Bag of Randomness
Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Spotted in the Van, TX, Dairy Queen.

In a move of pure comedic genius, the night after The Late Show’s final episode, Stephen Colbert was back on late-night television… hosting a public-access show in Monroe, Michigan. Colbert returned to Only in Monroe and the 11:35 p.m. time slot on Friday night, joined by the White Stripes and Detroit native Jack White, who served as musical director, using some “older” technology.

Colbert once hosted the show 11 years ago between the end of The Colbert Report and the start of his run as host of The Late Show. His guest on that show was Eminem, who also made a brief appearance as the fire “Marshall.” On this episode, his celebrity guest was Michigan resident Jeff Daniels.

Steve Buscemi appeared in a commercial “public service announcement” for a local pizza place called Buscemi’s, and alerted the audience he is in no way connected to the restaurant.

On the final Late Show, Colbert threw a few hints that this might take place, though no one picked up on it. At the top of his final CBS monologue Thursday night, Colbert paused to mark the occasion: “Tonight is our final broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater. No, no, we were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years, all right? Can’t take this for granted,” he said. Though technically our first show in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan, for an audience of 12 people. Show business being what it is these days, that’s probably where you’ll see me next.” It turns out that was more than just a punchline. And then there was this nugget as he and Paul McCartney turned off the power.

His first guests on Only in Monroe was with the actual hosts, one of whom is former Miss America 1983. He closed out his interview with the two women by offering them the opportunity to guest-host Comics Unleashed, the show that will fill the timeslot for The Late Show, before FaceTiming the real Byron Allen, creator and host, who readily agreed.

I enjoyed the whole show, and you can watch it below.


Prediction: Donald Trump and his businesses have a well-documented history of failing to pay contractors, with hundreds of lawsuits, liens, and government records documenting withheld payments over several decades. So, while his ballroom is going to be built, I predict multiple lawsuits from those construction companies for not getting paid. Surely, one of those prediction markets already has this as an option. Bet the farm.


Nobody born after 1935 has ever walked on the moon.


Seeing all these GOP campaign runoff commercials, in which each candidate tries to out-MAGA the other, makes me feel like I’m inside an SNL sketch. It’s hard to believe anyone with any morals, especially those aligned with Christ, would want to be associated with the Commander in Chief.


Armchair political consultant: Senator John Cornyn literally ends all his commercials with, “I’m John Cornyn, and I approve this message. Join our team and give today.” It’s a bad idea to make the last message you give voters is to give you money. It shows you what the candidate really values. And it’s tone-deaf when you consider how bad inflation is, as well as the cost of gas.


I doubt he would ever be healthy enough to even go on a small tour again, but this is encouraging. It’s a life regret that I never saw him in concert. My wife at the time said she would go begrudgingly, and I didn’t want to make her do something if her heart wasn’t in it.


Things I didn’t know about the great Lou Diamond Phillips until reading this article: he attended the University of Texas at Arlington as a theater major, and he’s half Asian.

“I’m half Filipino with some, you know, Hawaiian, Chinese, a lot of sort of Pacific theater stuff going on there. And then, believe it or not, you know, like Scott Irish English, you know, there’s a healthy dose of Scandinavian in there as well, and a drop of Indigenous blood,” Phillips said.


If you enjoy college softball and sports drama, you’ll enjoy this story of former NBA star Jason Williams’ daughter, who transferred from Florida to Texas Tech. They beaned her a lot, but she shut them up by hitting homers.


This Fortune article is almost a month old, but I still think it’s worth your time – Palantir and other tech companies are stocking offices with nicotine products to increase worker productivity

Tech companies like Palantir and Hello Patient are stocking office vending machines with nicotine products to increase productivity among employees—and it seems to be working.

Nicotine startups Lucy and Sesh have installed branded vending machines in Palantir’s Washington, D.C., office, full of nicotine pouches that are leaving employees zipped up and ready to work.

Long a safer (and legal) alternative to the drugs that Wall Street bankers of old would use to follow market updates, tobacco products have started to make a comeback in the workplace, especially in the form of nicotine products as companies like Zyn and On! offer a less invasive way to get that nicotine high without clouding up office air.

Now, as companies stock their fridges with these pouches—usually the size of a piece of gum that remains tucked between one’s gums and cheek—they’re seeing an increased byproduct of the new office treat: If you can’t get them hooked on the work, get them hooked on the office perks.

The pouches are available for free in Palantir’s offices for employees and guests over the age of 21, a Palantir spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. Palantir, which did not respond to requests for comment, pays to stock the products.


Ohio data center tax break cost $1.4 billion more than expected in 2025New data from the Ohio Department of Taxation indicate a sales tax break for the technology companies behind Ohio’s data center boom is far more lucrative that previous forecasts have estimated.

That’s eleven times more than its original estimate. I guess the same guy who did that estimate did the one for the White House ballroom. That’s a lot of money that could have gone to public schools and healthcare instead of Big Tech CEOs’ pockets.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Wednesday, May 20, 2026


I wonder if John Cornyn still wants to name that highway after Trump?


The Mavericks barely resemble the franchise that played in the NBA Finals less than two years ago.

Luka was famously traded to the Lakers ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, and the star tasked with replacing him and elevating the team’s defense, Anthony Davis, barely played in Dallas and was shipped off in another deal. The architect of the Dončić trade, Nico Harrison, lucked into the No. 1 pick, but didn’t get to see Cooper Flagg flourish as the next Mavs great, as he was fired in November. And now the franchise has parted ways with coach Jason Kidd.

Behind Dirk, I will argue that Kidd is the second greatest Maverick: Rookie of the Year, helped bring the franchise their first championship, coached the team to a Finals appearance.


BoyGeeding and I made this squirrel-feeder a long time ago, and we still utilize it for a small bit of enjoyment watching them munch. Yesterday, this fella was eating in the rain, and it has me thinking about putting some type of umbrella or roof over it.


A Texas Drainage District Walked Its Ditch on a Routine Inspection. They Found a Pipe They Didn’t Recognize Discharging Black Liquid From Tesla’s $1 Billion Lithium Refinery

Somewhat related, this happened at Grapevine Lake. I wonder whether crews need to take any extra precautions with electric vehicles when submerged. Heck, I own an EV and don’t even know the answer.


Steven Spielberg is famously one of the most prominent Hollywood icons who never made an official guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was never a guest on any of Letterman’s or Leno’s shows. The first time he made a late-night appearance was on March 2, 2023, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. And that was a taped interview. However, last night, he made his first in-person appearance on a late-night show with Colbert. Amazingly, for such a feat, he wasn’t the first guest. Usually, when it comes to late-night, your biggest guest, the most important guest, is the first to be interviewed. Oddly, he was second-fiddle to Jon Stewart. I know it’s Colbert’s last week, but I’m still surprised that the most iconic filmmaker of all time wasn’t the main or lead guest.


There’s some good stuff here, especially if you appreciate architecture, history, and pop culture. It turns out that when all that beautiful stained glass was covered in some sort of plastic or vinyl. I’m assuming that when it was renovated for Letterman, it was a rush job. It really is a beautiful theater. His desk sits on the spot where Elvis performed.


I don’t like the men’s fashion trend of flashy socks worn with suits, and I really don’t like the trend of casual/comfort shoes with suits. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for casual wear, especially in the workplace, but when it comes to a suit, there are certain standards I’m not going to bend on.


After 7 years, Space Force’s first paratrooper takes to the skies


Johnson & Johnson takes credit for bringing duct tape to market, and it all started with a mother of two sons in the Navy who worked at an ordnance plant concerned about ammunition packaging.



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Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Monday, May 18, 2026


It’s the last week of the school year for my kids.


One of the better college graduation traditions.


I bet he’ll be invested in the new Christopher Nolan movie out this summer.

Shaquille O’Neal has earned his second master’s degree

 


A man ordered 240 swimming noodles from Walmart, and they decided to ship them to him in 240 individual boxes (YouTube).


Southwest Airlines lays off about 75 employees amid restructuring

I loved working for this company, but I only did so as a contractor. If you are familiar with the company culture, they had enormous pride in never laying off employees. From my understanding, there was even a no-layoff policy.


Random Star Trek trivia since I’m on a bit of a Star Trek kick:

  • Leonard Nimoy directed an episode of TJ Hooker, which I’m sure you recall starred William Shatner.
  • Edward James Olmos was offered the part of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation before Sir Patrick Stewart. He turned it down because it wouldn’t have given him the flexibility to take on other projects.

I’ve just started watching Picard. In the first episode, he said something that stuck with me, “The Pyramids were a symbol of colossal vanity.” I never really thought about it, but he’s right. I’ve also noticed on dating apps that it’s almost a requirement for women to post a photo of themselves with the pyramids in the background. I see it so much, it really annoys me. So, if the pyramids are a symbol of colossal vanity, then taking a picture with them is twice the vanity.


This was trending on X on Saturday.

I’m still bewildered that voters would put someone in office or serve as Speaker of the House who hasn’t had a checking account since 2016.


Texans say AI boom sounds like a ‘washing machine’ that never turns off As Texas races to become the largest data center market in the world, another side effect of the boom is beginning to draw scrutiny: relentless noise pollution.


Pennsylvania police officer overdoses on fentanyl while destroying drugs in the evidence room

An Aliquippa police officer overdosed while handling narcotics from the department’s evidence room, the Beaver County district attorney said. The officer collapsed in a patrol car and it took Narcan and CPR to save him.


LinkedIn user hides AI prompt injection in bio to force recruitment spam to be sent in Olde English prose — bots also manipulated to address user as ‘My Lord’


A lifeline or ‘dystopian’?: Schools open parking lots for homeless students and familiesAs family homelessness hits record highs, a few school districts are beginning to offer parking lots as safe sites for students and their families to sleep at night. Some families prefer the option over emergency shelters

The model is now spreading beyond California. In Ohio, the Cincinnati school district later this spring will open its first safe parking lot for families at a downtown elementary school. The teachers union for Fayette County Public Schools, in neighboring Kentucky, has asked its school board to follow Cincinnati’s lead.


So they are literally butthole surfers?

This Fish Hitches Rides in Manta Rays’ ‘Buttholes,’ According to New Research

Speaking of the band, The Butthole Surfers, I’m sure most of my local readers are aware that the frontman is the son of Mr. Peppermint.


A scorekeeper’s nightmare.

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Monday, May 18, 2026

Bag of Randomness
Friday, May 15, 2026


Wow, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s cold open poking fun at the CBS Evening News was a shot across the bow. Of course, there’s beef with his show getting canned, despite being number one in the ratings, but I’m sure some of this is because of how the network also canned his good friend, John Dickerson, the previous host of the Evening News.

And yes, that was the same broadcast that ended in a medical emergency.

David Letterman was Colbert’s guest last night. Dave revived one of his old bits by throwing stuff off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater, but it was with Colbert’s studio furniture. That’s why you see them sitting in the audience in this photo. Gosh, I’m going to miss that show. I’ve watched it almost daily since Dave started in on my birthday in 1993.


So many locals are ticked off at this. It’s almost like the day when Big Tex went up in flames.

‘This feels personal’: Beloved Dallas whale wall mural painted over for World Cup display


Second Defending Texas High School Baseball Champ Removed From PostseasonCenterville joins Grapevine as reigning champions forced to forfeit out of playoffs for rules violation.


Austin has 1 million residents for the first time, slips to 12th-largest city in U.S.

The city briefly ranked among the top 10 before being passed last year by Jacksonville, Fla. The latest figures show both cities have since been eclipsed by Fort Worth. The Census Bureau’s population estimates put Austin at 1,002,632 residents as of July 1, behind Jacksonville at 1,017,689 and Fort Worth at 1,028,117.


Only 18 Texas youth camps fully licensed weeks before summer, but many can still legally operate

Personally, I’m surprised I don’t see Camp Copass in Denton on the list. It’s the only camp I’ve attended and worked for.


Emails show FBI Director Kash Patel’s Hawaii trip included ‘VIP snorkel’ at a Pearl Harbor memorial


California explores buses traveling up to 140 mph on freeways

The concept envisions connecting locations such as Sacramento, the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego through dedicated freeway lanes, transit hubs and long-distance express bus service.

“Long-distance travel by bus could become an attractive and affordable way to go between California metropolitan areas,” said Ryan Snyder of Caltrans.

Researchers are also examining international examples, including South Australia’s Adelaide O-Bahn busway system and the Netherlands’ Superbus prototype, as part of the study into what could work in California.


NFL schedule release with some great pop-cultural comedy.

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Friday, May 15, 2026