Bag of Randomness for Monday, February 20, 2017

  • I hear American Airlines will take out their tablet like devices which are set on the back of each seat’s headrest because passengers usually just rely on their own devices. However, I was really impressed with them. Not only could you track all sorts of cool flight data such as your current location, altitude, and speed, but the entertainment offering was great. There were plenty of sitcoms from various networks to choose and a decent amount of movies about to leave theaters. However, I was really surprised they showed them in their original unedited versions. For instance, I watched the first two episodes of HBO’s “Westworld” and was surprised and a bit embarassed at the amount of nutidy and sex which displayed on my screen. The viewing angles of the device don’t allow for the person sitting next to you to see your screen well, but it’s easy to see what the folks in front of you are watching.
  • A lot of folks enjoy or put up with traveling for work, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it often. The airlines pack you in like sardines more so than they used to. I also don’t understand how people can sit down for more than three hours straight without getting up at least once.
  • A lot of local folks are a fan of DFW Airport’s Terminal D, but I’m not a fan. It’s not as easy to navigate and baggage claim is much further than it used to be.
  • One of the most unfavorable things about landing at DFW is the amount of time it takes after landing to arrive to the gate. I timed it on Friday, it took 23-minutes and that doesn’t include the time the plane door opened.
  • I guess all the airlines which offer first class have to appease those customers, but wouldn’t it make sense to board the passengers who sit in the back first?
  • One thing that’s a bit of a bummer is driving down a street in the surrounding D.C. area and noticing it looks almost like your place at home with all the commercial franchises. I miss the uniquness of a community.
  • BoyGeeding had a Star Wars themed birthday party on Saturday. Our neighbor who is “currently” employed by our local NFL franchise was nice enough to give him an autographed football. Where ever he may end up, we’ll always be thankful for his time in the neighborhood.
  • Too soon? – The film Saved From the Titanic was released a month after the sinking. It starred survivor Dorothy Gibson who wore the same clothes in the film that she wore on the ship.
  • “You have no idea how many objectives can be obtained by humiliating one’s fellow man. But there’s a secret to it. A person humiliated can’t realize they’ve been humiliated.” –  Pope Pius XIII from HBO’s “The Young Pope” finale.
    • I finally got a little time to watch the finale and was a bit disappointed, and you could almost see the ending coming a mile away.
  • Prestonwood Baptist will withhold Southern Baptist funds as it mulls organization’s direction
  • I’ve been thinking about Gov. Greg Abbott’s comments about the NFL (see previous Bag of Randomness). I think he’s taking a page out of the Trump campaign book and will continue to make extreme comments.
  • Troy Aikman posted a picture to Instagram yesterday with the caption “My girl” and I’m not sure if it means he’s engaged or he’s just dating.
  • Food date clarification on the horizon
    • Where manufacturers now use any of 10 separate label phrases, ranging from “expires on” to “better if used by,” they’ll now be encouraged to use only two: “Use By” and “Best if Used By.” The former is a safety designation, meant to indicate when perishable foods are no longer good. “Best if Used By” is a quality descriptor — a subjective guess of when the manufacturer thinks the product should be consumed for peak flavor.
  • This guy had one heck of a DIY project. He took a shipping container and turned it into an underground party bunker.
  • Armed man carjacks Tucson mayor’s Prius
  • Brothers Jesse James, Billy Kidd arrested after disturbance at Lubbock bar
  • GIF – Failed bowling attempt
  • U2 Will Release New Version Of “Red Hill Mining Town,” Rework Songs Of Experience With Steve Lillywhite
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments

Bag of Randomness for Friday, February 17, 2017

  • Confession – I had a wonderful Valentine’s Day evening with my gay college roommate. I had to travel to Washington, D.C. for work and he now resides in our nation’s capital. It’s been seven years since we’ve seen each other. He lives in a house that is over 110 years old. It’s three stories and has a third-floor outdoor porch. He told me those porches were where the slaves or “the help” slept when the houses in the neighborhood were first built.
  • When using Google Maps for navigation, I was surprised to hear it welcome me to each state/district as I entered them – “Welcome to Washington D.C.”, “Welcome to Maryland.” When you live in Texas, you don’t often cross state borders because they are so friggn’ far away.
  • One of the best parts about my stay is that the area has no moutain cedar. Ah, my allergies and sinuses have enjoyed the break.
  • This is my third or fourth trip to D.C. but this time I made sure to eat at the legendary Ben’s Chili Bowl.  Maybe next time I can eat at Freddy’s BBQ Joint.
  • DaughterGeeding was sad about me leaving for a few days. When I arrived at my hotel and unpacked, I found this drawing which touched my heart. It’s GeedingManor, and she drew on the front and back writing the names of everyone in the family, including the dogs and the bunny. I thought this sort of thing only happens in the movies.

    However, when I talked to her later in the evening about it, she made it for her mother when she visited El Paso over six months ago. WifeGeeding never found it, so it’s been sitting undiscovered and forgotten about for a while.
  • I was surprised at how run-down RFK Stadium looks.
  • It’s interesting meeting your coworkers for the first time. Of course, we’ve worked together for a long time and have chatted on the phone, but have never met in person. It’s a bit awkward when you all first meet and try sizing each other up and trying to compare the mental picture you have of each other. I waited for them to introduce themselves as I didn’t want to guess which three white guys are who and which two South Asians ladies are whom (I’m too lazy to look up the who/whom thing so I’m sure I made a mistake here by splitting it 50/50). However, I am a schmoozer and like to turn on the charm. When one of the girls asked if they all were as I imagined, I told her that the men were scruffier but the women were even more beautiful than I imagined.
  • Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Makes A Cameo In Plano Teenager’s New Space Flick
  • I can envision the Republican-controlled Congress impeaching President Trump in less than two years because they find him hard to work with and defend, and would rather work with Pence and work on getting him elected president.
  • One heck of a quote by our governor:
    • “If the NFL tries to come down on the state of Texas, I might just pass a bill in the state of Texas mandating that all NFL players have to stand and put their hand on their heart when the National Anthem is played.”
  • I guess I’m a little slow, but until reading this article on rebar graphene, I had no idea that “rebar” was short for “reinforcement bar”.
  • ‘I know they are going to die.’ This foster father takes in only terminally ill children
  • Last week Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Tigers and the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and founder of Little Caesars, died and I didn’t think anything of it. But then yesterday, I saw this on the news and was genuinely touched.
    • Little Caesars founder quietly paid Rosa Parks’ rent for years
      • On Aug. 31, 1994, Parks, then 81, was robbed and assaulted in her home in central Detroit. (Federal Judge Damon) Keith called real estate developer Alfred Taubman, the owner of Riverfront Apartments, about finding a safer home for Parks. Taubman pledged to find the best home available. When Ilitch read about Keith’s plan and Taubman’s promise in the newspaper, he called the judge and said he would pay for Parks’ housing for as long as necessary. (Parks passed away in 2005 at the age of 92). Keith served as the executor of the trust established for Parks’ housing.
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