Here's What I'm Thinking

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 – Pretty Prism

Posted on December 9, 2015 | 1 comment

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 – Pretty Prism

Please excuse DrDrD from Here’s What I’m Thinking today. Instead look at the pretty prism that hit my living floor yesterday. Pretty cool, huh?

Prism 2 (450x800)

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Tuesday, December 8, 2015 – One Reason the World is the Way It Is Today.

Posted on December 8, 2015 | 1 comment

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 – One Reason the World is the Way It Is Today.

Here’s What I’m Thinking – “Yesterday, December 7, a date that will live in infamy, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attacked Guam. The Japanese attacked Wake Island …” President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Address to Congress, December 8, 1941.

If you were in MY (or Ms. Navasota’s) history class at McCullough High School in the late 1970’s and you did not know what yesterday was, we WILL change your grades! And you should be ashamed.

Yesterday I was a judge at a history fair at a local high school. The first presentation was entitled “Nazi POW Camps in Texas.” Before the students began I asked “Do you know what today is?” When they looked clueless, I said “Perhaps had there not been a today 71 years ago, you would not have had a presentation on this topic today.” Still clueless.

The ramifications of the Pearl Harbor attack shaped the world in which we grew up and live today. Americans would think “it will never happen again and the United States will never be attacked from the outside by an enemy” until it did happen again on September 11, 2001.

To understand the world today, it is necessary to understand how and why and what events took place to get us to where we are. Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it and in many cases, erroneous in their views of the world today as a result.

So once again, here’s to The Greatest Generation and to those generations who followed and succeeded because of them. Thank you. JV waving from bus (800x530) DSC_0096 (800x530) DSC_0092 (800x530)

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Monday, December 7, 2015 – The Monday After Saturday College Football Awards and little more.

Posted on December 7, 2015 | 1 comment

Monday, December 7, 2015 – The Monday After Saturday College Football Awards and little more.

Please refer to last Monday’s HWIT to see that I selected the top four, including Michigan State for the National Championship. Please note that does not infer or reflect any support for the Spartans. I just like green over black and gold.

Just to ensure there is no mistakes or misunderstandings, I am going with Alabama and Rolling with the Tide. Note to Big 12 conference: Are you working on a Championship Game? Just asking.

There are not many awards today. Remember, this is only about teams I care about and teams that play teams I care about.

To Baylor – if there ever was a need for a 12th Man, you showed it this year. Since Texas A&M holds the rights to that phrase, perhaps you could use “Fifth (maybe Sixth) Quarterback.” Baylor wins the Hard knocks Award.

To their opponent THE University – you win The Way to Show Your Burnt Orange Ass Award. It was very impressive how your entire team gathered around the injured Baylor quarterback and kicked dust in his face. Let me also award you “The Best Start of a College Football Brawl.” This was only enhanced when you taunted the Baylor fans with the money signal. You should be so proud of yourself winning against a team that was down to their fourth quarterback with no experience. What bowl game are you playing in, TU? Hook ‘Em Hippies!

There will be more on the 40 Bowl games later, but right now – The Aggies are going to Nashville to meet Louisville in the Music City Bowl. Let me find my guitar and start practicing War Hymn. Whoop.

Hotty Toddy Ole Miss and Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. How fun will that be?

But today is December 7 – a date that will live in infamy. That Sunday at 7:55 AM on December 7, 1941, Hickam Field in Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese causing the United States to enter World War II. This event and those following would bring us The Greatest Generation of men and women who changed the world ensuring our freedom. Honor them today and every day, along with every other veteran.

Atrium (586x800)

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Friday, December 4, 2015 – Snarky Friday Holiday

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Friday, December 4, 2015 – Snarky Friday Holiday

I am taking today off. So it will be necessary to conduct your own snarky Friday. However, I will give you some memories from a football game last year.

SIC ‘EM BEARS!

Baylor - BU UT 2013 - Scoreboard Champs 2

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Posted in College Football, Native Texan

Tagged Baylor Bears, Baylor football, Texas Longhorns foorball

Thursday, December 3, 2015 – I Starting Decorating Last Night

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Thursday, December 3, 2015 – I Started Decorating Last Night

I began decorating my living room last for whatever holiday you want to call it. I am calling it Christmas. You call yours whatever and I will not be offended. Therefore, if you don’t call your holiday, Christmas then don’t be offended by what I am calling mine.

Yes, I spent almost 25 minutes working on decorations last evening. That is a new record for decorating. Five of those minutes were trying to find Scotch tape, scissors and an exacto knife. I figure I will finish tonight. It should take a couple of hours or until the wine bottle is empty – whichever comes first.

So far so good. I have yet to draw blood with the sharp objects. I did manage to blow out a lamp socket. The sparks were pretty; however, brief and nothing caught fire.

There are no photos yet, since I have a few more decorations to design. Tonight comes the lights.

I doubt there will be any outside Christmas displays in my front for several reasons. One, I am not fond of large latex figures blowing around my front yard. Two, I am not fond of weird wire creatures with lights. Three, I not sure what the Home Owners Association rules are and would not want to be thrown in The Detention Pond.

So I am pretty sure the outside will not look like this.

Christmas 2013 2013-12-23 004

Oh. Yes – Happy Birthday to BFF Troglodyte.

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Posted in Misc.

Tagged Christmas, Decorations

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 – What is a Detention Pond?

Posted on December 2, 2015 | 3 comments

Palo Duro Canyon Trip 4.15 2015-04-19 064 (800x600)

Hoodoos at Palo Duro Canyon, April 2015.

I purchased a home and moved to Bryan, Texas in May of 2014. It is my first time to live under a homeowners association. In fact with growth in the neighborhood, there are now four home homeowners associations merging into one.

I declined to participate in any aspect of these merger meetings. I told the neighbors that I spend 30 plus years sitting in meetings with people way more influential and prominent than any of them and I have had my butt chewed out my many of them. However, I was paid substantial sums of money for that to happen and receiving a good butt chewing as a volunteer and listening to people bitch and moan are not in my retirement plans. Been there. Done that. Get a check once a month to prove it. Thank you, General J.

But I receive all of the notifications from the organizers. In October I received a letter with the agenda regarding election of officers, a reconciliation of financial records and an update on the Walking Trail and “Detention” Pond Maintenance.

What is a detention pond? Is it like a retention pond? Is this a new discipline procedure for public schools that I am unaware of? Rather than send a wayward student to an alternative setting, is he or she placed in the detention pond?

With two prison units within 30 miles of Bryan, perhaps it has something to do with prisoners setting in and being well behaved. “If you do not behave, you will be placed in the Detention Pond.”

I actually looked up the word detention and it can be used as a synonym for retention. Who knew? And now you know.

11.10.15 Veterans Park 2015-09-27 008 (601x800)

Remember when we had the Blood Moon eclipse? I was setting up the tripod and camera to take the moon photo. I watched the clouds roll in and knew there would be no photograph of the moon that night. But when I turned to the west, this was the sunset.

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Posted in Education, Native Texan, Politics

Tuesday, December 1, 2015 – If You Are New to Here’s What I’m Thinking

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Tuesday, December 1, 2015 – If You Are New to Here’s What I’m Thinking

Buddy T. Cat (the T stand for The) Miss you, Buddy.

I am happy to have had FB Friendship requested accepted by another large grouping of friends from the past.

For the past year I have kept a daily blog. When I linked it to Facebook March1, 2015, followers went from 30 to now over 200.

Name: Here’s What I’m Thinking

Goal: Make at least one person smile/laugh or think about something every day.

Content: Whatever I am thinking; lots of Aggie and college football, the public education institution, Texas, family history and some politics thrown in every now and then to piss off people. One never knows what I am thinking. I have followers from Texas Secessionists to California liberals and even a few world-wide readers. I try to write a little something for everyone.

Access: To access the site, Google Drdrd85.me or if you like using Facebook, Friend me at Delia Duffey. FB then connects to HWIT.

Business/Mission Statement: If I know you now or have known you, I WILL write about you. Within a standard deviation either side of a bell shaped curve what I write about you will be positive. Are you willing to chance you are an outlier and get a negative posting?

Posting Frequency: Monday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday if I feel like it or something happens.

Posting Note: Ninety-percent of what I post is my original work. This includes thoughts and photographs. All FB posts are set as public – that includes your comments. So be careful.

Facebook Photo Albums: I post many photos to Facebook albums because I am pretty certain no one reads anything anymore. However, people seem to like the photos.

Mentions: Some of you know you who are and others have yet to find themselves. There is RL, BFF Troglodyte, Miss Navasota, MHS HC (Magnolia High School Homecoming Queen), The Elf, and Lots of Sweet Potato Queen mentions. You may find yourself reading a DeMarsion (so named for a former and favorite student) entry written for those with MENSA certificates. If you happen to be one of those negative outliers, I post your phone number, email and home addresses with a MapQuest link to your house.

There is a significant amount of content that is autobiographical. At this time I am still writing about growing up in Magnolia, Texas, going to college at Stephen F. Austin State University and teaching in The Woodlands. I have yet to reach TCEA and Emergency Room visits memories. So some of you can relax for the moment.

But never fear – If you have not yet found your name or reference to yourself in Here’s what I’m Thinking, anybody remember that book I started decades ago? I finished it and it is with an editor. If I visited your Education Service Center, there is a distinct probably your name is somewhere in the book. For example: A major character is the Revered Virgil Renfro from North Zulch and his congregation attending the State Board of Texas textbook hearings.

So welcome to Here’s What I’m Thinking. I look forward to your comments on FB or leave a comment on Here are What I’m Thinking. I look forward to your videos of dogs, cats, horses, grandchildren, your vacation photos, recipes and crafts projects and we all love Jesus postings, plus all the other outstanding uses for Facebook.

Bug Happy Tuesday.

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Posted in College Football, Education, Misc., Native Texan, Politics

Monday, November 30, 2015 – The Monday after Saturday College Football Awards

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Monday, November 30, 2015 –

The Monday after Saturday College Football Awards

You are fired. You are hired. You are on the hot seat. We were really just kidding about Les Miles. It is College Head Football Coach Turnover Time.

Will Clemson, Oklahoma, Alabama and Michigan State please report to The Committee room? Your press conferences and commercials with Larry Culpepper and The Cheese Round for The National championship are to be taped after your Conference Championship games next Saturday. OU, you can go Sooner than the other three since they are not yet locked in and “The Big 12 wins their championship on the field.” Obviously, on the field in the ice in Stillwater over Oklahoma State.

But back to the weekend.

TCU/Baylor – The Down Pour Award – or The Siren Award. TCU, please do not employ the siren during a down pour in a driving wind and rain storm. It was the third time before I realized it wasn’t a tornado warning. I guess the Frogs really do like the rain.

Here’s to Chris Johnson III from Baylor – it was your first start; the Big 12 Title is on the line, it is played in a driving rain storm in the opponent’s stadium. Talk about Baptism by fire. Nevertheless, well done. Not even the real Vikings, let alone a former Bryan Viking could have weathered that storm.

The Palmetto Bowl – The South Carolina Gamecocks rose to the occasion to give Clemson a bit more than expected. Go UNC!

Poopy Undies and CPR Award goes to Alabama for scaring the fan base against Auburn but The Tide did bring home The Iron Bow Trophy. It was ugly but there is no room in the WIN column for comments or style points. Roll Tide over Florida.

The Best Cartoon Head Exploding Award goes to Will Muschamp of Auburn. Coach Dicktionery Muschamp also wins The Articulation Award for making his parents, teachers and church going people proud for his way with words. He “religiously questioned something about God’s dam building abilities and then questioned the referee’s mother’s coitus status” and received an additional 15 yard penalty making the total yardage for Unsportsmanlike Conduct 30 yards. Palmer and Mushburger, we know you are both stupid, but even a five year old could have read Muschamp’s lips.

Just when I was about to award The Ugly Uniform Award to Oregon for wearing green and yellow glow in the dark uniforms, the Aggies came on TV. When did the A&M colors become Butt Ugly and Black? The numbers looked like iron on foil decals. Just say no to black.

In addition to the offensive uniforms, the Aggie offense looked pretty offensive, but here’s to Tra Carson. He’s the first Aggie running back to break a thousand yards since 2011 (Cyrus Gray) and the first to do so in the SEC. Well done, Tra. Perhaps next year you will have a real coordinator for the offense.

To the Tigers of LSU – you are awarded The Best Psych Out Award for whatever is going on over there with Les Miles. When you figure it out, let me know.

It must be the same decision makers who decided to let Three Doors Down play with the LSU band rather than give the Texas Aggie Band time. Here’s What I’m Thinking – next Thanksgiving, you will be staying three doors down from College Station – in Hearne.

Tailgate A&M Bama 10.17.15 2015-10-17 107 (800x527) Fighting Texas Aggie Band

Well, there are 16 games left and then we begin Bowl Season. There are 40 college bowl games. I am sure one will be kicking off near you soon. The question then becomes – Who Cares? Besides Nike and Adidas?

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Posted in College Football, Native Texan

Tagged Alabama, Baylor, Clemson, college football, LSU, Michigan State, Roll Tide, TCU, Texas Aggie football

Friday, November 27, 2015 – Orange is the New Black Friday and BTHO – LSU

Posted on November 27, 2015 | 1 comment

Friday, November 27, 2015 – Orange is the New Black Friday and BTHO – LSU!

Especially if your team is THE University of Texas. So throw me a tortilla and kneel down as if in Victory Formation. Burnt Orange! Raiders 48. Horns 45. Who is up next for THE University? Baylor. Is there a quarterback left between the two of you? Will both of you be playing in the Scott and White Hospital parking lot? Seriously, all get well soon.

But who is up for The Committee to review today and tomorrow?

Kicking off at 11:00 on ABC today we have at #15 The University of Houston and #21 Navy. Ooh. That Major Applewhite guy that is U of H offensive coordinator and quarterback coach “he looking pretty good now, huh tu?”

At 2:30 on ABC it is Nebraska and #4 Iowa in Lincoln. I will so promise to wear a yellow corn cob on my head if Nebraska can upset Iowa.

At 3:00 on FS1 it is always interesting to see what ensemble the Ducks of Oregon (aka The University of Nike) will wear against their arch rival the Beavers of Oregon State.

And coming to you live on ESPN at 6:30 the game we all anticipated, but then…TCU hosts Baylor and without the stars from either team, who knows what will happen. Sic ‘Em Bears.

Bear with Foot

Come Saturday – Let’s start the day with a The Big Chill game at 11:00 am on ABC between Michigan and Ohio State. Go Wolverines.

It is the Iron Bowl @ 2:30 on CBS from Auburn, Alabama – ROLL TIDE! Take no prisoners.

Does anyone know the Stanford Fight Song? It’s probably something like “Oh the square root of pi to the 78th decimal place is what we sing, because we all are geniuses and our mascot is a tree.” Just beat Notre Dame on Fox @ 6:30.

In what promises to be the icing on the cake, and not frosting, but ice, should be the Bedlam Game in Stillwater. ESPN Game Day will be there. So whatever head gear Corsor puts on, the other team will win between OU Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys at 7:00 pm on ABC. Could be a winner take all type of contest. GO POKES!

At 6:30 on the SECN The Fighting Texas Aggies and LSU Tigers coming to you live from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Let me take this opportunity to let my dear LSU family and friends know just how excited this Aggie is to be going into Tiger Stadium after you have previously lost three games in a row; your coach has a U-Haul waiting in front of his house, you get to “welcome” your former defensive coordinator and LAST and certainly not LEAST, you are not allowing The Fighting Texas Aggie Band to attend. Well, those are certainly reasons to be concerned.