BagOfNothing.com

I don’t understand the need for businesses, like my property management company, to access a $2.95 “e-Check” fee when there are options like the ACH, Bill Pay, Zelle, and Venmo. My guess, it’s just another way to make a little extra money. The only way I can avoid the fee is to write a check, drive from Grapevine to Southlake, and physically deliver it to their office during regular business hours.

Every now and then, I’ll pick up my copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, flip to a random page, and read for a little bit. This one line stood out, so I thought I’d share.

It can ruin your life only if it ruins your character. Otherwise it cannot harm you – inside or out.

Book 4, Verse 8

Artemis II

• What’s in a name?
  • Apollo and Artemis are divine twin Olympians, born to Zeus and Leto on the floating island of Delos, fleeing Hera’s wrath. Artemis is the virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and moon, while Apollo is the god of music, prophecy, healing, and the sun. They often worked together, punishing those who disrespected their mother.
  • But get this, “Artemis was born first, immediately helping deliver her twin brother, Apollo.” With this in mind, perhaps NASA should have named the program in the Sixties after Artemis instead of Apollo.
    • So, how did the moon missions in the Sixties get named after Apollo?
      • The Apollo missions were named by NASA manager Abe Silverstein in early 1960 after the Greek god of sun, archery, and music. Silverstein selected the name while browsing a mythology book at home, believing the image of Apollo riding his chariot across the Sun was a fitting, grand metaphor for the ambitious space program. He also named the preceding Mercury program. Originally, the missions were going to be called Project Astronaut.
• I’m surprised that I haven’t run across anything calling this mission “woke” since it has such a diverse crew: a man of color, a woman, and a Canadian. That may be in part due to it starting in 2017, in the first year of Trump’s first administration.
  • I saw the Administrator of NASA, Jared Isaacman, being interviewed. Like all Trump Administration officials, he started off praising the leadership of Trump, even proclaiming how budget cuts to NASA would make the agency better. Here’s my prediction. Should this mission prove a success, and I think it will, be prepared for an announcement from the White House stating Trump’s name will be added to the Kennedy or Johnson Space Center. My prediction is that it will become the Trump-Kennedy Space Center. However, if I were an advisor, I would recommend not touching either but renaming Mission Control to Trump Mission Control. See, that’s how you stroke an ego.
    • Isaacman’s Wikipedia page states the co-founded Draken International, “a Florida-based defense aerospace company that operated one of the world’s largest fleets of privately owned fighter jets.” Honestly, I had no idea that fighter jets could be owned privately. I thought I saw something years ago stating that there was legislation to prevent any civilian from making or owning a fighter jet.
    • He broke the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a light jet. The previous world record was set at about 82 hours. He and his co-pilot did it in 61 hours, 51 minutes, and 15 seconds.
• Did you know that all 50 U.S. states contributed to the Artemis missions? That certainly brings a nice patriotic feeling, especially when it comes to our nation’s 250th birthday, but it’s not efficient, and it’s stuff like that that is why these things take so long and cost so much.

Christina Koch on Artemis 2 underestimates the Battery Ejection Spring pic.twitter.com/WAwQjTrahD

— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) April 4, 2026

Something hugely under-reported: Iraq trolling the U.S. with AI Lego videos.

Inside Iran’s meme factory – who is behind their viral campaign

From Lego Trump to anime-style battle scenes, Iran’s slick clips are being shared by millions. The ability to blend humour and propaganda using AI tech has surprised everyone, but Kevin L Schwartz and Olmo Gölz, experts in Iranian culture, argue that when you look at who is making it, nobody should be surprised

This is one of the latest aimed at Hegseth, even throwing in Epstein.

U2 surprised their fans with a beautiful little gift on Good Friday. They dropped a mini-album titled Easter Lily, offering songs of faith, hope, and love. Here’s a 54-page online magazine the band provided to accompany it. If you scroll down, you can view lyric videos for all the songs. If you are a fan of The Edge taking lead vocals, you’ll enjoy the first song.

Here’s a USA Today article about it.

Pure joy is getting to parent, like helping your son with his science fair project.

Nothing like firing the Army’s top chaplain during Holy Week, just the day before Good Friday. From Military.com.

Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army’s chief of chaplains, has overseen religious support across the force and advised senior leaders on troop welfare and morale. A former enlisted soldier who later became an ordained minister, Green has served as a chaplain since the 1990s and deployed in support of operations in Iraq. He became the Army’s chief of chaplains in 2023 and was only recently promoted to major general.

From BaptistNews.com

Ousted Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George says U.S. soldiers deserve “courageous leaders of character” in outgoing email

Surely, this will earn him that Nobel Peace Prize he’s been craving. And yes, this is real.

And, so is this: Trump seeks $152 million to reopen Alcatraz as active prison

A reminder of when our country was served by presidents who deflected vanity and understood the bigger picture. My, how we have fallen.

Source (PDF) and source.

BoyGeeding keeps stealing my desk chair, so I ended up buying one on sale for myself. I was surprised it came with white cloth gloves for assembly.

This was a bit of a surprise. From an alum, here’s HSU news you can use.

Source

Care to guess how long residents of Washington, D.C. have had the right to vote in a presidential election?

Sixty-five years as of yesterday, when the 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on March 29, 1961.

While the amendment provides presidential voting rights, it did not grant D.C. voting representation in the U.S. House of Representatives or the Senate. However, due to the District of Columbia Delegate Act of 1970, D.C. has one non-voting delegate in the House. Since the 1964 election, Washington, D.C., has consistently held 3 electoral votes.

12 tons of KitKat bars stolen in chocolaty heist in Europe, Nestle says

A massive 12-ton shipment of Nestle’s crunch KitKat bars was stolen in a chocolaty heist that risks causing a shortage in stores right before Easter.

KitKat, owned by Swiss food giant Nestle, told AFP on Saturday that “a truck transporting 413,793 units of its new chocolate range has been stolen during transit in Europe.” The shipment disappeared last week while heading between production and distribution locations, the company said.

I found it interesting that the federal investigators I’m working with replied to an email at 3 AM.

Woman returns as doctor at hospital where she was born and worked as a janitor –
Shay Taylor-Allen will be one of Yale School of Medicine’s newest residents.

Texas House Speaker directs committee to study annexing New Mexico counties

In oil-rich West Texas, a town of 1,355 is building a $21M sports complex – The school district is leveraging its location in the heart of oil country to fund a massive athletics upgrade—before those tax dollars leave the region.

I dropped my phone last week, and it’s beyond repair. I ordered another, but it took five days to arrive in the mail. I heard a segment on the Ticket about how people typically feel better when they go without their phone for several days. Nope, that wasn’t my case. Heck, I missed the “little things” like being able to pick up a curbside grocery order at Walmart, which is so much more convenient than parking, walking inside, finding your items, and then going through the checkout line.

While browsing Netflix, I saw Crazy, Stupid, Love was about to leave. Since I’ve never watched it, I decided to give it a try. In the movie, Steve Carell’s character is a bit of a nerdy but kind-hearted man going through a divorce, loving on his kids, and trying to figure out his new life. The next day, I decided to give Carrell’s new HBO Max show, Rooster a try. He basically plays the exact same character.

I can’t divulge any details, but earlier this week, I spent almost two hours being interviewed by a couple of federal agents about an ongoing investigation. They even gave me homework, asking I provide documentation, and I may have to meet with them again in the future.

These folks are a different brand of Christianity, a type I certainly don’t want any association with.

• At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence ‘against those who deserve no mercy’

I’m not saying war isn’t justifiable; that’s a different topic. But has the Secretary not heard the words of Jesus in Luke 6:36?

Has he ever heard of Micah 6:8?

• And then there’s this:Pete Hegseth’s pastor prays for Talarico’s death: ‘We want him crucified with Christ’ –  Evangelical pastor Brooks Potteiger is facing backlash for a callous conversation he had on the Reformation Red Pill podcast last week

While the Baker Hotel renovation is going slower than expected, I’m surprised at the level of detail they are putting into it. Looks like it’s going to be a top-notch job. If I didn’t have to live in Denton County, I’d probably move back to Mineral Wells just to work on that hotel full-time.

@thebakerhotelandspa

Just one of the many projects we have in the works! Lots happening around here—make sure to follow along so you don’t miss it. #foryoupageofficiall #bakerhotel #historicalhotels

♬ original sound – The Baker Hotel and Spa

I’m a little disappointed in myself for never making the climb up Welcome Mountain just to see the sign up close. I guess there’s still time to do it.

@thebakerhotelandspa

She might be in a little town- but this gal is doing big things #foryoupageofficiall #welcome #thebakerhotelandspa

♬ Camp Geiger Waiting Blues – Casey Ryan Summers

What the heck is going on in Corpus Christi?

• Corpus Christi council votes to explore buying water from a privately owned desalination plant
• Corpus Christi City Council voted 5-3 on Tuesday to move forward with procedural steps in a potential removal process for Mayor Paulette Guajardo

Disney legend Jimmy MacDonald demonstrating how sound effects were made for classic Disney cartoons. pic.twitter.com/q2vndgFrPq

— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) March 25, 2026

An incredible close up of a catcher’s glove receiving a 100mph fastball. pic.twitter.com/qxkfHBfU4M

— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) March 24, 2026

BoyGeeding and I watched Project Hail Mary on opening night in IMAX. It exceeded my expectations. So much so, it may now be my favorite movie of all time. Sometimes the theater experience is worth it. To hear, see, and be a part of the audience, experiencing all those initial reactions. You know a movie is good when the credits roll and just about everyone applauds. Even if our two tickets cost me and my boy over $50

Dallas Cowboys fans should know that the title of the movie is thanks to Captain America, Roger Staubach. While “Hail Mary” has been around a long, long time, Staubach is often credited as popularizing it.

So, now here’s the only thing I really didn’t like about the movie, and I promise this isn’t a spoiler. If it is, it’s of the smallest variety. Anyway, at one point, see the main character wearing a Niners jersey instead of a Cowboys jersey. All I’m saying is, if Staubach is credited with making the term popular, so much that it’s part of our nomenclature, and the title of the movie and name of the ship is “Hail Mary”, then the filmmakers could have at least thrown a small little bone to Captain America and had Ryan Gosling wear a Cowboys shirt.

And for any of you who have or will see the spectacular film, you are more than welcome to first my bump anytime you see me in public.

Parent shocked after child played “Five Nights at Epstein’s” game on school computer

Coaches used to wear suits during games. That’s no longer true in the NFL, though a few tried to buck the trend over the years. You certainly don’t see it in the NBA. But I was surprised to see a decent amount of coaches sporting them during March Madness.

Sadly, at some point, the Nancy Guthrie family will have to make the difficult and painful decision to sell their mother’s house. I doubt she will ever be found, and I’m left to wonder if Savannah will ever feel comfortable going back to work. If she does, I bet it won’t be in journalism.

I recently learned that giving your phone more attention than the person trying to talk to you is a form of “phubbing.” It’s a combination of the words “phone” and “snubbing”.

University of North Texas to cut more than 70 programs and minors to trim $45 million deficit

Chuck Norris and former FBI Director Robert Mueller died close in time, so I guess they will be sharing an apartment in the sky. That’s one apartment you wouldn’t want to break into.

ASU free speech event canceled allegedly after Erika Kirk objects

Real possum found among plush toy animals in an Australian airport gift shop

Obviously, this possum has watched E.T. a time or two.