Monthly Archives: October 2018

Wednesday, October 31, 2018 – Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 31, 2018 | 1 comment

Wednesday, October 31, 2018 – Happy Halloween!

Here’s a selfie of me in my Halloween costume. I am The Invisible Man. (Woman).

 

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Tuesday, October 30, 2018 – Eat Pray Vote!

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Tuesday, October 30, 2018 – Eat Pray Vote!

For your thought provoking Tuesday, here is an interesting quote from the novel Dune by Frank Herbert.

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong – faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rash until it’s too late.”

EAT PRAY VOTE!

 

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Monday, October 29, 2018 – My Monday After Saturday College Football Awards – Week Nine

Posted on October 29, 2018 | 3 comments

Monday, October 29, 2018 – My Monday After Saturday College Football Awards – Week Nine

Let’s just start and give every team that played a Butt Ugly Award and a Poopy Undies Award.

The first trophy goes to Kansas for snapping a 38 game October losing streak. The At Last a Victory Parade trophy goes to Kansas. Rock Chalk Jayhawk – Kansas and TCU 27-26. Now Kansas, go play basketball.

In the Heartbreak Category, Second place in The Yogi Berra and Ain’t Over till It’s Over Award goes to the Iowa Hawkeyes for throwing an interception in the final moments to lose to Penn State 24 to 30.

And the first place award for The Yogi Berra Award for It’ Ain’t Over Till It’s Over Award goes to Kentucky. The What Just Happened Award? goes to Missouri. With no time left on the clock after a pass interference call, Kentucky scores on the last play to win 15 to 14.

Oklahoma State University 38 THE University of Texas 35.The Linda Ronstadt Award goes to Oklahoma State because Mr. Cornelius blew by you! Kudos to the throw-back uniforms for Oklahoma State. It is always hard to tell if THE University of Texas wears throw backs uniforms or not. I award several awards to the Horns. T. Herman wins the Exploding Head Coach Award for running and screaming onto the field of play to no avail.

http://https://www.foxsports.com/college-football/video/1355044419675

It was reported that players were crying in the locker room. There’s no crying in football either! And the Horns are not in a League of Their Own. And a really pissed off West Virginia is coming to Austin. Alert all the sofas at the thrift stores. They will burn next weekend.

For the Florida Gators, I award the Red Sails in the Sunset Award as you slowly fade away into next year with your loss to Georgia 17 to 36.

Also fading away are the Texas Aggies. I award them Hey! It’s Not as Bad as Last Year (Yet) trophy. Our punishment is having to play Auburn on the road at 11:00 next Saturday.

Tomorrow the Official committee makes their selections for the first ranking of football teams. This will eventually lead to the Who’s In? the Championship bracket. Tune in on ESPN at 7:00 (I think). RL, you know ND will be number three so prepare yourself for you spitting, cussing fit.

Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox for winning the World Series. We’ll see you next year in Houston!

Eat, Pray and Vote

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Posted in College Football, Education, humor, Native Texan, Politics

Friday, October 26, 2018 – Week Nine Snarks on College Football

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Friday, October 26, 2018 – Week Nine Snarks on College Football

Grab the remote; order the pizza and pop the popcorn. It is going to be a Dilly Dilly of a weekend in college football. The Snark is calling this weekend The Douglas MacArthur weekend because some teams will never die; they will just fade away after this weekend.

My watches for the weekend.

Clemson at Florida State – 11:00 on ABC – Should be no problem for the Tigers.

Vanderbilt and Arkansas – 11:00 on SECN – The Battle of the Really Bad Football Teams in the SEC.

Florida and Georgia – 2:30 on CBS – In the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, somebody fades away after this one. The lead in the SEC West is at stake.

Iowa and Penn State – 2:30 on ESPN – Penn State QB, Trace McSorley is so cute. This should not result in a Poopy Undies Award for PSU, but we shall see.

Kentucky and Missouri – 3:00 on SECN – Just a reminder, Texas A&M beat Kentucky. So why are the Wildcats still in the picture? Please, Missouri, do not wear those ugly, yellow, banana looking uniforms.

Texas and Oklahoma State – 7:00 ABC – T. Boone Pickens could be very interesting come 7:00. Pistol Pete is waiting for you Bevo. The slamming paddles are going to be like mayonnaise on a hot day and spoil it for you, Horns. Go Pokes!

Navy at Notre Dame – 7:00 on CBS – Anchors Away with hope. If ND sinks, then so do their chances.

My watch will be the Battle of the Maroons and Whites in Starkville. Texas A&M versus Mississippi State at 6:00 on ESPN. Trash talk to the Bulldogs– Reveille is both prettier and smarter than Bully. The Aggies have more than one offensive play. Our quarterback can run better than yours. These are not last season’s Aggies. My boyfriend, Traveon, will rush for 100 plus yards. The cowbells will not ring!

BTHO Mississippi State! WHOOP!

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Thursday, October 25, 2018 – Red, White and Blue

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Thursday, October 25, 2018 – Red, White and Blue

Today I am only posting a couple of pretty pictures from last Sunday’s visit to the George H.W. Bush Museum. Enjoy.

 

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Wednesday, October 24, 2018 – The Results

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Wednesday, October 24, 2018 – The Results

And the winner of The Great American Read is:

To Kill a Mockingbird, Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It is the required novel of ninth grade English classes.

The literary genre is southern gothic, coming-of-age fiction and bildungsroman.

Since I had no idea what bildungsroman means I figured you did not know either. Here you go. Try to use it in your daily conversation today.

Bildungsroman is a noun meaning a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education.

If you have never read this classic, read it now. If you have read it multiple times, read it again. This is especially true in these troubled times we are experiencing.

Perhaps you can read it while you wait in line to cast your ballot for your candidates in the mid-term elections. Please vote and exercise your right. Remember people die every day for our right to do this. Everyone should have the freedom to make their voice heard. Right, Scout?

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Tuesday, October 23, 2018 – The Great American Read Finale, My Favorite Novel and Grogan Cochran Lumber Company

Posted on October 23, 2018 | 1 comment

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 – The Great American Read Finale, My Favorite Novel and Grogan Cochran Lumber Company

Tonight is the finale of The Great American Read. The number one novel that received the most votes will be announced as America’s favorite novel.

There was a three-way tie for the correct response to my favorite novel. Of course, there were only three votes, but you are all correct. Yes, my favorite novel is Harper Lee’s 1960 publication and Pulitzer Prize winning To Kill a Mockingbird. So Beckie, Barbara and Debbie get to split the $11.50 I usually receive for turning in my books to Half-Price Books.

If you did not already know the correct response, the clue was in “Scout out the list to see if you can find it.” Scout, of course, is Atticus Finch’s daughter in To Kill a Mockingbird.

If you are old enough to remember Paul Harvey, as he would say “And now the rest of the story.”

In 1955 the Magnolia ISD board of trustees called for a $150,000 bond issue. The purpose was to construct a new cafeteria and a band hall, construct two classrooms at the high school, and make general improvements to all of the campuses in the district.

The tax base of Magnolia ISD was the lumber company. Grogan Cochran. Mr. Henry Grogan was against the bond issue because it included improvements to the segregated black school and encouraged his employees to vote again the bond issue.

Nevertheless, the bond issue passed and improvements were made across the district regardless of color lines.

Many years later, in cleaning out my father’s house we found a letter on Grogan Cochran Lumber Company stationery dated 1960. It was his termination letter from Grogan Cochran. My father was still alive and we asked him about the letter. All he said “Yep. If you are going to make improvements to one school you are going to make improvements to all of the schools.”

I hope there is a little bit of Atticus Finch in all of us today.

R. E. Duffey, late 1930’s. Someplace in Louisiana

All of the original papers associated with this story – the bond issue announcement, the blue prints for construction and improvements, the school district’s status report in 1955 and my father’s termination of employment letter reside in the Magnolia Depot.

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Monday, October 22, 2018 – My Monday After College Football Awards – Week Eight

Posted on October 22, 2018 | Leave a comment

Monday, October 22, 2018 – My Monday After College Football Awards – Week Eight

There were not many college football games of my interest this week. Apparently all of my favorite teams received a bye week. Let’s hope the bumps, bruises, dislocations, hyperextensions, sprains and strains all heal. Therefore, there are just a few awards today.

Let’s start with Penn State. It was Penn State 33 and Indiana 28. PSU, you once again receive The Poopy Undies Award. This is multiple awards for you so maybe you should beat the crap out of a team and let others have a chance to scare their fan base.

Wisconsin defeated Illinois 49 to 20. Not that I care about either team, but I do not often get to see snow. Wisconsin wins The Snow Globe Game Award.

The Crimson Tide once again demolished their opponent. Alabama 58 Tennessee 21. I award The Defibulator Award to Coach Saban and to the entire Alabama fan base. Even I held my breath when Tua was down on the field.

Kentucky 14 Vanderbilt 7 – Kentucky wins The Squeaky Award as they just squeaked by Vanderbilt. Wildcats? It was Vanderbilt! Therefore Kentucky receives The Why are You Still Ranked trophy.

What rhymes with Formerly Number Two? PURDUE! That’s Who! I give Ohio State The Dot Your “I” With a Boilermaker Award. Ohio State 20 Purdue 40.

My last award goes to Mississippi State in their loss to LSU 3 to 19. Way to go Tigers. I award the Bulldogs The One Play No Wonder You Lost Award. Even by the third Mississippi State series, I knew what the play was going to be. The only time I have ever seen the one-runner play work was in 1977 at THE University of Texas. The play was called “Give the ball to Earl.” (Campbell.) Sadly QB Nick Fitzgerald running the ball on every play did not have the same effect. FYI State – FYI State – The Maroon and White that wins next week may not be your own.

Happy Monday.

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Posted in Alabama, Coach Nick Saban, College Football, college football, Education, humor, LSU, Misc., Native Texan, Texas Aggies

Friday, October 19, 2018 – The Snark Arrives

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Friday, October 19, 2018 – The Snark Arrives

And so we hang up our baseball bats and gloves until next year. Thank you Houston Astros for a great season. Now that I am not interested in any team playing in the World Series, I can move away from the TV for that sport. That will add significant hours to my life.

Moving to college football… Where did everybody go? I write about teams that I like and teams that play teams that I like. With the exception of a couple of SEC games, no teams that I like are playing. But let’s see who is playing.

At 11:00 on Fox we find the state school and the land grant school of Michigan when Michigan and Michigan State kick off. It’s a nice rivalry, but I do not get excited with a puffy, anthropomorphic mascot – as in a human in costume. I just do not see the Spartans of old being puffy. I mean Spartan means sparse, not puffy.

Opposite on ABC the Oklahoma and TCU play. It’s the Big 12. Who cares?

Equally as uninteresting is Tulsa versus Arkansas on the SECN at 11:00. I am thinking there are several high school teams in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas that could defeat either one Tulsa or Arkansas.

Hotty Toddy! Ole Miss plays Auburn on ESPN at 11:00. Should you lose this one Auburn, you know it is all over.

Penn State and Indiana play at 2:30 on ABC. I only mention Penn State so J from the gym will read this.

Of a mild interest at 2:30 on CBS we have Alabama and Tennessee. This alert just in – Rocky Top will be flooded as the Tide increases. To the Volunteers – Turn around; you are going to drown.

Following that game on CBS at 6:00 is Mississippi State and LSU. This could be the most interesting game of the weekend. Lots at stake Death Valley. Maybe even a playoff spot for the Tigers. Both teams will need to bring their A game. No room for turnovers, bad calls and stupid actions. Sorry, Janne and Big Solid, I got to go with family. GEAUX Tigers.

For those who did not see this on Facebook I am posting the hilarious SEC midterm report card from YouTube. Good bull as the Aggies say.

Meanwhile for the Texas Aggies – BTHO out of Bye Week and no targeting calls.

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Posted in Alabama, Coach Nick Saban, College Football, college football, Education, humor, LSU, Native Texan, Texas Aggies

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 – The Great American Read and a What Do You Think Puzzle

Posted on October 17, 2018 | 1 comment

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 – The Great American Read and a What Do You Think Puzzle

I have been following The Great American Read on PBS since the premier episode last May. Quick Review: 100 books were selected as fictional works that influenced readers of all ages. Viewers are to selection their most loved book(s) that made a significant difference in their life. Next Tuesday the book that received the most votes will be announced.

My goal was to check off 50 titles that I have read by the end of August. I missed the deadline by a bit, but as of yesterday the count is up to 53 with two books sitting on the table to be read. I think I can have 60 checked off by the end of the year. I am pretty much left with those monstrosities with many pages – like the Russians and Dune, so it will be slow reading from now on. Once again, let’s review. One of the reasons I have read so many from the lists is that I hold three degrees in liberal arts. Those are those fields where you read and read and read some more. One of my favorite fields of study is Social and Intellectual History. You have to read a lot books.

What is my most favorite and influential book? Of course there are many and I’m not telling yet. But I will be keenly disappointed if it is not selected. However, I am sure I will be happy with the selection unless it is Fifty Shades of Gray. But I will give you some hints to my selection. American author, Deep South, racial tensions, and freedom. Scout out the list and see if you can guess.

The first to respond with the correct answer will receive the $11.75 that I usually when I turn the books into Half-Price Books. Responses must be made by 5:00 next Monday or whenever you can before Tuesday at 7:00 PM. So what are you thinking it might be?

View the 100 Most Loved Books at the link below.

https://www.thirteen.org/blog-post/the-100-books-on-the-great-american-read-list/

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