Monthly Archives: May 2016

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 – Football, Basketball and Baseball

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Tuesday, May 31, 2016 – Football, Basketball and Baseball

NCAA Football – I have shied away from the Baylor University scandal. It is a sad situation and I know my personal Baylor family and my family of Baylor friends are heartbroken. I will take a bat-crap, mentally disturbed Heisman winner over this scandal any day.

However, I saw today that Baylor hired Wake Forest football coach Jim Grobe as acting head coach for 2016. He comes from a school whose mascot is the Demon Deacons. Here’s what I’m thinking – it was the demon deacons that got Baylor in this mess in the first place. The ultimate irony is Ken Starr being demoted in a sex scandal.

NBA Basketball – too much Curry and not enough KD (Kevin Durant) Sad for my OKC Thunder fans, but excited for my Golden State Warrior friends.

NCAA Baseball – THE University of Texas reassigned long-time baseball coach Augie Garrido. Meanwhile to those teams whose sights are set on the College World Series in Omaha get to play on. The CWS takes place in Omaha, Nebraska in case the Longhorns forgot where it is held since you have not visited in so long.

First, however, in order to play in Omaha eight teams must win through their NCAA College Baseball Regionals and Super Regionals beginning on Friday. Perhaps the name should be changed to “Welcome to the SEC and ACC College Baseball Tournaments.” Or maybe the name should be changed to the Southern NCAA Regionals, since most of the 64 teams and all of the hosting sites are in the south.

Meanwhile for the #4 National Seed – The Fighting Texas Aggies play Binghamton State University of New York. Who? More about the Binghamton Bearcats later. Until then,

BTHO Binghamton

Note the trespassing sign to the left. I am outside the fence with a telephoto lens. Photo by me.

Oh look – The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are in the College Station Regional too.

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Posted in college baseball, College Football, Education, Native Texan, Texas Aggies

Tagged Augie Garrido, Baylor, Ken Starr, NCAA Baseball regionals, Texas Aggie baseball, The University of Texas

Monday, May 30, 2016 – Reflections and Sacrifices

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Monday, May 30, 2016 – Reflections and Sacrifices

It is Memorial Day – a time to reflect and remember all who served and especially those who gave the greatest sacrifice to ensure our freedom. We are thankful and grateful for your service.

Reflection Wall at Korean Monument – Washington D. C. – June 2013. Photo by me.

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Posted in Education, Misc., Native Texan

Tagged Korean Monument, Memorial Day, Washington D.C.

Saturday, May 28, 2016 – May Flowers – Zooming In!

Posted on May 28, 2016 | 1 comment

Saturday, May 28, 2016 – May Flowers – Zooming In!

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers brings? Answer at the end to give The Elf time to think.

After the storms from my backyard three beautiful pictures.

Flower Three (800x450) Flower One (800x450) Flower Two (800x450)

Answer: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Mayflowers bring Pilgrims. You were expecting something academic?

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Posted in Misc.

Friday, May 27, 2016 – It Did Not Seem Like Kansas At First, But…

Posted on May 27, 2016 | 1 comment

Friday, May 27, 2016 – It Did Not Seem Like Kansas At First, But…

It did not seem like the opening scenes of The Wizard of Oz until about 1:00 PM yesterday when the pressure dropped sucking all the air out of my living room for a couple of seconds. Then the weather alarms went off saying “take shelter in inner room.” I ensure I have car keys, wallet, flashlight, a charged phone, and a bottle of water. I also ensure I am wearing appropriate foundation garments, a nice t-shirt, jeans and proper shoes in the event I am on the evening news. I then seek shelter. And that’s when I saw my motorcycle helmet and thought what the hell? I also took my tablet so I could stream the SEC baseball tournament on ESPN. So there I sat for about 15 minutes until weather app says it was safe to leave.

As the day stormed on and news reports were issued, I learned the tornado briefly touched down – first in the Lowe’s parking lot off of Briarcrest and Highway 6 (probably when the air got sucked out of my living room); then it crossed Highway 6 and touching down at Booneville Rd (Highway 158) and Briarcrest – directly across from Allen Academy and then proceeding cause significant damage to Wheeler Ridge subdivision. Thankfully there were no injuries or lives lost. I mention these because if you have been to my house, you know those are the exits you take to my house.

But Bryan, Texas made the ABC World News last evening. Storms began around 3 AM this morning and have continued all morning. I have gone to inflate my raft. Stay safe. Stay dry. Thank you to all who checked on my safety.

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Posted in college baseball, Misc., Native Texan

Tagged Bryan Texas tornado

Thursday, May 26, 2916 – Red Sky at Night…

Posted on May 26, 2016 | Leave a comment

Thursday, May 26, 2916 – Red Sky at Night Sailors’ Delight; Red Sky at Morning …

5.25.16 from my front yard. Photo by me.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Wednesday, May 25, 2016 – Baseball, hot dogs and Texas Aggies

Posted on May 25, 2016 | Leave a comment

Wednesday, May 25, 2016 – Baseball, hot dogs and Texas Aggies – Obviously not this morning. I apologize for technical difficulties causing HWIT to be late. While HAL from Geek Squad worked on my computer, I watched time run out for the Aggies against Vanderbilt in the SEC college baseball tournament. But now it is after lunch so time for a nap. This is a necessary activity to ensure I can stay awake for LSU and Florida tonight.

From all of the other teams in all sports, we would like to extend this exclamation to all schools from Florida – “You still suck!”

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Posted in college baseball, Texas Aggies

Tagged SEC baseball, Texas Aggies baseball

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 – The Mascots – They Are Part of the Family Too.

Posted on May 24, 2016 | 6 comments

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 – The Mascots – They Are Part of the Family Too.

As the college football fanatics count down the days until kick off, we learn today of a sadness and a happiness regarding school mascots.

On the sadness side for all my LSU relatives and friends, Mike the Tiger was diagnosed with cancer.http://www.tmz.com/2016/05/23/lsu-tiger-mascot-diagnosed-with-cancer/?adid=hero2

Mike is indeed one of the most beautiful (and scary) mascots in all of college football. He will be provided with the best care possible to live his days in comfort. Would somebody living in Louisiana please go take a picture of Mike for me? I will repay you by renting my front bed room to you on Thanksgiving weekend for no charge.

On the happiness side for all of my friends who had to go THE University of Texas in Austin, their new mascot Bevo XV will be on the sidelines at the Longhorn vs Notre Dame game on September 4. Yeah – a Longhorn Steer and a Creepy Leprechaun.

Bevo XIV passed away from cancer last year. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/05/23/bevo-mascot-chosen-returns-to-texas-sideline-in-2016/84816762/

It really was strange to not have Bevo on the sidelines during the last football games. However, I do not think the missing mascot was the reason the Longhorns lost all of the games.

Was it really necessary to note that the premier of Bevo XV marks the 100th anniversary of its appearance with a victory over Texas A&M? If Bevo XV is “very gentle, smart and curious” as they say, then Bevo knows, The Aggies no longer care about the rivalry. We’ve got LSU.

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Posted in College Football, Education, Native Texan, Texas Aggies

Tagged Bevo XV, college mascots, LSU, Mike the Tiger, Reveille IX

Monday, May 23, 2016 – Flower Power

Posted on May 23, 2016 | 1 comment

Monday, May 23, 2016 – Flower Power

Sing along with the Hippies – What group sings Looking Out My Back Door?

“Just got home from Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch.
Imagination sets in, pretty soon I’m singin’,

[CHORUS:]
Doo, doo, doo, Lookin’ out my back door.”

Looking out my backdoor. Photo by me.

Answer: Creedence Clearwater Revival

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Posted in Education, Misc.

Friday, May 20, 2016 – Snarky Friday! Is There an English Teacher in the House?

Posted on May 20, 2016 | 2 comments

Friday, May 20, 2016 – Snarky Friday! Is There an English Teacher in the House? A Comma Mama? A Grammar Daddy? A Verb Virtuoso? How about a copy editor? A proof reader?

If so, please send your application to the Texas Republican Party. It seems the GOP (Group of Penjedos) in their 2016 Party Platform called the majority of Texans homosexuals. I am pretty certain this was not what they intended the sentence to say. I would like to see the demographic study that provided that statistic.

All because of an out of place comma, the wrong verb tense and not to mention a missing possessive. I know the previous is a sentence fragment, but I am not running the state of Texas.

NPR website – link below

“As Texas Monthly rightly points out, the sentence actually says that homosexual behavior “has been ordained by God in the Bible, recognized by our nations founders, and shared by the majority of Texans.””

A corrected by senior NPR editor

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/19/478720206/how-the-wrong-verb-meant-the-texas-gop-called-most-texans-gay

Does this new demographic get its own bathroom? Since the Republican Party took such an interest in my bedroom, in my body and my bodily functions and now who goes to the bathroom where, I am so confused. What if I want to go to Rocky Horror Picture Show and dress like Dr. Frank N Furter – the transsexual alien? Where do I go to the bathroom?

TGOP? Why didn’t you just use the 2014 plank with all of the verbs, commas and other grammatical boo boos correct? Better yet, why don’t you just change your entire platform to another year – perhaps something from when the dinosaurs roamed?

Living in Texas is like a rocky horror picture show.

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Posted in Education, Native Texan, Politics

Tagged homosexuality, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Texas GOP Platform

Thursday, May 19, 2016 – The Memories Implode – Floyd Casey Stadium

Posted on May 19, 2016 | 3 comments

Thursday, May 19, 2016 – The Memories Implode – Floyd Casey Stadium

On Saturday, May 14, 2016, Floyd Casey Stadium, home of Baylor Bears Football was imploded. https://vimeo.com/167029200

With the falling concrete and rising dust memories of good times and not so good times, filled the memory banks of players, coaches, spectators, graduates and even rivals.

On December 3, 2013 I drove to Waco to take photographs of Floyd Casey Stadium. The temperature was 87 degrees. I wore shorts and a T-shirt.

My photographs show the perfect light and the last day the sun would shine on Floyd Casey Stadium. No photograph is retouched.

On December 7, 2013 the last football game in the stadium was played between Baylor and The University of Texas. The temperature was 14 degrees. I was home by the fire.