  • Elf on the Shelf phenomenon is 11 million elves strong
    • Chanda Bell got the idea 14 years ago to share a family tradition from her childhood that involved an elf sitting on a shelf. She never imagined it would erupt into a Christmas-time phenomenon that’s been embraced by millions of families.
  • Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon, In Character As Cheesy Local TV Hosts, To Cover Rose Parade Live For Amazon
  • While looking for old pictures of OtherDogGeeding, I found a seven-year-old video of him goofing around with a very young DaughterGeeding. They grow up fast. The days are long but the years are shot.

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