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I watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day yesterday. It was fun, and I liked how a lot of things were unexpected. The second half is good; it just doesn’t go by as fast as the first half. I still give it a big thumbs up.

The NFL preseason will kick off with the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 6, 2026. For me, this is when I start to spot the commercials that we’ll be with us through the end of February, and then guess which ones will end up driving us nuts because they’re overplayed. Last year, it was the one with Meghan Trainor and Patrick Mahomes. Funny, the first 20 times I saw it, it was tolerable; the next 100 times it came on, it was nothing but annoying after mid-September.

Most folks won’t think twice about a clock tower unless they are watching Back to the Future. This article makes the point that at one point in history, most people didn’t own personal timepieces, so towns relied on a clock tower, placed proudly in the middle of town, and the ringing of the bell, the public authority on time, was a very communal experience.

Interestingly, my hometown of Mineral Wells didn’t have one. But the one I’m most familiar with was the one in the Weatherford courthouse. We would always pass it going to or from Fort Worth, unless he took one of those routes that bypassed downtown. I’m sure a handful of you know exactly the route I’m talking about.

Axios Texas has been holding a tournament for the Best Texas Drink. It came down to Margarita vs. unsweetened iced tea.

It’s a bit interesting that Dallas Market Hall is going to be converted into a data center. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. KDFW reports that it will more likely be torn down to make way for a data center campus. Now, I’m wondering if this will be the future for abandoned or about-to-be defunct shopping malls.

Alana Stewart, ex-wife of singer Rod Stewart, was in Dallas this week. She’s 81 years old.

US government’s map of Africa mislabels every country sparking confusion at global conference

State finds some registered Texas voters were wrongly flagged as potential noncitizens – The secretary of state told counties to immediately reinstate any Texans who were removed from the voter roll despite showing DPS proof of citizenship.

Election officials across the state should immediately reinstate some voters who were incorrectly flagged as potential noncitizens through a federal program, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office told county officials Wednesday.

Texas imports of Venezuelan oil soar as war chokes off Middle East supply

I wonder, say ten years from now, if someone is going to use AI and do something like erase people’s debt.

Actor Camryn Manheim, who used to champion size diversity and even dedicated her Emmy win to “all the fat girls,” looks almost unrecognizable. I’m not sure how she lost the weight, but I have a feeling we’ll see a lot more of these unrecognizable transformations in the future with the availability of GLP-1 inhibitors.

James Burke’s perfectly timed shot on television in 1978 is hailed as one of “The Greatest Shot In Television History” pic.twitter.com/kCnADUMZep

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) July 28, 2026

I’m posting this for no reason at all other than it makes me happy and brings me joy. It’s an anthem of perseverance that centers on resilience, self-worth, and making your voice heard despite feeling judged or overlooked by others.

I got stung by a wasp this weekend. That hasn’t happened in about 40 years. It happened while trying to find a nest, which was situated behind the flap of a cardboard box. The sting hurt more, and the pain lasted longer than expected. As a kid, I remember treating those by applying wet baking soda on the area.

Also, avoid buying Hot Shot Wasp and Hornet Killer. Rarely have I ever been so disappointed by a purchase.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to attend at least one of the San Diego Comic-Cons.

An example of what it’s like to jobhunt in today’s world.

Something smells fishy.

Pentagon quietly updates how it categorizes Iran war casualties

The Pentagon has updated its public-facing casualty database after abruptly revising its Iran war casualty figures last week, when it reduced the number of U.S. troops listed as killed in Operation Epic Fury from 18 to 14 and removed dozens of wounded service members from that tally.

The Defense Department now appears to be tracking casualties in its Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) under a new category labeled Overseas Operations rather than Operation Epic Fury, the namesake previously used for the Iran campaign – in effect restarting its accounting of dead and wounded in the war.

It’s unclear how defense officials are defining “overseas operations” and whether that’s exclusively counting Iran war dead and wounded.

While watching History’s World War II with Tom Hanks, I saw a locomotive being lifted by a crane. Since trains are so darn large and heavy, I honestly didn’t think it was possible.

Have you ever read a book or watched something and wondered what the characters’ journey looked like?

ReadingMaps.com

For example, here’s Captain Ahab’s pursuit of Moby Dick. As you can see, the maps are interactive.

So Sly was not wearing a tucked-in T-shirt; instead, he was wearing a bodysuit.

Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals Stallone has a custom shirt with a strap under the crotch to keep it tucked, ‘Who thinks about this?’

Arnold: “So I go to visit his set. And he says, ‘Arnold, I don’t like when your shirts are baggy.’ I said, ‘What am I going to do about it?… pic.twitter.com/Hw24fchwQm

— Zeus (@ZeusRebirth) July 25, 2026

In 1991, when Michael J. Fox hosted SNL to promote THE HARD WAY, Fox and Doc Brown from the future storm the stage to warn him the show’s going to bomb unless he travels back in time to save the show 😂 One of the best monologues the show ever did pic.twitter.com/zsTl7lHBHB

— Todd Spence (@Todd_Spence) July 26, 2026

It’s Looking Like the Cybertruck Is the Biggest Flop in Automotive History

Training Camp 1997 pic.twitter.com/tRXqjeNahc

— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) July 24, 2026

Swiss town to fine those who don’t wash up dog pee – Walkers will be expected to carry a bottle of water as well as waste bags, and to use it to dilute urine left in public places. First-time offenders will receive a warning; repeat offenders will face a fine of CHF 100.

So far, I guess it’s been the summer of soccer, large animal attacks, and food illness.

Nearly 1.6M eggs recalled in Texas and nearby states over possible salmonella contamination – If you bought eggs recently at Kroger, Brookshire’s or other stores, it’s worth checking the carton code

Here’s the direct link to the recall on the FDA’s website.

Dallas is lucky to have one of only 25 IMAX theaters in the U.S. (41 worldwide) that project “Real IMAX,” true 70mm IMAX film in an expansive 1.43: aspect ratio. You’ll hear film snobs refer to all other IMAX versions as “Liemax” since they display a 1.90:1 aspect ratio. Dallas’s “Real IMAX” is the Cinemark on Webb Chapel and LBJ.

And you won’t be seeing any new “Real IMAX” theaters anytime soon. That’s mainly because IMAX hasn’t made any new 70mm projectors and screen in about 50 years, per the CEO. That’s how I want to watch Christopher Nolan’s version of The Odyssey. I thought I’d be smart and wait a week, thinking tickets would be easier to purchase. Nope. Seats are booked up for weeks, and people are driving and flying in from other states.

What a summer for DFW bringing in visitors. First the World Cup, now The Odyssey.

I had an interesting job interview that a recruiter set up with a government contracting firm, stating my security clearance was a big plus. They mainly asked questions that I expected regarding project management support and IT business analysis, which is my background. However, the recruiter never directly answer what government agency this contract was for, and I was a bit surprised the interviewer never mentioned it until I asked at the very end. As you’ve probably have guessed, the agency was ICE. I felt a bit snookered.

Ted Lasso Season four premieres on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. That’s good news, I guess, but it messes up one of my favorite series finale Easter eggs.

Jason Sudeikis’s uncle was the late George Wendt, who we all know as “Norm” on my favorite sitcom of all time, Cheers. Die-hard Cheers fans like myself remember that during the last seconds of the series finale, “Sam” straightens a photo of Geronimo as he closes the bar. That was to honor late castmate Nicholas Colasanto, who played “Coach.” The photo was considered a bit of a dressing-room good-luck charm for the actor, and after his death, it was hung on the set and can be seen in every episode going forward.

Well, in what was Ted Lasso’s series finale, in the last few minutes, you see “Mae” at the Crown & Anchor pub straighten the same photo of Geronimo, connecting the two shows and giving Sudeikis a way to honor his famous uncle.

I might just name a future dog “Norm.”

I recently reconnected with an old college friend whom I’ve always admired and full of character. We had dinner last night, and it was the first time we’ve seen each other in over 20 years. After I provided an untidy update of sorts, she told me to remember I’ve always been her friend and that I’m not alone. That meant the world to me, especially as I look back and consider all the Christ-following folks with whom I thought I had genuine friendships who abruptly stopped communicating with me since the winter of 2021.

Some folks are very critical of this and even mock it, but if women can go to gyms like Curves that only allow women, what’s wrong with this? And this is coming from someone who tends to be very critical of Evangelicals.

BaptistNews.com – Men-only gyms seek to protect Christian men from lust

The cables or wiring system is an interesting take. It’s not as cool as a SpaceX landing, but perhaps this is the easier solution?

Video showing up close the historic first Long March 10B booster recovery. With the booster returning under powered flight, before being caught by the Pathfinder recovery barge’s cable capture system, ready for refurbishment and reuse.

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— China Space Watch (@chinaspace.bsky.social) July 21, 2026 at 10:20 AM

I’m delightfully happy to see St. Vincent ranked so high.

“Like so much else with Brickell, it’s hard to believe. That doesn’t make it any less true.” –@txnewsprincess

Find our list of The 25 Most Influential Dallas Recording Artists of the Last 25 Years: https://t.co/zePt1FFqAC pic.twitter.com/yzMjlIZtil

— D Magazine (@DMagazine) July 21, 2026

Gillian Anderson returns as Scully in a promo for the new LEGO X-Files set. pic.twitter.com/ZidSKb7P3h

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 21, 2026

A west Houston woman’s pole dancing ended in disaster after the pole hit a fire sprinkler and flooded her and a neighbor’s apartment.

I’m not much of a soccer fan, but the World Cup Final was enjoyable. Argentina’s goalie was superb, despite the loss.

I may have gotten over my big complaint that the game is nothing more than near misses, but I’m still bugged by how overly dramatic players are when it comes to contact and guessing at how much time is left in a match despite having the technology to rectify that obvious problem.

As for halftime, I’ve never been a fan of a show starting from the cavernous inside of a stadium. Those bits always look prerecorded, and I’m told it’s a way to divert attention from the field, giving the crew an extra minute or two of setup time. But hey, anytime the Muppets are involved, it’s a win. And the Ted Lasso bit was a nice touch, despite it introducing a slow-paced Justin Bieber song, which made things less exciting.

How “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes went from a modest indie rock hit to a melody chanted in stadiums across the globe. It all started in 2003, with a group of Belgian soccer fans at a pub in Italy.

BoyGeeding came home from church camp on Friday. On Sunday, his youth pastor tested positive for COVID.

Alabama news:

Attorney accused of trying to poison her husband again

Nothing like having violent diarrhea on your honeymoon. That’s one way to totally let your guard down.

Newlywed’s honeymoon disrupted by emergency room visit after contracting cyclospora parasite

“Our vows said in sickness and in health, so we’re just getting an early start on that,” Pleuss said.

Shaq takes custom Chevrolet Impala watercraft on Lake Ray Hubbard

Chili’s goes ‘old school’ with retro remodel debuting in Dallas – Red booths and classic tiled tables are officially making a comeback. Chili’s is using four Dallas test spots to launch a massive nationwide nostalgic refresh.

Admiral Brad Cooper has a lot of ribbons.

Men sue hospital after DNA tests showed they were switched at birth 38 years ago

Is this a good idea considering their recent track record?

FAA says Boeing can resume self-certifying its jets as airworthy

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has an all-star cast, so it would be easy to overlook Samantha Morton, but she has an interesting story.

In 2006, a piece of the ceiling in her new home broke off, hit her on the head, caused her to have a stroke, and she had to relearn how to walk and talk.

Her performance as Circe is getting rave reviews.