Bag of Randomness
Wednesday, March 18, 2026

More NBA hijinx.

Something for the local Disney fan:

Dallas exhibit shows how Disney helped the U.S. military during World War II

A new exhibit at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum examines how Walt Disney Studios helped boost morale among American civilians and troops more than 80 years ago.

Step behind the magic and into history with The Walt Disney Studios and World War II. Discover how Disney transformed its studio into a wartime operation producing original artwork, as well as training and public-service films, and how artists, employees, and Walt Disney himself contributed to the war effort. With more than 500 rare artifacts, film clips, and stories of innovation and sacrifice, this family-friendly exhibit explores how one of America’s most beloved entertainment companies helped achieve the Allied victory.

I’m really impressed with this logo. All things Dallas and Texas are in the background. And since it’s spring, you see bluebonnets. Not to mention the military-shaded green in the background and all the nods to WWII, with the propeller-driven fighter plane and Donald in a bomber jacket, scarf, and flight goggles. I give it a big thumbs up.

Bet the farm, this man will soon run for elective office.

Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino to retire, sources say – Gregory Bovino, the U.S. Border Patrol head who became the face of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, will retire at the end of the month, two Customs and Border Protection officials told NBC News.

It’s too early to do it now,

Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the Trump appointee who chairs the Commission of Fine Arts, is proposing replacing the columns that frame the White House’s main entrance.

Many architects and designers say they’re baffled or even horrified by Cook’s proposal. https://wapo.st/40wQ1ac

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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) March 16, 2026 at 3:30 PM

Deaf Woman Removed From Frontier Flight for ‘Not Listening’

A TikTok video showing a deaf passenger being removed from a Frontier Airlines flight has sparked widespread outrage online, after the woman said she was taken off the plane because she could not hear a flight attendant.

The footage, posted by TikTok user legallyswiftie13, captures a tense exchange between airline staff and passengers on the plane as the woman explains she is deaf and had already noted the accommodation on her ticket.

In the footage, a gate agent appears to advocate for the passenger while the flight crew insists she must leave the aircraft.

The passenger, who is visibly emotional in the video, repeatedly says she is willing to comply, but feels humiliated by the situation.

How three Australians beat the Texas lottery (Article behind a paywall, which is why I’m posting the video)

It even involves child-labor with kids manning two Texas Lottery ticket terminals to win $57 million.

In 2023, an Australian syndicate, led by Bernard Marantelli and Zeljko Ranogajec, attempted the ultimate gamble: buying every single number combination in the Texas State Lottery.

We reveal how the group spent $26 million USD to secure a $95 million jackpot, involving around-the-clock ticket printing.

But the win has sparked a firestorm in the United States. With the Texas Rangers now investigating and the State’s Lieutenant Governor alleging the jackpot was “stolen from the people,” we look at the legal fallout and the third Australian who played a key role in the operation.

In this investigation:

The Strategy: How the syndicate identified an opportunity. The Logistics: Rare footage of the 72-hour printing marathon near Austin.

The Players: The roles of Marantelli, Ranogajec, and Abe Adrian Camilleri.

The Fallout: Why Texas politicians are calling for criminal charges despite no laws being explicitly broken at the time.

Something for my fellow geeks. Lindelof knows how to write a heartfelt and sincere apology.

Damon Lindelof Breaks Silence on HBO’s ‘Lanterns’ Controversy: “I Was Sloppy and Careless”

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Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Monday, March 16, 2026

I’ll continue my streak of never filling out a March Madness bracket.

Zach Braff denies he is dating AI chatbot

Pentagon tightens controls over Stars and Stripes after calling it “woke”

Now that’s how you take one for the team!

One of my most supportive friends sent me a text that he lost his father to cancer over the weekend. I shared his text with other friends from our childhood, two of whom are pastors. One of them, who knows what it’s like to lose a parent, simply replied with, “Bummer.”  I hate to sound judgmental, but he should be better than that. Talk about being disappointed, especially someone in the ministry. That will make me think twice before I share anything, especially anything emotional, with him.

At first, I thought each example was an exaggeration, but every one of them was followed by actual footage.

How a High School Librarian in Abilene Fought Back Against Moms for Liberty

 

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Monday, March 16, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Friday, March 13, 2026

 

The Oscars are this Sunday. I may be the only person in America that thinks One Battle After Another wasn’t all that great.

The Federal Aviation Administration selected the Texas Department of Transportation this week for one of eight pilot projects nationally for regional flights linking Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio using electric aircraft that can take off or land vertically.

That made me think of the Volocopter eVTOL aircraft in the HBO series Westworld. Of course, in the series, that year is 2058, so there’s no telling what the real ones in the next 32 years. Here’s an article if you’d like to know more: How HBO’s Westworld designed its eVTOL aircraft (and no, they’re not flying cars)

In the summer of 2022, Anderson Cooper did a 60 Minutes story about the future of eVTOLs. One of the companies was Joby Aviation. At the time, I saw that its stock price was a little over five bucks a share, so I decided to invest. Today, it’s trading around $9.75. But if I had been keeping an eye on it, I should have sold it when it was over $18 a share last summer.

Most job recruiters who reach out to me offer something with either no or very limited benefits; healthcare and paid-time-off aren’t even an option.

An underground pipe rose more than 32 feet out of a street in a busy area of Osaka, nearly reaching an elevated road above.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 12, 2026 at 11:30 PM

Never in my life did I think official White House communications would be so juevinile.

Islamic schools, parents sue Texas comptroller over block from private school vouchers

Tennessee grandmother jailed after AI facial recognition error links her to fraud

Officer having anxiety attack took ambulance sent for man dying from police shooting, report says

An interesting article from Runners World. I ain’t going to run 5.5 miles just for some butter, I’ll just go to the store.

Runners Are Discovering They Can Churn Butter on Their Runs—and It’s Surprisingly Easy

When was the last time you made butter and ran simultaneously? This is the question Libby Cope, 30, an Oregon-based outdoor and running content creator, asks in a video that has racked up more than 2 million views on TikTok and nearly 10 million on Instagram.

She and her boyfriend, Jacob Arnold, 30, a sterile processing tech at a hospital and an avid runner and biker, do just that: they pour heavy cream and salt into double-bagged Ziplocs and secure the squishy bags of dairy inside their matching running vests before setting off on a trail run. At the end, they spread their creation on sandwich bread and dig in.

 

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A post shared by Libby Claire (@lib_claire)

 

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Friday, March 13, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Monday, March 9, 2026

Summer Williams of my hometown of Mineral Wells, TX, set the fastest breakaway roping time at the 2026 Houston Rodeo. I like how the announcer said, “There really is something in the water in Mineral Wells.”

Hat Tip: Richard S. (Thanks!)

 

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A post shared by RODEOHOUSTON (@rodeohouston)

Sidenote: The Houston Rodeo’s entertainment lineup is a bit more diverse than I expected, with Lizzo and Creed. Granted, Lizzo is from Houston.

Authorities expect water to run out by November

Congress needs to get a better hold of what constitutes a war. Technically, only Congress can declare war. Currently, the president and other representatives refer to the ongoing conflict with Iran as a war. And when the Commander in Chief states the only end to this is with Iran’s unconditional surrender, it sure seems like a war. I’m not saying I’m opposed to military intervention, but some things need ironing out.

I’ve been following this story about a secret weapon that causes severe vertigo and lasting brain injury since it was first reported nine years ago, with Cuba using it on the US Embassy. 60 Minutes had a major update on the story. It appears our government now has obtained a copy of the weapon.  It is small, designed to be concealed, silent, doesn’t emit heat, can be operated by remote control (with a beam range of several hundred feet), and can penetrate windows and drywall.

It’s one thing for members of the military to wear a hat as it’s part of their uniform, but can you take off the very informal ball cap?

This comeback and performance last week by this one young lady was amazing. Too bad they lost their next game, which was for the championship.

To appreciate how hard a feat that is, these guys tried to recreate it.

Those six seconds reminded me of these two iconic NBA moments.

I’m not a big fan of the virtual keyboard; it seems like it would make typing harder, but I like the expandable screen.

United Airlines can now boot passengers who refuse to use headphones with their devices

This reminds me of the time I was flying back from Las Vegas and randomly got upgraded to first class. I decided to open my laptop and listen to a concert DVD. My headphones were plugged in, but for some reason, I could barely hear the music, so I kept turning it up. Perplexed, I tried to troubleshoot it, unaware that the audio was coming from the speakers rather than the headphones. A woman sitting at the front of the economy section tapped my shoulder and loudly yelled, “Use your headphones!” Realizing what was going on, I tried to immediately apologize and state I wasn’t aware my headphones weren’t working, and I didn’t mean to be a nuisance, but before I could get four words out of my mouth, her retort was “First class passengers are elite f–cks! They think the world revolves around them, I ain’t having it!”

 

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Monday, March 9, 2026