What! Aug. 10, 2017
By Lisa Baker • 08-10-17
A Houston woman is free on a $5,000 bond after being accused of belting, slapping and using a Taser on her 6-year-old son because he disrespected her, refused to study and had gotten in trouble in school. If you have ever had a child then you understand a mother’s frustration but I admit, I have never, ever thought about using a Taser. The mother said, “My anger management class told me not to tase him, but we didn’t go into what else to do.” Hmmm. Take away his bike?
On July 28, there was a calf named Genie, born in Kerrville, Texas, that looks JUST LIKE Gene Simmons, bass player of the rock group, Kiss. You know, the tongue, the black and white paint with the points heading off the forehead. A perfect doppelganger. The side-by-side pictures tell the tale.
Former Governor Mark White, who served as Texas governor from 1983 to 1987, suffered a heart attack in Houston and passed away at the age of 77. He made significant investments in improving education in Texas including limiting classroom size and the “no pass, no play” rule, which required students to maintain passing grades to play sports. The latter was not very popular in a state that loves football like Texas. Former President George W. Bush and Luci Baines Johnson were both speakers at the funeral which was open to the public.
The Dow hit 22,000 earlier in August and I didn’t hear about it until today…are we becoming complacent? Don’t get too comfortable.
Again, Willie Nelson says not to listen to the new rumors about his death. He says, “I’m not dead yet.” He’s coming to the rodeo this year. Saturday March 18th, 2018.
The UN passed new sanctions against North Korea so they can’t sell iron, coal, lead and seafood on the international market – about one third of their export income. The world just wants them to tone down the missile-muscle flexing that they have going on. NK says, no way…and they now threaten revenge against the US. In today’s paper they use the words, “pay dearly.” Great. But it does help that China is now in agreement that something needs to be done.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for global cooperation to end nuclear weapons as Japan marked 72 years since the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”. George Santayana (1863-1952)
The Cubs waited 108-years to win the World Series last year so with all the celebrating that happened during that time and if the math is right…they’re being call “World Series Babies.” Chicago hospitals are now seeing quite a spike (double) in births, 9-months later. One couple welcomed Addison, named for the street outside Wrigley Field.
According to Urban Dictionary: Scaramucci, noun (scar-moo-chee) a unit of time, approximately 9.5-10 days. Example: “I go through a pack of paper towels every Scaramucci.”
The James Taylor & Bonnie Raitt concert was my birthday celebration to myself this year. The kids absolutely loved it. My son got his autograph and all is right with the world. But there were some really, old people rocking and rolling there. Then I remembered how old I am. ☹
New cooking classes at H-E-B in LJ…Friday, Saturday and Sunday…ages 21 and up…Homemade mozzarella ravioli with tomato garlic sauce and salad with a special vinaigrette. Go by their service desk and sign up. It’s fun.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS: Singer Tony Bennett is 91. The man never stops. He played at Smart Financial recently and he still has everything that it takes to woo a huge crowd. Actor Martin Sheen is 77. Rock singer James Hetfield is 54. Metallica. Actor Sam Worthington is 41. He was Jake Sully in Avatar. New Avatar movie scheduled for release in 2020. Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer is 36. She is the best part of the Today show. Actress Loni Anderson is 72. Rock singer Rick Derringer is 70. “Hang on Sloopy.”
Actress Maureen McCormick is 61. Marcia Brady. Actor Daniel Radcliffe is 28. Blues singer Robert Cray is 64. Comedian Ruth Buzzi is 81. Laugh In. Actress Lynda Carter is 66. Wonder Woman. Actress-singer Kristin Chenoweth is 49. Comic Orson Bean is 89. To Tell the Truth. Actress Louise Fletcher is 83. Nurse Rached in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Game show host Alex Trebek is 77. Britain’s Prince George of Cambridge is 4. Actor Billy Bob Thornton is 62. Former President Barack Obama is 56. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Roger Clemens is 55. Cartoon artist Jim Davis is 72. Garfield. TV Producer Dick Ebersol is 70. Saturday Night Live and married to Susan Saint James since 1981. Actress Sally Struthers is 70. All in the Family.
Former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is 74. Actor Danny Glover is 71. Director Albert Brooks is 70. Singer Don Henley is 70. Singer Bobby Sherman is 74. He earned six gold records during his career including “Julie, Julie, Julie, Do You Love Me and Easy Come, Easy Go.” He retired from music in the 70s for a career as a paramedic and later a police officer.
What do you call a block of cheese that hasn’t been shredded? Ungrateful.
Peach Street Farmer’s Market – Buy Local, Eat Fresh, in Angleton, open on August 12th. 234 S. Arcola. New venue. Homegrown fruits, veggies, honey, kick-off activities and a great deal of enthusiasm.
Several studies have come out showing that stressful life experiences can lead to dementia. Like losing your job, poverty, divorce, fighting in a war…life experiences and the environment people live in has long-term effects.
Downtown Houston Summer Movie Series is showing Ghostbusters (1984) on August 19th at Main Street Square at Main and McKinney. DowntownHouston.org. It’s a fun movie night plus food trucks.
I seem to be receiving more and more junk and scam mail, every day. I don’t open but just “block sender” on each of them. It doesn’t seem to matter. The robots are working overtime. There are so many fake “$50 vouchers” from Walgreens, Costco, Sam’s, Amazon…just to name a few. One email that caught my eye this morning, “Salads Causing Heart Attacks.” Oh, my. “My order on Delta has been successfully charged to my credit card and my e-ticket is now available for download…just click here.” I’m not sure where Delta is taking me but I bet the trip isn’t worth it. This just came in…I’ve got a “Telegraphic Transfer of a payment from Fabienne.” Where you been, Fabienne? It also seems that there is a “Japanese toenail fungus that could be killing me.” I know what’s killing me but I can’t seem to block it from my computer.
And I need you more than want you. And I want you for all time. Glen Campbell 1936-2017
A seriously injured Dallas couple are seeking more than $1-million from a body shop that repaired their hail damaged Honda with glue instead of welding. Because the shop did not repair the car properly the fuel tank and structural integrity of the car was compromised, the car caught on fire and the driver sustained serious burns while still conscious and trapped in the burning vehicle. Yikes.
Jim Gentil publishes the Positive People newsletter email. It’s a great read. He is also an ex-Brazoria County guy and motivational speaker for companies that need a good shot of positive. FYI. jim@jimgentil.com. A few weeks ago, he had this little piece written by Steve Goodier. It is worth repeating. It hit home with me because I know many kids leaving for college in a few days…including my own son. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did…
Pablo Picasso, the great Spanish painter and sculptor, once said this about his ability: “My mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general; if you become a monk, you’ll end up as Pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.” No lack of confidence here.
But he would have agreed with Abraham Lincoln. “Whatever you are,” said Lincoln, “be a good one.” He demonstrated the wisdom of that advice with his own life.
And Martin Luther King, Jr. put it this way: “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
I think it helps to remember that excellence is not a place at which we arrive so much as a way of traveling. To do and be our best is a habit among those who want to live well.
Viennese-born composer Frederick Loewe, whom we remember from his musical scores that include “My Fair Lady,” “Gigi” and “Camelot,” was not always famous. He studied piano with the great masters of Europe and achieved huge success as a musician and composer in his early years. But when he immigrated to the United States, he failed as a piano virtuoso. For a while he tried other types of work including prospecting for gold and boxing. But he never gave up his dream and continued to play piano and write music.
During those lean years, he could not always afford to make payments on his piano. One day, bent over the keyboard, he heard nothing but the music that he played with such rare inspiration. When he finished and looked up, he was startled to find that he had an audience – three moving men who were seated on the floor.
They said nothing and made no movement toward the piano. Instead, they dug into their pockets, pooled together enough money for the payment, placed it on the piano and walked out, empty handed. Moved by the beauty of his music, these men recognized excellence and responded to it.
Whatever you are, be a good one. Because if you believe that what you do is of value, then, at least in the important things, you and I can’t afford to be content with mediocre output. Like Albert Einstein said: “We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.”
And when you choose the path of excellence through this life, then like Frederick Loewe, you may find encouragement from unexpected sources. And it will have been worth it. Steve Goodier
What I didn’t tell you about my recent Zoo trip was that there are “people of the zoo” that are more interesting to watch than the animals…mainly because of their total lack of common sense. Leave t-shirts at home that says you shower naked and other lovely comments that I can’t repeat in this column. Shame on you. The zoo is for kids. There was the lady with her newborn baby sitting in the sun in late July. I believe that you should be at least 18 months old to visit the zoo with an adult, because otherwise you’re just an adult using a child as an excuse to get into the zoo. Bring your manners with you. Strollers to the right just like driving a car…and you can’t put three strollers side-by-side at the zoo so you can continue your conversation with the other moms. You were wiping people out. There’s no passing lane. Drink a glass of wine together this afternoon after you get home from the zoo. You don’t have the right-of-way simply because of your stroller is bigger than me. I’m a nice person – don’t hurt me. And by the way, healthy 10-year-olds should not be in strollers – are you trying to raise a capable adult or a wimp? OK, I feel better now.
Martin Shkreli was found guilty of securities fraud. He is famous for raising the price of an AIDS drug from $13.50 to $750, practically overnight. Then he was also running a Ponzi scheme, stealing millions of dollars from investors. He could get as much as 20 years in prison. He’s just so cocky…
According to Dictionary.com, a Ponzi (pon-zee) noun, is a swindle in which a quick return, made up of money from new investors, on an initial investment that lures the victim into much bigger risks.
Life is the most difficult exam. Many people fail because they try to copy others, not realizing that everyone has a different question paper.
Did you know that zebra stripes are different on every single zebra? Like fingerprints.
– Lisa
