Bag of Randomness for Thursday, June 23, 2016

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  • I’m not sure if I’ve ever hung anything from my rearview mirror, including any graduation tassels. It’s just too much of a distraction.
  • A full-service gas station in Weatherford that’s been operating over 40 years is about to be sold. I still remember going to the one in Mineral Wells that was owned by my cousin’s in-laws. In a way, I think they could make a comeback if marketed and operated in a manner that appeals to the wealthy or to the hipsters. Who would have thought beverage companies would make profits selling bottled water, or companies that do nothing but pick up dog waste in your own backyard?
  • I didn’t catch it, but Bill Simmons’ new HBO debuted last night and Twitter had favorable things to say.
  • Standup desks, that is, desks that make you stand instead of sit, seem to be popular nowadays, but the New York Times reports – someone who stood up while working instead of sitting would burn about 8 or 9 extra calories per hour.
  • Aaron Sorkin will teach you screenwriting for $90 – His MasterClass online course launches later this summer
  • Screenshot 2016-06-22 at 11.21.58 PMKia Tops J.D. Power’s Car-Quality Survey

    • The annual survey of new-car buyers gave high marks to Porsche AG, Hyundai Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and BMW AG.
    • Detroit’s three auto makers collectively had fewer problems than their foreign counterparts for just the second time in the 30-year history of the study.
    • GM had seven models that ranked highest in their segments
    • Other brands performing poorly included Volvo, Land Rover, Mini, Mazda and Jaguar
  • Burger King will begin selling deep-fried sticks of macaroni and cheese encrusted in Cheetos-flavored breading.
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  • The other day I posted a Benjamin L. Corey post about him becoming more Calvinist in his beliefs and my good friend Brent commented that Corey’s post should probably be titled “I Think I’m Becoming a (Christian Universalist)”. Well, just to follow up, Corey’s latest blog post is – Is Christian Universalism Compatible With Free Will? Justice? Hell?
    • As I’ve stated before, I don’t post Corey’s stuff (as well as a lot of BoN content) because I endorse or reject it, it just provokes thought and is stuff I think you may or may not find interesting.
    • As for my friend Brent, I think his doppelganger is the actor that plays Petyr Baelish on ‘Game of Thrones’. When Brent isn’t pastoring, he should be the actor’s stunt double.
  • I don’t look through my spam comments often, mainly because I receive anywhere from 30 to 600 a day. But I looked through them yesterday and saw one comment that looked like it shouldn’t have gone to the spam folder. It complimented on the blog but wondered if I ever took time to proofread. The answer, no, not really, why start now.
  • Someone also stated they didn’t like how I used “hey now” the other day because they thought I was trying to copy or step down to the levels of LiberallyLean. In this particular case, I used it because I often hear it on The TICKET and love the way Jeffery Tambor says it. So I’m only stopping down to the levels of The TICKET and Jeffery Tambor.
  • Robert Griffin III gets caught ripping off the Cavaliers’ championship photo
  • Buzzfeed – Uber Data And Leaked Docs Provide A Look At How Much Uber Drivers Make
    • Uber data suggests that drivers overall in three major U.S. markets — Denver, Detroit, and Houston — earned less than $13.25 an hour after expenses in late 2015, according to calculations based on more than a million trips.
    • Buzzfeed – Slain Cop’s Young Son Cried At His Coffin And The Picture Is Heartbreaking
      • Texas police officer Endy Ekpanya was killed in a crash with an alleged drunk driver.
        Screenshot 2016-06-22 at 10.38.37 PM
        Screenshot 2016-06-22 at 10.38.57 PM
Posted in Personal | 6 Comments

Power Line on Metal Swing Set

This video was first posted back in 2013, but it’s new to me.

At the 15-second mark, you get to hear all the “electrical” sound.

At the 36-second mark, you get to see the swingset.

Big boom happens around the 1:33 mark.

And just in case you need a reminder, here’s an important PSA, you gotta play it safe around electricity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=479Q5jsOAbE

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Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, June 22, 2016

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  • One of my anniversary gifts from WifeGeeding was a surprise lunch at Hutching BBQ in Frisco. I took the day off so we could spend some time together. The last couple of times we had BBQ were at subpar places with terrible brisket, and this is our favorite. The last time we went to Hutchins they were closed for a private event, so it’s been something we’ve been craving. As we got close to our destination and I recognized where we were heading, I told WifeGeeding I appreciated the gesture but Hutchins is closed on Tuesdays. She thought I was kidding and didn’t believe me until we parked the car and noticed the lights were off inside. The poor thing felt terrible (but I’ll be sure to make it a source of jokes for years to come). We then decided to drive a half-hour away to the McKinney location and had to wait in line for a good 40-minutes.
  • Her second gift to me was a surprise trip to the National Video Game Museum in Frisco. I came close to buying a modern version of the Intellivision which had all the games already in it, but I wasn’t sure if it came with those plastic inserts which went in the numbered controllers and informed you what button did what.
  • My gift to her were Dixie Chicks concert tickets.
  • One lesson I thought I’d have to teach my kids but is no longer a concern is how to start a car when the engine is flooded. Modern cars no longer have that problem.
  • While watching the ‘Person of Interest’ series finale, a man named Lionel was riding on a train, which made me think of Lionel Trains, which made me laugh, which lead me to remember the time rocker Neil Young was on Letterman talking about how his investment group bought the toy train company and his love for the product
  • Part of the ‘Person of Interest’ finale storyline took place in the New York Federal Reserve which reminded me of the time I was locked in a room all by myself in the Fed for about half an hour. One of my college classes took a New York field trip, and the dean of our business school used to be a vice president for the Federal Reserve, so he was able to arrange a special tour. Our class was in this one particular area full of financial and monetary artifacts and while everyone shuffled along, my attention got wrapped up in one display and some related reading material next to it. I thought everyone was an aisle or two over but they actually left the room and the tour guide locked the door. Luckily for me, a security guard found me and when I was returned to my group, everyone stated they had no idea I was gone. I tend to go unnoticed quite easily. Remember, I don’t function well with crowds or relating to people.
  • The local news mentioned we had a Strawberry Moon last night. The last time that happened was in June 1967 and won’t happen again until 2067. A Strawberry Moon happens when there’s a full moon on the summer solstice and got its name from Algonquin tribes singling the time to gather fruit, such as strawberries.
  • Some of you made some great points about Dallas District Attorney Susan Hawk stating if she were sick with a physical ailment rather than a mental one, the public would be hailing her courage. For a while, I totally agreed, and then after some thought felt different about it. For such a job, her mind (and mental health) is her primary tool; but if she had cancer, her mind and emotional well-being, for the most part, wouldn’t affect her performance. If Bruce Springsteen was battling cancer or depression but his vocal cords were no longer to function properly, which is his primary tool, I’d expect him to stop performing because he could no longer properly function as a singer. That’s probably not the best example or comparison, but I think you get what I’m trying to say.
  • Danke Schoen! “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is finally getting an official film soundtrack
  • This story of a mom posting a picture of her three-year-old daughter standing on a toilet got a lot of attention yesterday. The mother was curious as to why her daughter was standing on the toilet, and the girl stated it was what her pre-school taught her to do during an active shooter drill. Per the mother, “At that moment all innocence of what I thought my 3-year-old possessed was gone.”
  • Donald Trump’s 27-year-old press secretary used to be a model and was featured on the cover for Gossip Girl books.
  • Trump has an Evangelical Advisory Board. One member is a Hardin-Simmons graduate, Jack Graham – Senior Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church.
  • The Texas Tribune – Platforms Reveal Common Ground Between Texas GOP, Democrats – Medical Marijuana, Toll Roads Funding, Trans-Pacific Partnership, Campaign Finance, Space Exploration
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