Bag of Randomness for Thursday, March 31, 2016

Nlez15j

  • My neighbor came through on his promise to install a new bathroom countertop, sink, and faucet for us yesterday. While I appreciate the gift and gesture, it was just nice hanging out with a neighbor for a few hours.
  • DaughterGeeding takes her role of an older sibling seriously and I don’t believe we’ve ever specifically told her to. So many times when she and her brother need to do something together, and it’s his first time doing it, she’ll take his hand and guide him and whisper in his ear on what he should do or expect.
  • On last night’s Colbert, Eric Stonestreet (Cam on ‘Modern Family’) stated Tina Fey was his teacher at Second City in Chicago. I also wasn’t aware he was in the great but short-lived ABC series ‘Pushing Daisies’.
  • Yesterday evening, I was craving a chili dog of all things. And whenever a chili dog is referenced, I think of the uncomfortable line “sucking on a chili dog in front of the Tasty Freeze” from a John Cougar Mellencamp song.
  • What are the odds of Jerry Jones stepping into the ring at Wrestlemania this weekend since it will be at AT&T Stadium?
  • Gizmodo – Here’s an infographic breaking down which actors have played your favorite superheroes in movies, TV shows, and in voice only. They also link actors who have double dipped too.
  • Trans Am SE Bandit Edition – It comes with a V8 engine with an output of 840 horsepower and all are signed by Burt Reynolds, just 77 left.
  • Earlier this week I got an email from Frontier Communications about how they will be the new provider of Fios. It’s still hard for me to believe after all the infrastructure and how hard Verizon pushed that service in this area that they sold it.
  • Mental Floss – 12 Secrets of the Witness Protection Program – A few highlights:
    • On average, members receive roughly $60,000 from the government before they’re expected to land jobs and become self-supporting within six months.
    • Because his ex-wife was married to a protected government witness, Leonhard (who had visitation rights) was not allowed to see their daughter on the grounds that her location and new identity would be compromised. When he filed for and was granted full custody, WITSEC officials still refused to disclose her location.
    • Former mob hitman Aladena Fratianno requested (and got) the United States to pay for his wife’s breast implants, facelift, and dental work. Another had a psychologist backing his claim of poor self-esteem issues, and the government bought him a penile implant.
  • Dallas Morning News – Cost to remove tolls from Texas roads: $40 billion, give or take – Texas Department of Transportation executive director James Bass told state lawmakers this morning that’s what a bevy of agencies are slated to pay to retire the debt on 51 toll roads with a collective principal of $21 billion still unpaid.
  • Jon Daly (the comedian, not golfer) and Adam Scott (the comedian, not golfer) are doing an Adult Swim special where they play in a golf tournament set in 1966 as pro golfers John Daly and Adam Scott.
  • Police hit Arizona protester with felony charges over safety pin on his pants
  • They had so many things in common like coaching basketball and now you can add this to the list – Alabama teacher arrested for sex with student days after wife arrested on same charge
  • Owner of top March Madness bracket forgets to pick winner
  • He’s actually a better writer than an actor, but I did think he played a very good Batman – Ben Affleck has written his Batman script
  • What Happened When Venture Capitalists Took Over the Golden State WarriorsAfter racking up a historic N.B.A. season, the team’s owners — most of them from Silicon Valley — think their management style deserves some of the credit. Are they right?
Posted in Personal | 5 Comments

University of Michigan Takes on Ice

One day, de-icing an airplane or scraping a windshield could be a thing of the past.

University of Michigan researchers demonstrate a durable ice-repellent coating that could help keep everything from airplanes to ships, power lines and windshields ice-free.

Posted in Interesting | Comments Off on University of Michigan Takes on Ice