Here's What I'm Thinking

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.

1 Comment

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.

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!”

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.

6 Comments

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.

2 Comments

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.

Oh yes, the Baylor Bears were victorious in their last game in Floyd Casey Stadium. Who did they defeat? Why, the Texas Longhorns.

How many days until kick off? As a few minutes ago, it was 99 days, 48 minutes and 22 seconds.

Countdown clock: https://days.to/until/ncaa-season

3 Comments

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

Tagged Baylor Bears, College football countdown clock, Floyd Casey Stadium, Texas Longhorns, The University of Texas

Wednesday, May 18,2016 – It’s National Golf Day

Posted on May 18, 2016 | 1 comment

Wednesday, May 18,2016 – It’s National Golf Day

Why aren’t you on the golf course about to tee off? I am. May the course be with you. FOUR!! FORE!! LOOK OUT!

The Golfer (600x800)

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Posted in Misc.

Tagged National Golf Day

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 – Panjandrum

Posted on May 17, 2016 | Leave a comment

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 – Panjandrum

Good morning, boys and girls. Our vocabulary word for the day is panjandrum. No it is not a city in India. It is a noun meaning a self-important or pretentious official.

Also see: politicians, football coaches, certain bosses, and other assorted ostentatious, conceited, and pompous, ego inflated individuals.

Panjandrum should not be confused with pan tantrum which is a big temper tantrum and what the above throw when they do not get their way.

Mammatus Clouds 1.26.16 Bryan Photo by me

Monday, May 16, 2016 – Smoking in the Boys’ Room

Posted on May 16, 2016 | 1 comment

Monday, May 16, 2016 – Smoking in the Boys’ Room – You wish that was all that is going on in a high school bathroom.

Note: This is not about transgender and bathroom issues. It is about the Texas Executive Branch making decisions it does not have a statutory authority to make.

To: Governor Greg Abbot and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick,

I have a few questions regarding The Bathroom Issue. Now I did not go to law school, but I am pretty good at educational law and looking at schools.

When was the last time either of you went to a bathroom in a high school? Not the one in the teachers’ lounge or in the principal’s office. The one for the students at the end of the hall. Or the bathroom isolated in the building somewhere. Do you have any idea what can and does go on in a middle or high school bathroom? And sadly, even elementary school bathrooms have bullies and fights.

Governor Abbott? Is filing lawsuits against the Executive Branch of the federal government all you know how to do? How much does this cost me and the taxpayers of Texas? Wouldn’t these dollars be better spent going to the public schools of Texas?

Pictorial representation of the educational institution in Texas. Photo by me.

Check for understanding: The Texas Executive Office (that would be Abbott and Costello, I mean Patrick) are willing to sacrifice the boys and girls of the Texas public schools by not accepting federal education money over school bathrooms? And you two made this decision on your own?

Don’t both of your offices in the capitol have private potties? Was the Governor’s bathroom modified to accommodate wheels?

Here’s What I’m Thinking – How about labeled port-a-potties? Line them up outside like privies. Label them. Color code them. One can go to the bathroom under which ever label they feel most comfortable.

Labels include, but not limited to:

Transgender Male to Female
Transgender Female to Male
Still Confused
Straight Boys
Gay Boys
Straight Girls
Lesbians
Don’t Care
Unisex
Bisex
Transex
Metrosex
Asex
Straight Males of Color
Straight Females of Color
Gay People of Color

I suggest you place a row of port-a-potties near the athletic facilities. This should include portable facilities broken down by sport:

Football
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Track
Field

You get the idea. These could be pay toilets like there were in the 1950’s. One had to pay to pee. Fund raisers for the booster clubs perhaps.

It could bring good advertising opportunities for local businesses. Just think – This port-a-potty for Straight Boys is sponsored by Kevin’s Klean Kars!

Save your Confederate Toilet Paper. The South is Gonna Rise Again!