Category Archives: Education

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 – ZOOM!

Posted on September 15, 2020 | 1 comment

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 – ZOOM!

Good Morning Class to those of you who have sufficient access and bandwidth. FYI – I told you in 2012 in my last Doctor Hat professional job, when I wrote the report to the United States Congress, that there was not enough bandwidth in the 50 states and Us territories to provide sufficient and equal online/distance learning. Google me.

During these wicked times, it is important to keep one’s mind sharp and active. Therefore, I have prepared some activities for you. There is no time limit.

If Train A leaves the station travelling at 65 miles per hour and Train B leaves the station traveling at 85 miles per hour in the opposite direction, how many glasses of wine can you drink before the two trains collide?
John, Jane, Jeff, and Joan are each holding a coin. John’s coin is larger in cents than Joan’s. Joan’s coin is larger in cents than Jeff’s. But Jane’s family owns the liquor store so who do you like best?
The radius of a 12-inch circle is the length of the line from the center to any point on the circle. What is your favorite kind of pizza?
Which one of these objects do not belong?
1. Wine
1. Wine
1. Wine
1. Spinach
Diagram the following sentence.
1. “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to Separation.”

Answers are due by midnight tonight.

Homework

Stay safe. Wear your mask.

And the wildfires – I have many friends in California and Oregon. I have heard from families in California who are safe, but the air is unbreathable, and they are unable to go outdoors. I have not heard from my Oregon friends, but one of the towns in Oregon where a friend lives has been in the news because it was destroyed.

Also, I have friends in the path of Hurricane Sally.

So please do your Deity and think of them and all of the others in Mother Nature’s wrath.

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Posted in Education, humor, Misc., Native Texan

Monday, September 14, 2020 – The COVID Monday after College Football Awards

Posted on September 14, 2020 | 1 comment

Monday, September 14, 2020 – The COVID Monday after College Football Awards

While it is true that Here’s What I’m Thinking has been in semi-quarantine (grocery store and gym), the truer reason is this. It is so dang hard to be happy and cheerful during The COVID Era. But perhaps the return of college football will spark some energy.

The awards usually follow a Snarky Friday about teams, but it just didn’t seem appropriate since last Friday was 9/11. Nineteen years later I still remember every detail from the moment the American Airlines plane I was on sat down in New Orleans until I reached Austin.

But let me see if I have any awards to hand out.

Let’s begin with an award that goes to every team that played. May I present you with the It Shows That There Was No Spring Practice Award. Most teams looked as though they would have difficulty against Our Sisters of the Perpetually Poor. Games were filled with false starts, illegal motions, lack of timing and favorite poor tackling.

The Blow-Out/Upset Award goes to each winning school in the Big 12 Conference. As in previous years, there are only ten universities and only four are located in Texas.

But if your Big 12 school won, it was a blow out. If your Big 12 lost, it was an upset. Better luck next week.

There is no Poopy Undies Award because games were not really close in score. Oh wait. Let’s give a Poopy Undies Award to Tortilla Tech who barely beat Houston Baptist 35 to 33. Houston Baptist? Nobody goes to HB to play football.

The award for No Spittle in the Air goes to the referee crews who used some kind of whistling gadget that when a button is pushed a shrill whistling sound can be heard in the next county. This was used rather than whistles to avoid spit droplets. (Most used a Fox 40 Classic – you can get one at your Walmart)

I would be remiss if I did not give The Cardboard Fan Cut Out Award to each team. Strange, but less booing of teams and referees,

However, the best award goes to B. J. Forester formerly of THE University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Forester receives the “Not ‘til Gabriel Blows His Horn for Me Award” for leaving the game and quitting the team in the third quarter.

Perhaps next week’s games will be more exciting. Bad football is better than no football. We can continue to wait until real college football season begins when the SEC plays. It just means more.

Stay safe. Wear a mask.

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Posted in College Football, college football, Education, humor, The University of Texas, Uncategorized

Friday, March 6, 2020 – 13 Days of Glory

Posted on March 6, 2020 | Leave a comment

Friday, March 6, 2020 – 13 Days of Glory

To the 13 days of glory and the men of The Alamo.

On this day in 1836, the Alamo fell to the Mexican Army.

We Native Texans remember the day and we demand that any body who lives in Texas remember it as well.

This is part of our bigger than life Texas pride as we recall our glorious heroes who made Texas the state and people we are. But they were not so glorious at the time.

General Sam Houston ordered Colonel William B. Travis not to go defend the Alamo. When Travis and the rest of the renegades did it anyway, Houston was furious. He did not send reinforcements.

Meanwhile there is Colonel James Fannin in Goliad. This would be the indecisive Fannin who when he finally decided to evacuate the mission, it was too late. When the Mexican Army captured them, Fannin neglected to tell his men of Santa Anna’s orders of “No Quarters!” The result was Fannin and his troops died in what is referred to as The Goliad Massacre.

Because his actions were seen as cowardly, Fannin’s entire family were vilified by Texans until 1936 -the centennial -100 Years later. His wife and daughters were ostracized from society until wife, Minerva and one of the daughters suffered nervous breakdowns.

When the news of the fall of the Alamo and Santa Anna’s approaching army, Sam Houston headed east. At the time, Houston’s men almost mutinied thinking it was a retreat and run.

Meanwhile, Santa Anna let the women and children who were at the Alamo go. They make it to Sam Houston with the news of the fall in Gonzales. And everybody heads east. In Texas history this is called The Run Away Scrape. This is a euphemism for “Haul Ass Out of Here.”

But actually, Sam Houston had a plan in mind. Regroup the troops he had, recruit new troops and draw Santa Anna’s army into Louisiana.

If Houston’s army could get the Mexican Army on United States’ soil, Houston would expect his crony in Washington, President Andrew Jackson would intervene. United States troops would arrive to save the Texas army. And Texas would become a state in the United States in 1837.

Things did not go as Houston planned. He also miscalculated a bit of legislation called The Missouri Compromise.

To be continued on April 21.

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Posted in Education, Native Texan, Texas History, Uncategorized

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 – What’s the news across the nation?

Posted on February 19, 2020 | Leave a comment

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 – What’s the news across the nation?

What’s the news across the nation?

Remember Joann Worley and girls from Rowen and Martin’s Laugh-in? You should Google that sentence and actually see some of the clips of what R&M future news was back in 1968. Kinda scary. And of course, there was Goldie Hawn acting stupid all the way to the bank!

Here is a compilation of skits. It is long, but funny. https://youtu.be/cuwQp61ya1s

So, what is the news for today?

I see where the Rolling Stones are going on tour.

Mick Jagger is 78 years old. Keith Richards has been dead for decades and is really an android that is programmed to play guitar. Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts could be androids too.

Here’s What I’m Thinking. If I want to see old see old men sing and dance, I will invite some of you over for karaoke. Bring tequila! No gin in spite of the song. Memories of SFA and to all the Honky Tonk Women.

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Posted in Education, humor, Music, Uncategorized

Tagged Honky Tonk Women, Rolling Stones

Monday, January 13, 2020 – TODAY! The Division I NCAA College Football Championship

Posted on January 13, 2020 | 2 comments

Monday, January 13, 2020 – TODAY! The Division I NCAA College Football Championship

TO: The LSU Tigers

FROM: The Institutions of Higher Education created by The Morrill Act (Land grants Universities),

The schools of the Southeastern Conference,

The people of Louisiana, and

Those who have roots there even though they do not live there

DATE: January 13, 2020

SUBJECT: Beat the Hell Out of Clemson

GEAUX TIGERS! Bring that trophy to Louisiana!

We are all wearing purple and gold today.

Besides, nobody looks good in orange. It does not match any other colors and does not rhyme with any other words.

Look, even my cat. Obviously, she is a descendant from the line of one of the LSU’s Mike the Tiger.

Peach on LSU shirt

This message is only good until November 28, 2020!

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Posted in College Football, Education, humor, LSU, LSU Tigers, Native Texan, Uncategorized

Tagged NCAA National Championship 2020

Friday, January 10, 2020 – Until November 28, 2020 Continued

Posted on January 10, 2020 | 2 comments

Friday, January 10, 2020 – Until November 28, 2020 Continued

Many of you know that Donnie Daye was my first cousin. His mother and my mother were sisters.

Donnie played on the 1958 LSU Championship Team. He was a blocking back for Heisman Winner, Billy Cannon. Allegedly Donnie threw the block in the Halloween game that sprang Billy Cannon down the sideline to score against Ole Miss.

I only have a few LSU sports related memorabilia, but I do have this shirt, some pictures Donnie’s wife Penny sent and a pic or two of me and Billy Cannon. My conversation with Billy Cannon is a great memory.

Billy Cannon 8.10.2014 2014-08-10 005 (600x800)

Billy Cannon 8.10.2014 2014-08-10 004 - Copy (600x800)

Me: Mr. Cannon? Will you sign my shirt?

BC: Oh, my goodness. Where did you get this?

Me: In Godsheaux’s in …

BC: In Plaquemine, Louisiana?

Me: Yes. Donnie Daye is my first cousin. I was visiting our aunt who lives there a couple of years ago and bought this commorative shirt.

He moved the shirt to side, and we talked for about five minutes before he signed my shirt.

Billy Cannon 8.10.2014 2014-08-10 003 - Copy (800x585)

I was able to get both Donnie and Billy to sign it. shirt 2.1

Check it out – Favorite Aggie Cuz!

Donnie and Penny Daye

Donnie passed away in December 2017. This is LSU’s tribute to Donnie the following football season.

Donnie, Penny and Billy have since gone to the Big Game. But I am thinking they are saying with me…

BEAT THE HELL OUTTA CLEMSON! AGAIN!

Sugar Bowl

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Posted in College Football, Education, humor, LSU, LSU Tigers, Native Texan, Uncategorized

Thursday, January 9, 2020 – Just Until November 28, 2020

Posted on January 9, 2020 | Leave a comment

Thursday, January 9, 2020 – Just Until November 28, 2020

Dear Friends and Especially my Family from Louisiana and to Donnie and Penny Daye and Billy Cannon in Heaven,

I have always believed that had my parents not moved to Texas I would have an LSU degree on the wall. Instead, there is a sheepskin on the wall from Texas A&M University.

Therefore, LSU fans, in anticipation of your upcoming game on January 13, 2020, celebrating the birthdays of myself and the lovely and talented CSE, who is actually from Louisiana, and the National Football Championship Game, I have written a song in anticipation victory.

Come on Joe, we gotta go me oh my oh

We gotta go pole the pirougue down the bayou

The S-E-C it just means more me oh my oh

Son of gun let’s have big fun on the bayou

Well jambalaya and a crawfish pie; make Clemson gumbo

Cause that night you gonna get football’s ma cher amino

We’ll pick guitars, fill fruit jars until Novembro,

Until then you gonna bring it on the bayou.

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Posted in College Football, college football, Education, humor, LSU, LSU Tigers, Misc., Native Texan, Texas Aggie football, Texas Aggies, Uncategorized

Friday, November 22, 2019 – Snarky Friday – Week 13 College Football

Posted on November 22, 2019 | Leave a comment

Friday, November 22, 2019 – Snarky Friday – Week 13 College Football

There has just been too much snark this week. Therefore, The Snark is out to reduce Snark Pollution and will only address a few games. Besides, my online class at The University of Legargy begins soon.

Penn State at Ohio State – 11:00 on Fox. For those you care. For the rest of us, it is a good time to run Saturday errands.

The only reason I include The War of the Catholics of Boston College and Notre Dame is for my weekly text from RL. It cheers me up. Oh, the game is on the Notre Dame Network (NBC) at 1:30. Plenty of time to make Saturday evening mass.

The rest of the times and stations appear to have cupcake games. These include: W. Carolina and Alabama, Samford (not STANFORD) at Auburn and LSU and Arkansas.

Therefore there are only two games of significance. And at the same scheduled time. Ugly face emoticon.

THE University of Texas at Baylor – 2:30 on FS1 in The Battle for I-35. Waco is only two hours north of Austin. I hope the Horns left early this morning. Given I-35 construction and traffic, the buses may arrive by game time tomorrow.

To the Bears! – Remember there are FOUR QUARTERS in the game. You have to play all of them. Sic ‘Em Bears. Pour that Baptist Holy Water in the Brazos.

Texas A&M at The University of Georgia – 2:30 CBS “between the hedges” in Sanford (Again, NOT STANFORD) Stadium. This promises to be heartbreaker for the team whose mascot is a canine. Let’s hope it is the team with the collie whose name begins with R that does the heart breaking.

Oh Snark. Aggies on CBS with Gary Danielson! Remember last week he laughed at and made fun of the female photographer who was knocked unconscious and carted off the field by stretcher. To shut Gary up, find a radio station with the Aggie/Georgia Game, mute the TV and enjoy the game. Or watch the TU and BU game.

BTHO Georgia!

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Posted in Baylor University, College Football, college football, Education, humor, LSU, Native Texan, Texas Aggie football, Texas Aggies

Tagged CBS, Gary Danielson

Monday, November 18, 2019 – 2:42 AM

Posted on November 18, 2019 | 1 comment

Monday, November 18, 2019 – 2:42 AM

November 18, 1999 – 2:42 AM

We still mourn. We still grieve. We still cry.

Today, twenty years later, and forever we answer “Here” for our twelve Aggies as Judgement Day in Aggie Land came for them that early morning.

We are The Spirit of Aggieland.

We are the Aggies. The Aggies are we.

And today we answer “Here” for

Miranda Denise Adams, Class of 2002

Christopher D. Breen, Class of 1996

Michael Stephen Ebanks, Class of 2003

Jeremy Richard Frampton, Class of 1999

Jamie Lynn Hand, Class of 2003

Christopher Lee Heard, Class of 2003

Timothy Doran Kerlee Jr, Class of 2003

Lucas John Kimmel, Class of 2003

Bryan A. McClain, Class of 2002

Chad A. Powell, Class of 2003

Jerry Don Self, Class of 2001

Nathan Scott West, Class of 2002

We will forever remember.

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Posted in Education, Native Texan, Texas Aggies

Tagged Aggie Bonfire 1999, Bonfire 2019

Friday, November 15, 2019 – The Return of the Snark

Posted on November 16, 2019 | 1 comment

Friday, November 15, 2019 – The Return of the Snark

This is for the three of you of missed me. I apologize. I was taking an online course from The University of Legarthy. FYI – I made an A.

We are now at the point in the season of college football where each snap matters. Every touch of the football is critical. Each down is the “big play.” As I always state, this is about teams I like or teams that play teams I like. If you follow, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and/or Ohio State, find somebody who likes your teams.

So, this weekend, here is who I like and what I am thinking about each.

Alabama at Mississippi State at 11:00 on ESPN. See what happens when you lose a game. You get the awful 11:00 time slot. The cow bells are especially annoying at this hour.

Navy at ND 1:30 on NBC. Anchors Away! And take the weird leprechaun with you. RL, I shall await your weekly ND text.

THE University of Texas at Iowa State 2:30 on FS1. Even though Baylor students and faculty are turning the Brazos River into Holy Water for this weekend, do not look ahead. Else Bevo will be the cow in the Twister movie. The Cyclones are unpredictable.

Georgia and Auburn 2:30 on CBS. This is a keep the remote handy game with conference and bowl implications. The Snark crystal Bball says Georgia will be upset before the end of the season.

LSU and Ole Miss 6:00 on ESPN. Sweet memories of the Halloween Game of days gone by. Miss you Cousin Donnie Daye. And Cousin Penny too. Geaux Tigers!

Oklahoma at Baylor 6:30 on ABC. As mentioned, the Brazos River that runs by McLane Stadium is being filled with holy water in an effort to keep Baylor undefeated. It is not like there have not been miracles on the Brazos in previous years.

ESPN Game Day will be broadcast from Waco. HWIT. This is a biggie. It is a huge game with Big 12 Conference titles and bowl game selections on line.

Fans are expected to start camping out around the stadium around 4:00 pm TODAY! The Home Depot Campus Cornhole Challenge is from 1:-30-3:30. I can’t wait until Cornhole becomes an NCAA sport.

The Snark’s crystal ball says Chip and Joanna will be guest pickers with food coming from their Magnolia Diner. The Magnolia Diner is where the original Elite on the Circle café was. If you have been to Waco and gone around “the circle” a few times, you know what I am talking about. I even have a button that says “I survived The Elite Circle.” Watch out Bears, you could get stuck in “the circle.”

With the remote firmly in hand to keep up with Baylor, naturally I shall be watching:

South Carolina at Texas A&M 6:30 on SECN. This is the last home game before Jimbo and the Ags go on the road again to Athens and Baton Rouge to close out the season.

The A&M fans will “pass it back” and will join the South Carolina fans by holding up three fingers in the third quarter to honor the life of Tyler Hilinski. Tyler is the late brother of South Carolina quarterback Ryan Hilinski. Tyler was also a Division I quarterback at Washington State. Tyler took his own life in January 2018. The family’s organization of Hilinski’s Hope calls attention to mental illness among athletes.

However, at the end of the Fourth Quarter the Aggies will

BTHO out of South Carolina. Gig ‘Em Aggies!