Bag of Randomness for Thursday, July 14, 2016

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  • Here’s the story behind that picture. In short, a Catholic woman and her protestant husband couldn’t be buried next to each other.
  • Fox News anchor Bret Baier was a guest on Colbert the other night and was wearing an American flag lapel pin. My first thought, “What office are you running for?” He also stated that Fox News reporters in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention have all been issued gas masks in case things get out of control.
  • Yesterday I was looking at a Dallas Morning News article on my mobile device and was taken to a beta version of their website. I sure hope they don’t keep that logo, the “D” resembles the old Arizona Diamondbacks logo.
    arizona-diamondbacks-logo
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  • I appreciate those of you who left a comment regarding President Obama’s speech in Dallas, and I’m in agreement he delved into political territory at a memorial service. Not to be an Obama apologist (though many of you see me only as such), but even though he was at a memorial service, I think he felt a responsibility to address the issues which lead to the protest, which lead to the shooting. Many will see that as opportunistic, and others will see it as an act of courage or service. That’s one thing about being president, can’t make everybody happy, you’re damned if you do and you are damned if you don’t. There’s no way he can get any meaningful legislation passed with his time left in office, so I’m leaning on the side that he didn’t do it for political gain.
  • The Atlantic Weighs In on George W. Bush Dancing to ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’
    • I’ll save you guys a click and post their response here. Ready? You may want to be seated for this . . . .
      • Eh, let the guy be.
  • Hip-hop icon Chuck D on why Public Enemy won’t play in Dallas Saturday
    • “It was the perfect storm,” the man born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour said Wednesday. “The worst thing that ever could happen happened after the worst thing that ever could happen happened after the worst thing that ever could happen happened.“
    • Ridenhour said the decision was made — by the promoter  — to stay away from Dallas simply to give the city and the police department time to catch their breath. 
    • “There’s nothing can be said here. We have to let it rest for a while. It’s beyond music and a concert. To go in there Saturday? It would be inappropriate.”
  • Yoko Ono gives Dallas a gift: ‘Imagine Peace Forever’
  • PatGraph is a tool designed to help patent lawyers, entrepreneurs, and other IP enthusiasts better find patents in the topic they’re interested in.
  • On her Facebook page, WifeGeeding posted a picture of me wearing her jean shorts.
  • I was surprised to see Morgan Fairchild in a new commercial. But then again, I was also surprised to see Dominique Wilkins in a new commercial.
  • I haven’t read nor watched “The Man in the High Castle” but it gave me an idea for a story. Instead of the U.S. dropping the bomb, the Soviet Union invades mainland Japan along with the other allies and Japan becomes split just like Berlin.
  • I think I’m a much different person than what this blog makes me out to be. If you really got a chance to know me, I’d surely disappoint you.
  • NBC will have a ‘Shark Tank’ like show but with Tyra Banks.
  • Tempting GIF of the day – A bug coming out of a person’s ear
  • Half of all US food produce is thrown away, new research suggests
  • All the Presidents’ Watches – From pocket watches to sporty digital watches to special edition Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces, U.S. presidents have always had time on their side.
    • George Washington, Thomas Jefferson (favored fine French timepieces), and Abraham Lincoln (a big customer of Tiffany and a lover of engraving) all carried pocket watches, of course, as that was the fashion.
    • George W. Bush wore a Timex Easy Reader with both gold and silver crowns, and Bill Clinton wore an early model of the Timex Ironman to his inaugural ball. Barack Obama wore a relatively inexpensive (under $2,000) TAG Heuer 1500 Two-Tone Diver watch while campaigning in 2008, and afterward his Secret Service detail gave him a $200 stainless steel Jorg Gray 6500 Chronograph, which he wore during the inaugural proceedings.
    • Gerald Ford, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and John Kennedy were all fans of the Swiss Hamilton Watch Company
  • “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions.” – Former President George W. Bush
  • FiveThirtyEight – The Ultimate Workout Playlist
    • I declare any workout playlist without one song from the Rocky IV soundtrack is not worthy of using the “Ultimate” moniker.
    • It just doesn’t get any better working out and pretending you are Rocky with this music blasting. I don’t get to run in the snow often, but when I do, I always pretend I’m going to lose a couple KGB agents.

Posted in Personal | 1 Comment

Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Screenshot 2016-07-12 at 10.51.02 PM

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  • Loved this quote from former President George W. Bush yesterday at the memorial service, “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.” Everyone should read that twice and let it set in.
  • “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.”
  • “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.”
  • The memorial service was more light hearted than I expected. Former President George W. Bush made reference how one slain cop was a Rangers fan and got some laughs, Police Chief Brown started off talking about dating teenage girls, and President Obama got big laughs referring to Brown’s statement using Stevie Wonder lyrics to express his feelings and stating he’s glad he married Michelle, a big Stevie Wonder fan, before Chief Brown got a chance to meet her. And then it ended with Bush doing some dancing to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic“. At one point it looks like Laura is giving him the evil eye that a mother gives a child for misbehaving, but I really get a kick out of the end when he tries to point to someone in the crowd while holding hands. I had no problem with his actions, though I expected him to be more subdued, and it gave me a good laugh.

  • That man loves to dance – GIF1, GIF2, GIF3 – Good for him.
  • I don’t think I’ve seen Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas included in any of the recent memorial services. That’s very telling considering that church is in the heart of downtown. Senator Ted Cruz also seems to be very low profile, which is equally telling, though he rode on Air Force One with the President and sat on stage during the memorial service. Cruz was all over the scene and very outspoken during the explosion in West. Heck, Gov. Abbot had second and third degree burns and made an effort to visit.
  • I was very proud of how Senator John Cornyn was able to rise above partisan politics and give President Obama a very warm welcome. He went above what I thought was expected, and he had one hell of a line:
    • “Being ‘a Texan’ doesn’t describe where you’re from. It describes who your family is.”
  • Star-Telegram reporter tweeted yesterday that Arlington PD helped Dallas with security and traffic concerns. It’s a shame that wasn’t really reported, and a very cool thing Arlington did to help a neighboring city.
  • Pictures of what is supposedly the dead body (via blast from the bomb robot) of the sniper that killed DPD officers were floating around Reddit yesterday but has since been taken down.
  • I know many military folks choose to be buried in their military uniforms, but I have no idea if it’s that way for police and firemen.
  • I wonder how many times a sitting President and Vice President were in Dallas. Obviously, Kennedy and Johnson, and Reagan and Bush were here for the 1984 Republican National Convention, and now Obama and Biden. It’s pretty rare for both the President and Vice President to be in the same city for an event, other than the capital, of course.
  • This is about a week old but I just read about it – Texas to Require Burial or Cremation of Aborted Fetuses
    • Texas intends to require aborted fetuses to be buried or cremated come September, adding new abortion regulations after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s restrictive clinic laws. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state health officials to propose the changes, his office said Thursday, which were quietly put out for public comment this month.
  • What a time to be alive
    Screenshot 2016-07-12 at 9.37.38 PM
  • For you fans of all things LEGO and Disney, a $350 Disney castle set with over 4,000 pieces will be released in December.
  • Dallas was in the running, I think it was even a finalist, to host the Republican National Convention next week. If that would have happened, that overworked police force would really be overworked.
  • I have a feeling Trump’s VP pick will be Newt Gingrich. With Gingrich’s past infidelity problem, I thought it might keep Trump from using that card against his opponent and husband, but Trump isn’t conventional.
  • Miss Corpus Christi Latina loses crown over past 
    • Cifuentes, 25, was crowned June 11 despite having a criminal record and previous marriage, which should have disqualified her, according to a lawsuit six pageant contestants filed against the local contest’s director, last month.
  • Blue Bell to release new flavor on Friday
    • On Friday, the company will announce a new flavor to celebrate National Ice Cream month. According to the company, it will even begin stocking stores with the mysterious flavor the same day. There are currently 17 Blue Bell flavors available in half gallons.
  • I found a new local blog to follow, Obese Ninja. Here are two posts which stood out:
  • The best quote regarding Amazon Prime Day –
    • Sad that Prime Day has become all about mindless shopping rather than commemorating the birth of Optimus Prime.
  • Fox is making an X-Men TV series with movie director Bryan Singer
  • Scientists Create Successful Biohybrid Being Using 3-D Printing and Genetic Engineering
Posted in Personal | 11 Comments

Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, July 12, 2016

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  • WifeGeeding didn’t believe me when I told her I could fit into her Daisy Duke like jean shorts, but I didn’t. She didn’t think I’d take her up on the dare to go to our friend’s house for dinner in them, but I did. Go ahead and tease me all you want, just do more than take the low-hanging Caitlyn Jenner jokes. I think WifeGeeding is going to post the pics to Facebook.
  • I read a tweet yesterday which stated only the first five U.S. Presidents have not been photographed. I did a little research, and that appears to be true.
  • Of all the things that happened yesterday regarding the aftermath of the Dallas shooting, I felt like Parkland Hospital Dr. Brian H. Willams words stood out the most –
    • “I want my daughter to see me interacting with police that way so she doesn’t grow up with the same burden that I carry, when it comes to interacting with law enforcement,” Williams said. “And I want the Dallas Police to also see me, a black man, and understand that I support you, I will defend you and I will care for you. That doesn’t mean that I do not fear you. That doesn’t mean if you approach me, I will not immediately have a visceral reaction and start worrying for my personal safety. But I will control that the best I can and not that let impact how I deal with law enforcement.”
  • It’s interesting to think how Dallas Police Chief David Brown came close to losing his job within the last year but now will almost be untouchable. I’m not a citizen of Dallas, but I never had a problem with him and thought he’s always been doing a great job. It’s a bit sad it takes an event like this for people to notice how he’s changed DPD for the better.
  • I feel like President Obama will have visited Dallas more than any other sitting president. Mr. Bud Kennedy, if you are reading this, please fact check me on that.
  • My place of employment has an online bulletin board where employees can post various announcements or whathaveyou. One such person in D.C. wanted to extend her thoughts and prayers to the families of the Houston police regarding the recent tragedies. Instead of correcting her in a reply to her post for the rest of our work community to see, I just sent her an individual email stating I think she confused Houston and Dallas.
  • I’m not saying I’m for or against Black Lives Matter, but some folks affiliated with them decided to stop traffic on 75 yesterday with banners stretching the width of the highway. I will say that is a stupid and dangerous way to get attention.
  • I read up on this whole Pokemon Go phenomenon and have concluded it’s a stratagem deployed by the CIA to track civilians, just like they did with Facebook. (Written in sarcastica.)
  • Gordon Keith shaved his beard.
  • Shortest possible path through every ZIP code in the U.S
  • I’ve got a lot of respect for Tim Ducan, I just wish he’d admit to committing more than four fouls in his entire career. I’d contribute money if his future statue was with his hands up and with “who me?” face. If I recall correctly, the Spurs were lucky to be in a spot to draft him. David Robinson and a lot of the Spurs were injured for most of the previous year, that lead to a horrible regular season record which set them up with a good draft pick.
    • Huge contrast between his retirement and Kobe Bryant’s, two vastly different personalities. All of the hardware, none of the arrogance. No Players Tribune or SI or television special, just a simple press release from his team.
  • For the fans of DFW Restaurant Week (I’m looking at you WifeGeedingII)
  • Matthew 6:6 – But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Posted in Personal | 5 Comments