Bag of Randomness for Monday, August, 28, 2017

  • Today is the first day of school for our kids, but today is the first day of kindergarten for BoyGeeding. I’m equal parts sad, happy, regretful, scared, and optimistic. I recall my first day of kindergarten and being so darn confused as to why my mother was crying. I totally understand now. If you recall, I received a spanking on my first day of kindergarten. So if BoyGeeding is able to come home spanking-free, he’s already a step ahead of his father. He also is fortunate to have his big sister at school, as I know she’ll be looking out for him.
    • Why did I receive a spanking on the first day of kindergarten? Well, you are relying on a story from the memory of a four-year-old. Yup, I started early and then repeated the grade. I recall the teacher, Ms. Simms, telling the class to complete a task and then to raise our hand to let her know we were finished. I finished, raised my hand, and kept shouting for her to come over. She was helping another student at the time and couldn’t immediately come over, but that didn’t stop me from screaming her name over and over. Eventually, she came over and swiftly put me over her knee. Times were different. Like I said, this is a memory from a four-year-old. I know for sure I received a spanking, but maybe I’m not exactly sure why because I don’t trust my memory fully.
  • My back has never hurt more in my entire life, but it’s all my fault and I knew the consequences of going to a waterpark. My love for my family and time making memories with my kids are greater than the pain I’m enduring and any embarrassment I may feel walking around without a shirt. What made it worth it was hearing my kids say they would only ride down a five story water slide if they could only go with me. We were lucky waterpark attendance was low since many school districts have started the school year and there was a nice overcast which kept up baking in the sun.
  • While at the waterpark my neighbor called to see if I wanted tickets to the Cowboys game the following day. I snapped them up in a heartbeat. It was perfect. The third preseason game is the dress rehearsal game, so you get to see all the starters for a quarter. And, since it was just a preseason game and free, if the kids fell asleep, needed to go to the restroom, or if we wanted to leave early, we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything.
    • In case you were wondering, no, I didn’t get these from the retired NFL player who moved back to Wisconsin. He never gave me tickets, this was from another neighbor. Interestingly enough, I don’t think I ever got the chance to watch that neighbor play in a game, other than on television. Funny thing, BoyGeeding asked why would we even go to a Cowboys game now that our neighbor is no longer playing for them.
    • Oh, my goodness, my back was hurting from riding a handful of water slides with the kids the previous day, and it hurt even more walking to and from the stadium and going up and down the stands. I would have rather stayed home, but the kids were really excited to go. Thankfully, painkillers made it all tolerable and I could rest all day Sunday.
    • The atmosphere at a Cowboys game is much different than a U2 concert, there was a certain buzz in the air.  You may recall, at the U2 concert, I mentioned Tony Romo was still on all their beverage cups. Well, they must still be in stock because the exact same cups with his image were still being sold.
    • I was really impressed with the janitorial staff and how clean they kept everything. For instance, BoyGeeding spill a few kernels of popcorn walking to his seat and someone swept it up in less than a minute. Oh, and if you ask for help, they are quick to their feet. I couldn’t find any cotton candy so I asked an employee of the stadium. They lead me down a corridor and gave me some out of a backroom.
    • I’ve never been to a game in which the skycam, that camera which zooms around the field attached to cables were used. I was surprised at how it blends into the action and is hardly noticeable.
    • I heard most folks end up watching the game by starring at the huge screen over the field. But that wasn’t the case for me, I usually just watched the action on the field.
    • The national anthem was played on a trumpet with no one singing, which was cool because the whole crowd ended up singing it and it felt more wholesome.
    • I experimented with my zoom lens again. Some of the better pictures are below, but here’s an album of the rest.
      • There was a security presence.

        This really bugged me, our seats weren’t in the right order – 17, 19, 18?




  • When does the 2017 college football season start? It depends on your definition
    • The first college football game
      Already happened. Navarro College beat Georgia Military College on Aug. 24, along with some other JUCO games.
    • The first non-JUCO game
      A bunch of NAIA games also happened Aug. 24.
    • The first NCAA game, the first Division I game, and the first nationally televised game
      Aug. 26, noon: Florida A&M vs. Texas Southern, ESPN
    • The first FBS game
      Aug. 26, 2:30 p.m: Oregon State at Colorado State, CBSSN
    • The first game between two Power 5 teams
      Aug. 31, 8 p.m.: Ohio State at Indiana, ESPN
  • NICU babies flown out of storm zone to North Texas
    • A version of this story aired a plethora of times on each channel. But it was never mentioned, and I was very curious to know, who pays for the transportation of all those babies? A hurricane is an “act of God” and insurance companies only cover a percentage of ambulance and emergency flight rides. A lot of times patients still have to pay for coinsurance after the deductible is met. I’m guessing that’s going to a be a surprise cost attached to the bill for many parents.
  • India Wastes As Much Food As United Kingdom Consumes: Study
  • There was a fire at Franklin BBQ in Austin
  • When I first read this article, I was thinking it was similar to a lot of articles I read before about how Texas will never turn blue or purple, but this one addresses a company linked to the California exodus as well as a few other anecdotes.
    • Texas Becoming A Magnet For Conservatives Fleeing Liberal States Like California
      • Stokes said he’ll be making the move across with the help of a company called Conservative Move whose tag line is “Helping families move Right.”

      • The company was launched in May and already, he claimed, 2,000 families have asked for his help. It’s been an easy sell, he said laughing, because Republicans like Stokes — who are trapped in liberal states — are desperate to leave. “It’s because of liberal laws that have basically destroyed the infrastructure or the region,” he said. It is also helpful that the local economies and job markets in Texas, especially northern Texas, are booming. And, when compared to home prices in big, blue urban areas, the housing is remarkably affordable.

      • When asked to describe what the company does exactly, Chabot said, “Our primary job is to help families living in more blue states relocate to red states.” In practice, he collects a commission from the buying and selling of homes.
      • Chabot’s goal is to establish a series of communities, primarily in North Texas, where entire neighborhoods are populated by conservative Republicans.
      • Per the mayor of McKinney:
        • “I think instead of just trying to kind of put together pockets of like-minded, I would think energy is better spent trying to figure out how to live and exist together and find productive solutions going forward versus insulating yourself from different thoughts and ideologies.” And, he argues, Chabot’s dream is probably short-lived given the influx of newcomers to Texas. Yes, many may be conservatives seeking refuge in a conservative state, but it’s just as likely many are liberals moving for reasons unrelated to politics. Yet, once they arrive in the red-voting state, their progressive views will have some influence on politics and legislation. As evidence, he points to the results of the 2016 presidential election in the state. Forty-three percent of Texans voted for Hillary Clinton.
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Bag of Randomness for Friday, August 25, 2017

  • I saw my neurologist yesterday to go over the results of my myelogram. He’s come to the conclusion spinal fusion of my L4 and L5 vertebrates would benefit me the most, especially since I’ve exhausted things like physical therapy and other non-surgical means. But unlike my orthopedic, he doesn’t think it’s emergent or will cause me any sudden loss of nerve damage or bladder control. If I don’t chicken out, I think I’ll have surgery in January. I’m putting it off until then for two reasons. I can’t afford the cost of it now, and January will mean my flexible spending account will be refunded. Also, putting it off allows me the chance to really consider all the benefits and consequences, and perhaps a third opinion or another option. So maybe I’m not necessarily putting it off, but just making sure I’m not making a rash decision. I will say, there have a been a couple times over the past month in which I wish I was already on the operating table.
  • Yesterday was meet the teacher day. BoyGeeding will be in kindergarten, and I think he has a bit of a crush on his teacher. DaughterGeeding is actually transferring schools, so this is a new adventure for her as well. Thankfully, both of our kids will be at the same school.
  • The majority of schools in my hometown were named after the founding fathers of Texas such as Houston, Lamar, Travis, Crockett, and Austin.  However, one school was named Robert E. Lee. For a long time, it had a black principal who later became our mayor. Current news events made me look up the school, and I must be totally out of the loop on my hometown news, but the school no longer seems to be operational. Lamar, my elementary school, is no longer operational but has been replaced with a new building but kept the name. It also looks like there’s a new junior high.
  • I can’t believe a man who filed a lawsuit demanding that Confederate flags be returned to his town’s main courthouse was dumb enough to say the following on camera:
    • “I don’t believe it’s a symbol of racism, I don’t believe it’s a symbol of slavery,” said Walker. “Hey, I go down the street, I see Martin Luther Coon… uh, I shouldn’t have said that… Martin Luther King. I mean, should I rip the signs down or insist they take Martin Luther King Street down or the rest of that stuff.”
  • I hope everyone understands why I selected the image at the top of today’s post.
  • Avoid at all costs if you suffer from coulrophobia – Alamo Drafthouse one-ups Wonder Woman whiners with clowns-only screening of It
  • This car was spotted in far north Dallas. Or as I like to tell my friend, Jimi, when he worked for a mutual fund company, Far Upper North Dallas – FUND.
  • Qantas challenges Boeing and Airbus to cross aviation’s ‘last frontier’ – Qantas has issued a challenge to the world’s largest plane makers: Build us a jet that can fly from Sydney to London or New York — without stopping.
  • Jay Thomas is dead. Every year I looked forward to the last Letterman show before Christmas for him to tell the traditional story of the time he gave the Lone Ranger a ride and for him and Dave to try to knock a giant meatball off the top of a Christmas tree. I especially got a kick out of the year Vinny Testaverde joined in on the fun and Thomas out-gunned him.

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