Your Bag of Nothing for Monday, July 8, 2024

  • One of the D-Day stories I think about is how the beaches of Normandy were supposed to be bombed. The idea was to make a lot of holes on the beach so the men would have cover from German fire. But not a single bomb hit the beach. The bombers missed their target. It makes me wonder how many lives could have been saved if those men storming the beach had some sort of cover.
  • While I enjoy Max’s House of the Dragon, I find it hard to follow. No matter, last night’s episode had more action than I expected and I was entertained.
  • Abbott announces launch of State of Texas Taiwan Office
    • Gov. Greg Abbott announced Sunday Texas was working toward opening a State of Texas Taiwan Office in an effort to enhance “the economic and cultural cooperation between Texas and Taiwan, promoting more trade, investment, and collaboration between Texas and Taiwan,” per a news release.
  • Student who once loved school has lost hope in Denton ISD after years of bullying
  • This is an interesting way to fight the problem – More citations coming in Northern California after drone reveals illegal fireworks use
    • “We are combing through the reports to the Nail Em app, many of which contain time-and location-stamped photos and videos of violators,” the Woodland Police Department said on social media. “We also have video footage of violators that were taken by our drone team in response to firework complaints. These individuals will soon be receiving their citations in the mail or by personal delivery.”
    • I’ve never heard of the Nail Em app. Here’s a description:
      • “Nail ‘em” places the power of illegal fireworks enforcement in the palm of your hands. Easily report the possession, sale and/or use of the illegal fireworks in your community along with photos and GPS location. Your complaint will automatically be routed to the correct law enforcement and/or fire personnel. Opt in to receive notifications and you will be informed regarding when and how your complaint was acted upon. This “Nail “Em” app is being provided to you and your community free of charge as a public service of TNT Fireworks. Thank you for taking the time to keep your community free from the dangers posed by illegal fireworks.
  • Keep in mind, this is in the UK – McDonald’s rebrands Happy Meal as just ‘The Meal’ for Mental Health Awareness Week
  • Oklahoma, Alabama now has vending machines for bullets in grocery stores</li>
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Your Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, July 2, 2024

  • I don’t know why, but I remember in Coach Jenning’s literature arts class my junior year in high school, he asked each student what we wanted to be when we grew up. For some stupid reason, I said president of the United States and gave some BS reason why. Everyone was shocked, and two girls talked about how this felt like a moment they’ll never forget because they had this weird feeling it was going to become true and they’ll tell their kids about it. I learned later Coach told the classes he taught about it, and then it kinda went around school. For the longest time, I felt some sort of obligation to live up to that moment. When I took this picture a few weeks ago, I realized this was going to be the closest I ever would be to becoming president, and I’m okay with that. I think. I mean, America will never accept anyone who’s been divorced and all the embarrassing things I’ve put on this blog. No president has ever been elected doing anything this embarrassing in life. I’ve accepted I’ll never recover.
  • At the Clinton Library last month,I learned he was the last paper president. Dubya was the first to go all digital. But for all you trivia folk, Clinton was the first president to send an email while in office.
  • Not to be macabre or anything, but this spot over my right shoulder is where he’ll be buried. Here’s an interesting fact: Hillary has not committed to being buried next to him.
  • This is a random thought, but wouldn’t it be hilarious if Monica Lewinsky dressed as Hillary for Halloween one year and posted the photo to Twitter/X? Monica is a great follow on Twitter, doesn’t shy away from what happened, and is actually pretty humourous when she references it.
  • I got a kick out of the statistic on the number of websites at the start and end of his presidency.
  • When you walk into the JBJ Library, you are overwhelmed by how all his administration’s papers are organized.

    The Clinton Library takes a different approach.
  • When I saw this article yesterday (Conservatives Go to War — Against Each Other — Over School Vouchers) it reminded me that I learned at the Clinton Library his administration takes credit for starting public school choice. I thought it was notable since my kids attend a charter school, which I have mixed feelings about, but I no longer have a say in the matter.
  • The Clinton Library, or the museum part of it, is laid out in a very organized timeline. These binders are everywhere, and you see his schedule for every day he was in office. I looked up a few notable moments in my life, like the day and time of my father’s death. I believe he was in China during the time in a meeting. As I thought more about it, he was president when I was in high school and college. And that made me realize that the president who gets elected this year will be the president for all of my daughter’s high school years. Maybe one day she’ll have the same realization visiting a place like this with her kids.
  • I suppose this is everything I like and can’t stand about college football.

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Your Bag of Nothing for Thursday, July 31, 2024

  • That is the claw of a harpy eagle. The harpy eagle reaches a maximum length of 40 inches and typically weighs anywhere from 11 to 20 lb. depending on its gender and habitat. A bald eagle, on the other hand, often varies in size. Some bald eagles may range anywhere from 28 to 38 inches in length. How does the harpy eagle’s talon compare to a grizzled bear’s claw? Well, since you asked.
  • The Personal Check Is Disappearing. Here’s What Comes Next
    • The average American writes just one check a year, down from 3 in 2016, according to a Federal Reserve survey.

  • A nice moment that can only happen at the Olympics. But I’ll be honest, I didn’t think North Korea was capable of winning any medal at any event –South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon takes a selfie with his teammate Shin Yubin and Chinese and North Korean mixed table tennis team medallists at Paris 2024. China took gold, North Korea Silver, and South Korea Bronze. Given that the selfie was apparently taken on a Samsung folding phone, which is a South Korean company.
  • Maya Rudolph To Play Kamala Harris On ‘Saturday Night Live’ Through 2024 Presidential Election

  • Being a ‘Childless’ President Was Once Seen as a Virtue –  Ask George Washington
  • New Oklahoma Bible directive faces pushback from several schools
    • Several Oklahoma schools are speaking out against State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ directive to teach the Bible in public school grades 5 through 12. Walters recently released guidelines on his controversial Bible mandate in public schools after ordering educators to incorporate the religious text into their lessons, arguing that the Bible is necessary to ensure “students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.”
    • When I was a freshman in college, I had to give a five-minute persuasive speech in a communications class. I chose to argue that the Bible should be taught in public schools. Or, maybe it was prayer? I can’t remember. I’m sure for some of you, that comes as a big surprise. This is something I think about when I hear someone will never change their opinion on something.
    • Curious, I looked up the guidelines. They are as follows:

      • Upper Elementary (5)

        • Narrative Elements: Discuss the elements of a story, such as plot, characters and setting, using biblical stories as examples.
        • Historical Context: Begin introducing the historical context in which these stories were written and their impact on Western culture.
        • Literary Devices: Identify and discuss simple literary devices such as similes, metaphors and personification within biblical texts.
        • Music Appreciation: Introduce students to classical music pieces inspired by biblical themes, discussing the historical context and significance without focusing on religious content.

      • Middle School (6-8)

        • Textual Analysis: Engage students in more detailed analysis of biblical texts, focusing on language, structure and themes.
        • Comparative Literature: Compare biblical stories with myths and legends from other cultures, examining similarities and differences.
        • Historical Impact: Discuss the influence of the Bible and historical events and figures.
        • Art and Music Exploration: Study famous artworks and musical compositions inspired by biblical themes, discussing their impact on culture and society while remaining mindful of all rules for grade-level and age-level appropriate material.

      • High School (9-12)

        • Advances Literary Analysis: Conduct in-depth analysis of complex biblical texts, examining themes, motifs and literary techniques.
        • Historical Documents: Study primary historical documents and speeches that reference the Bible, exploring their significance and context.
        • Ethical and Philosophical Discussions: Facilitate discussions on the ethical and philosophical ideas presented in the Bible and their influence on Western thought.
        • Critical Essays: Assign essays that require critical thinking and analysis of the Bible’s role in literature, history and culture.
        • Art and Music Appreciation: Analyze and interpret significant artworks and musical pieces inspired by the Bible, understanding their historical and cultural relevance while remaining mindful of all rules for grade-level and age-level appropriate material.
  • China is using lasers to stop drivers from falling asleep on roads
    @dailymail Authorities in China have installed lasers on highways to stop drivers from falling asleep at the wheel #fyp #china #laser #rainbowroad #rave #mariokart #antisleep ♬ original sound – Daily Mail

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Your Bag of Randomness for Monday, July 1, 2024

  • Here’s the best comment I’ve read about last week’s debate, “The only winners were the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes, which are hurtling away from Earth at 0ver 35,000 mph.”
  • A former Texas middle-school teacher who was impregnated by a 13-year-old student has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
    • The boy’s family was ok with it.
    • She told neighbors the boy was her brother.
    • She moved the boy and his father into her home and told others she was dating the father.
    • She bought groceries and paid phone bills for the boy’s family.
    • Her 6-year-old daughter called the boy “Dad.”
  • I’ve been devouring WWII documentaries as of late. There are so many things I wish I could ask my dad, who served in the war. And I’m not even talking about significant events; I want to know the mundane things that aren’t recorded in the history books. But the thing is, a lot of times, he was reluctant to talk about his experiences. I remember asking him where he was when JFK was assassinated, and he gave me a detailed answer about how things immediately changed at Fort Wolters and all the responsibilities suddenly thrust upon him. He would openly talk about his time at boot camp when he enlisted in the Navy. But if I asked him anything about the time his plane got shot down in the Pacific and was lost at sea with his crew, I couldn’t get anything out of him. That came about going through his mother’s things and finding paperwork from the government informing his parents that he was MIA.
    • Hmm. It just occurred to me that he’s the first thing I think about when I hear anything related to WWII. And at this stage in life and everything I’ve gone through, I’ve really missed hin and wish I could have his counsel. Maybe I’m devouring all this WWII stuff because I’m trying to connect with my father.
  • Netflix has a documentary about the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party that I have found fascinating. But what’s eerie is that I see a lot, and I mean a lot, of similarities between Trump and MAGA. I’m doing my best to be objective because I know I’m biased. We all are. That’s when I wish there were another adult in the house so I could talk through things like this.
    • Here’s something I didn’t know. President Truman appointed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson to serve as United States Chief of Counsel to prosecute Nazi war criminals, and he delivered the trial’s opening statement to the four-nation International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg in November 1945. One person in the documentary referred to it as a masterpiece. I like how the justice realized it was an honor. It also made me think and ponder if Jackson ever considered the possibility he would serve as an attorney again after joining the Supreme Court. Life is crazy, and what history will call a person to do is unpredictable and incredible. FWIW, his seat is currently occupied by Chief Justice John Roberts.
    • Here are some notes he wrote about the experience:
      • The speech also seemed to have important public consequences because it would be the first full disclosure of the materials that we had captured and had at hand, and of the use we attempted to make of them. I had a rather strong sense of responsibility about the speech and recognized that it was probably the most important task of my life.
  • The first stop on my road trip with BoyGeeding was the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. Y’all know how much I love presidential history, so it was a great experience for me, and I could have stayed there all day.
    • When we entered, we were told a free tour would start in 15 minutes. In the meantime, BoyGeeding just wanted to roam around. As soon as you get upstairs, you see a replica of the Cabinet Room. It was beautiful, and all bits of presidential trivia ran through my head like knowing the table was a gift donated by Richard Nixon. The title of each cabinet role (i.e., Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury) is on the back of each chair. What’s neat is that when one of the cabinet secretaries leaves, they have the option of purchasing their chair and take it with them. Several have done so, and when hired for another cabinet role with another administration, they brought it back.
      • No one was around; it was quiet. A security guard appeared—an older black gentleman. He pointed to the center chair and said, “You see that chair there? It’s two inches taller than all the others. That’s the president’s chair.” I smiled, nodded, and resisted the urge to add anything else. That’s a bad habit I’m working on. And I’m glad I did. He then pointed at BoyGeeding and said, “Young man, come here,” and pulled out the chair for Walter. My son sat in the chair and politely thanked the man after he pushed him in. As I stepped back to take a picture, he put his hand up and told me to hold up. “Let me straighten out these flags for ya.” I can’t express how much his act of kindness and grace touched me. When I prayed at the end of the day, I made sure to let God know how grateful I was for that man and experience. Heck, he made me want to be a better man. So, all that to say, that’s how I got these pictures.
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