Bag of Randomness
Friday, September 4, 2026

I watched a little bit of The Aviator last night, which caused me to look up what Howard Hughes had to sell TWA for in 1966. He sold his share for $546.5 million. That is worth approximately $5.63 billion today.

Last night I tried to buy tickets to watch The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm. All showtimes continue to show they are sold out.

I haven’t followed the Lindsay Clancy closely, but it’s hard to avoid. Two things have bugged me about the trail. First, I’m surprise that a box with such colorful words has been allowed in the court. Granted, I know nothing about court procedures, but I have seen a mistrial occur by a federal judge just for images on clothing.

 

Also, how old is this courtroom? When was it last remodeled? I ask because I don’t understand why a judge needs all those books behind him. I bet those haven’t been opened in over a decade.

From the Austin American Statesman

Sports betting isn’t legal in Texas. So why is DraftKings available?

But DraftKings offers other products, including daily fantasy sports, free-to-play contests and prediction markets, that are available in the state. Here’s how prediction markets differ from traditional sports betting — and why they operate under a different regulatory framework.

During my job hunt and current background check and onboarding process, I’ve corresponded with a plethora of folks with non-traditional American names. So often, it would be nice to know whether they are male or female so I can refer to them properly when communicating with one of their colleagues. I’m telling you, including pronouns is not a bad thing. Heck, sometimes traditional-sounding American names can be tricky. I still remember corresponding with a person named Charlie. Later in the day, a coworker had a question, and I replied, “Charlie is good with that stuff; you may want to ask him about that.” And the coworker bluntly replied, “Keith, Charlie is a woman.”

For the life of me, I don’t know why some folks think it’s the end of the world just to include a little extra substantive information. But I will agree, stuff like they/them can make it absurdly complicated.

I’ve been a huge fan of Pastor Adam Hamilton. There’s no pastor I’ve listen to online more and love his books. I guess you can claim he’s a local product, since he earned his Master of Divinity from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. I’ve even corresponded with a a few times over the years.

No Democrat has won a Kansas Senate seat in a century. Can a megachurch pastor change that?

Adam Hamilton has spent decades trying to bring people to Jesus as founder of the nation’s largest United Methodist church. Now he wants to bring Kansas voters to the polls as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

Elon Musk-backed super PAC reports $800,000 in first burst of midterm spending, largely in Maine and Texas

Ted Cruz sounding out staffers for potential 2028 presidential run: report – Texas Republican senator said to be weighing up White House bid, although allies of Vice President JD Vance have said they see no ‘serious threat’ from his would-be candidacy

The Wall Street Journal reports that Cruz, 55, “is already putting in the legwork in Iowa, hitting the podcast circuit and embarking on a book tour,” all omens foreshadowing a likely run.

Dallas cancels permit for anti-Trump protest 1 week before GOP convention begins

In Dallas, AI-powered cameras mounted on trash collection trucks are photographing properties and assigning them a “blight score” – a rating based on perceived code violations.

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Friday, September 4, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Wednesday, September 2, 2026

We’ve taken this pumpkin spice bit too far, haven’t we?

I’m sorry for not blogging earlier this week. Sunday was my birthday, and I just wanted to do things other than blog.

Nothing like being unemployed for two straight birthdays.

I could have worked on blogging on Monday, but that morning, I accepted a job offer and had to submit all sorts of paperwork for a background check and security clearance, which took longer than expected.

Yup, you read that right. Barring the background check, I will start a new job in two weeks. It’s a six-month contract-to-hire opportunity, so I’ll have to prove myself. But it looks like for the first time in 15 months, I will no longer be unemployed. It’s been a humbling experience, but hopefully I was able to work through adversity and become more resilient. As if the last five years going through divorce, paralysis, and other issues weren’t enough. Here’s hoping I can finally move forward.

Gratefully, health insurance is offered. Although I have to work 60 calendar days before I become eligible for benefits, those won’t start until the first of the following month. So, that means December. However, there is no PTO. I find some humor in this. “Of course we’ll provide you with health insurance; we just won’t give you any time off to see the doctor.” To my surprise, compared to my last gig, I’ll be taking home only about six percent less.

It’s a hybrid role, which I welcome. On Mondays and Fridays, I can work from home. It will be nice to get out of the house more often, and the office is just nine miles away. I’m sure the dogs will adjust accordingly.

My new job title will officially be: Sr. IT Infrastructure Business Analyst. Well, should nothing go wrong between now and then. I was wary of posting anything in fear of jinxing things.

Huge birthday gripe: The multiple insincere birthday messages from my doctor’s office. It started with a nearly Sunday morning phone call in which an AI voice or recording wished me a very generic happy birthday.

On top of that, they sent two birthday text messages, one birthday email, and another through their app. I can deal with all those, but the 8 am Sunday phone call full of false sincerity really irked me.

BoyGeeding played in his third volleyball game of the season. Even though he’s a freshman and not as developed as his older teammates, he’s really carved out a niche as a setter. By my count, he had four assists last night and one dig.

During one time-out, the student section broke into song, singing I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys.

At the game, I met some genuinely nice folks I probably haven’t spoken to in about 15 years. They had a kiddo playing on the opposing team. One kindly asked if I still maintain BagOfNothing.

I also got to know another parent pretty well. He said he went to high school at DeSoto. But to my surprise, he had absolutely no idea about the current news about the football team. They’ve been trending because they traveled to Florida to play a game, refused to shake hands at the coin toss, and then got beat. But what I’m surprised most folks haven’t mentioned is that before leaving to play the game, a Nike-wrapped Rolls-Royce showed up on campus to help deliver equipment.

You know what’s impressive and surprising? Not one photo from Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s wedding has leaked. That couple knows how to keep a lid on things.

Here’s something I forgot to share about Meet the Teacher. When one teacher introduced himself, he asked all male students sitting at desks to get up and make sure all the ladies- female students and mothers- were seated first.

Mark Cuban and Senator Ted Cruz got into a Twitter spat yesterday.

Very cringe-worthy of our current VP: Speaking during a rally in Michigan, vice-president JD Vance raised eyebrows when he remarked that the US was about to “celebrate” the 25th anniversary.

But at least he quickly corrected himself.

This reminds me of my old HOA. One neighbor lived across the street from a school and always complained about the school traffic. I wanted to know what the heck she expected when she bought a house across the street from a school.

Much in the same vein, what do you expect when you buy a house next to Universal Studios?

I never understood the idea of making it harder for the citizenry to participate in our democratic republic.

Link

The USS Abraham Lincoln and two other US Navy vessels are due to dock at Laem Chabang Port, near Pattaya, from 2 to 6 September. The stop will give crews time to rest after spending more than 200 days without a full port visit.

Thailand has to plan accordingly.

Fewer twins are being born, per Axios.

Amazon is getting a jump on the holiday season; this was in my Inbox yesterday. Labor Day hasn’t even passed.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Thursday, August 27, 2026

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the 9 to 5 lyric “Tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen / Pour myself a cup of ambition” is a beautiful work of creative genius.

I can’t believe that, as many times as I’ve listened to that song, I never picked up on the typewriter key-striking sounds. She created the sound using her fingernails. I always picked up on the typewriter ding, but never the keys, or nails, until now.  The nail-clacking sound in the final recorded track includes a formal liner-note attribution in the album credits: “Nails by Dolly.”

She wrote the song during downtime between takes of the 1980 comedy, which took weeks to come together.

I’m also thinking about how wonderful it was that the song was played at Buckingham Palace. I’m trying to imagine what a 10-year-old Dolly would have thought if someone told her that one day a song she wrote would be played at the King’s home. Heck, I wonder what she would have thought if someone told her that when the movie came out.

For her 80th birthday on January 19, 2026, U2 frontman Bono surprised Dolly Parton with a live bagpiper playing “Happy Birthday,” a cake that read “Love… Bono,” and a pint of Guinness.

The Alamo Draft House asked Dolly to help the audience with their theater manners.

Now that Dolly is gone, who is our nation’s most unifying figure? Dolly was loved by the extremes and everyone in between. At one time, I’d say Tom Hanks, but he was unjustly attacked by the far right. So, it can’t be anyone who has ever been vocal or acted politically. No sports figures come to mind. Michael Jordon is respected, but most agree he’s a bit of a jerk because of his competitive nature. Bill Gates literally gave the title of World’s Richest Man away and dedicated his life to helping humanity, but his Epstein association has ruined his reputation. There’s Dick Van Dyke, but he’s not going to be with us much longer. Danny DeVito? I guess there’s something about having a “D” in your name, especially the double-D’s. Keanu Reeves, but he certainly doesn’t reach the same scale and impact as Dolly. Danny DeVito? Globally, 90-year-old Julie Andrews comes to mind. Locally, Roger Staubach, who is 84. But even when he does pass, I doubt it will be the first story on network national news like Dolly.

As much of a critic of President Trump as I am, the lowering of the flags is a wonderful gesture to honor her. And, as an armchair political consultant, a savvy move, especially as the midterms approach.

Usually, #2 is the funniest and #1 is mediocre. But she finishes with a strong #1 if you ask me.

A Robert Smigel Dolly/SNL tweet. He only posted a portion of the skit, but I was able to hunt down the full one. Gosh, this was such a great cast. I wonder how many of y’all are clueless about the pop culture she drops.

Needless to say, everyone at @nbcsnl adored @DollyParton when she hosted. As Jan Hooks said, her only two requests were “I won’t use any cuss words and I won’t make fun of Jesus.” Otherwise she was up for anything. Here’s a sketch I helped with that was Conan O’Brien’s idea .

I wasn’t a Tim Curry fan. But his comments about death in a CBS Sunday Morning interview last year, especially living after a debilitating stroke, really caught my attention and caused me to do a lot of reflecting.

I think it may be comforting to go bye bye.  And I want to earn it.

I want to earn the privledge of not being here.

Here’s the segment of the interview for the full quote in context.

 

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A post shared by CBS News (@cbsnews)

This is about the dumbest thing TCU has ever done, and I’d be irate if I were affiliated with the school. Obviously, they have been influenced and emboldened by the current presidential administration. What do you expect when the Pentagon creates a policy mandating that reporters agree to sign a pledge, the censorship of Stars and Stripes, as well as all the other actions limiting a free press?

When I first saw the flooding footage out of Nepal, I thought it was AI.

Let’s see how the current administration is keeping Texans safe.

Just two weeks into the new school year, a Rio Grande Valley school district is closing all campuses for two days because of what officials described as the “rapid spread of COVID-19.”

Nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef imported from Argentina and sold in Texas and Florida is under recall, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as questions swirl around the beef. And a string of food recalls issued this summer grows.

Yes, I’ve been more vocal lately. I’m complicit if I stay silent.

So much winning:

White House brags about ‘Lake America’ by sharing US map that puts DC in the middle of North Carolina – ‘You guys can’t even put DC in the right place on the map,’ one commenter wrote, while another chimed in: ‘Ah yes DC in lovely North Carolina’

Apple Maps is getting ads, and there’s no way to turn them off – Apple Maps loses one of its ad-free advantages over Google Maps as sponsored listings arrive

Be sure to like and subscribe. Actually, there’s nothing here for you to like or subscribe to. It’s not even possible. I just hear it so often; I felt compelled to type it.

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness
Thursday, August 27, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Monday, August 24, 2026

I’m really enjoying HBO’s Lanterns. And as much as I’m enjoying all the Tom Osborne references over the past two weeks, I highly doubt the majority of their viewers understand them. But I do question some of their casting decisions, especially the sheriff.

Republicans have controlled Congress and the White House for a while. I’m still waiting for their healthcare fix.

I watched Ryan Gosling’s Drive for the first time over the weekend. As I usually do, I read the IMDB trivia and Wikipedia pages after a film. Apparently, Hugh Jackman was originally going to star. As good as Gosling was, Jackman would have been a much better choice for a gritty and seasoned stoic stunt car driver.

The soundtrack was surprisingly good.

Sorority rush videos are trending a lot. It’s no surprise that so many brands try to align themselves with the yearly ritual. It’s so pitifully sad seeing so many young women reek of low self-esteem and acceptance.

While researching how much the early U.S. government borrowed from France and how quickly it repaid it, I discovered several interesting things.

  • Our government has an Office of the Historian.

    The Office of the Historian is staffed by professional historians who are experts in the history of U.S. foreign policy and the institutional history of the Department of State. Our historians possess unparalleled research experience in State Department and other government records. The Office is directed by The Historian of the U.S. Department of State.

    • The current Historian of the U.S. Department of State is John Powers, though I can’t find much information about him from a quick Google search. However, here’s his LinkedIn profile. I was a little surprised that he doesn’t have a doctorate, but he does have a master’s from William and Mary and has held his current role for a little over two years. It seems like he’s only held government jobs, starting as an archivist at the National Archives and working his way up to the National Security Council.
  • I also found the Grateful American Foundation, a cool nonpartisan organization founded on Presidents’ Day 2014, that aims to restore enthusiasm for American history among kids and adults.

As to answer my initial inquiry, the early American government borrowed over $2 million from France during the Revolutionary War, starting in 1775. The debt was cleared by 1795 using domestic funds, new loans, and a private buyout by an American banker, taking roughly 17 to 18 years to repay in full from the start of the primary loans.

The private buyout by an American banker was new to me, but it did sound like a very American capitalist thing to do, lol. The banker was James Swan. Though successful in his business activities related to the millions of dollars owed by the United States to France, he actually died in poverty. On principles of loyalty, he spent 22 years—more than a quarter of his life—in the Paris Sainte-Pélagie Prison.

A lot of folks are rooting for this undrafted Cowboys rookie, the first Navajo to sign a contract to play in the NFL. Some folks were wondering about Jim Thorpe, but he was part of the Sac and Fox Nation.

Surely, Jim Thorpe has to be the greatest athlete in Oklahoma history. Briefly:

  • Won gold in the 1912 Olympics in both the pentathlon and decathlon. For the latter, someone stole his shoes just before he was due to compete; he found a mismatched pair of replacements, including one from a trash can, and won the gold medal wearing them. Actually, he set a world record of 8,412 points in the decathlon that stood for 36 years.
  • He played 12 seasons in professional football and was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s inaugural class. As you walk into the entrance, you are greeted by his statue. He also served as the first president of the American Professional Football Association, which soon became the National Football League (NFL). And was the first president of the NFL.
  • Played six seasons of Major League Baseball for teams like the New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds.
  • He played professional basketball.
  • For a brief time in 1913, he was considering going into professional hockey for the Tecumseh Hockey Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The prior year, he was the Inter-Collegiate Ballroom Dancing Champion.

For anyone who’s a fan of the Traces of Texas X (Twitter) account, here’s a recent announcement.

An East Texas (Winnsboro ISD) school board president will keep his leadership position after fellow trustees declined to reorganize the board fewer than two weeks after he was arrested for allegedly failing to report the sexual abuse of a student.

LinkedIn says its “Seems like AI slop” feedback option has been used more than 1 million times since it launched on July 30.

 

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Monday, August 24, 2026