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What I Heard This Week! 12-05-2019

What I Heard This Week December 5, 2019

Bats are confused because the warm weather is extending their season at the world’s largest urban bat colony, in Austin. The reason they migrate is for their food supply. Since September was the hottest ever recorded in Austin and October had 11 days with temperatures in the 90s, there is belief that over time bats may not migrate at all. This could be a concern if the food supply is not there – crops affected by severe drought means there are no insects. Cold and moist weather work as a trigger for crickets to mate, lay eggs and die, but it’s also a trigger for the bats to head south to warmer weather. If it’s warm here, there’s nothing to encourage them to leave. Climate change. Bat Conversation International, a nonprofit dedicated to bat education and protection, estimates that the suppression of agricultural pests by bats is worth about $74 an acre in Texas. Isn’t that better than pesticides. I still believe that each of us should have a bat house in our yard.


The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint – no two lions have the same pattern of whiskers.


Some of you may have heard that the University of Houston now has robots to deliver food to students and facility. I refused to believe that this was a positive idea when the school could use a multitude of other things, but my daughter has assured me that this is an outside company that provides the robots, not the school. Hmmm. A UH student has started a petition stating that the robots should be more representative of the city’s culture by being enhanced with “elbows” so they would be true Houstonians because of the car culture. Hmmm, obviously I’m not ‘college student smart’ so I Googled, “what is a car elbow?”  That didn’t get me very far – just lots of exercises for your elbows. So, I tried, “what is an elbow for a car?” Nope. Nothing. Then I tried “what is an elbow for a wheel on a car?”  Bingo. Urban Dictionary calls them 84’s because originally they were an upgrade option on the 1984 Cadillac Eldorado. It’s a spoked rim that seems to be very desirable these days, especially with the southern Texas hip-hop community. You know the rims that stick out so far that you think they’re going to catch your car tire and rip it apart. Low riders. Super Pokes.


Kingwood High School was originally built in 1978. That’s 41 years ago. The building was flooded and remained flooded for 11 days after Harvey, with floodwaters 5.5 feet deep in the front of the building and 1.5 feet deep in the back. The school district has now received a $25 million FEMA grant to rebuild.


Mad About You was a TV series that ran from 1992 to 1999. I didn’t watch much TV then, but I remember Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt playing a recently married couple dealing with everyday life situations with lots of wit and wisdom. Fast forward twenty years with this new revival and the couple are about to help their daughter (who was born in 1997), pack up and move out of their home and along to college.  They are now empty nesters. This subject should provide plenty of good humor to laugh and cry about for quite a few seasons.


Taylor Swift left Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, in the dust with his 24-win record wins after the American Music Awards honored Swift with the top prize, artist of the year (beating Ariana Grande, Drake, Halsey, and Post Malone), then handing her the artist of the decade. She now stands with 25 wins in these fan-voted awards.


NYC has banned flavored electronic cigarettes. Most of those sickened over the past few months said they vaped THC, the high-inducing ingredient in marijuana, but officials now believe a thickening agent used in black market THC products may be the culprit.


RECENT BIRTHDAYS:Singer songwriter Norman Greenbaum is 77. Spirit in the Sky. Actress Estelle Parsons is 92. Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde. Comedian Dick Smothers is 81. Singer broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff is 73. Rapper Mike D is 73. The Beastie Boys. Rapper Sen Dog is 54. Cypress Hill and Powerflo. I only mention this because there’s a feelgood about rappers getting old.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is 77. Actress model Veronica Hamel is 76. Author Gail Sheehy is 82. Footwear designer Manolo Blahnik is 77. TV host Bill Nye is 64. The Science Guy. Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow is 68. Recording exec Berry Gordy Jr. is 90. Founder of the Motown record label. Actor, producer, director, and screenwriterEd Harris is 69.Apollo 13. Actress Kathryn Crosby is 86. Actress Christina Applegate is 48.

Former first daughters Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager are 38. Impressionist Rich Little is 81. Singer Tina Turner is 80. G. Gordon Liddy is 89. Former FBI agent, lawyer, talk show host, actor, and figure in the Watergate scandal as the chief operative in the White House Plumbers unit during the Nixon Administration. Liddy was convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping for his role in the scandal.


Children may drop off or write their letters to Santa at the Brazoria County Historical Museum and will receive a response. Hurry. The museum is open Mon. through Fri. 9am to 5pm and Sat. 9am to 3pm. Admission is free. 979-864-1208.


111,111,111 times x’s11,111,111equals = 12,345,678,987,654,321, a palindromic number.Like 16461, for example, it is symmetrical. The term palindromic is derived from palindrome.A palindrome is a word, phrase or sequence that reads the same backward or forward. Madam, I’m Adam. Go deliver a dare, vile dog. I’m a Lasagna Hog. Murder for a jar of red rum. Do geese see God. Rotor. Racecar. Rotator. Repaper. Level. Radar. Civic. Kayak.The list goes on and on. There you go. You are smarter now.


Looking for something Christmas-y to do?Christmas Belles, the Southern-Fried Yuletide comedy has one more week at Dow Arena Theater of The Center for the Arts & Sciences. A show full of laughs. Caution, it contains mild adult humor. 979-265-7731 or www.brazosportcenter.org. Season of Light show continues at the BASF Planetarium through Dec. 27. If you’ve never seen it, you need to. They explore the question, “If the star of Bethlehem was a natural phenomenon, what might it have been?” 979-265-7661.  The Grand Ol’ Christmas Show is back with Blue Water Highway and Texas Piano Man, Robert Ellis. It’s a live, one-of-a-kind musical variety show that I promise you will LOVE. GoChristmasShow.com for the schedule that includes Victoria, Houston, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Lake Jackson, Wichita Falls, Lewisville, Ft. Worth. They’re at House of Blues this weekend.


On our way to Bastrop for Thanksgiving, the kids and I were amazed at all the red-tailed hawks dotting the countryside. They were just sitting and watching for a little breakfast or lunch of their own. I once watched two hawks build their nest, raise three babies and teach them to fly. Beautiful creatures.


The BASF Dog Park behind the LJ Recreation Center is set to have their grand opening 10 a.m. December 7th. There will be walking paths, shade, cooling pads, water fountains and dog washing stations and open dawn to dusk. There will be park rules, but we all need rules. Come celebrate.


“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”-How the Grinch Stole Christmas!


Wheel of Fortune host, Pat Sajak, had emergency surgery, so his longtime co-host Vanna White filled in for him while he recovered. These episodes will begin airing December 9th, in case you watch The Wheel.


When I saw this video, I was shocked. A couple in Splendora caught a white Chevy Tahoe driving erratically, then struck the couples Jetta. The couple called 911 and described what was happening.  The couple lowered their car window and told the driver of the Tahoe that they had a baby in the car.  After much ugly conversation, the driver of the Tahoe took a hard right towards an exit but didn’t notice a motorcycle in his way, hitting the motorcyclist and his bike. The Tahoe driver is in custody and faces two second-degree felonies. The plot thickens. He was out on bond at the time for a previous DWI and child endangerment charges. And his wife and 7-year-old child were in the vehicle. Nothing like setting a good example with a little road rage.


Money, Inc. announced their 20 Best Places to Live in Texas. I’ll give you the top ten. 10. Beaumont. 9. El Paso. 8. McAllen. 7. Brownsville. 6. Cinco Ranch. 5. Frisco. 4. League City. 3. Allen #2. LAKE JACKSON and 1. Seabrook. They said, “Lake Jackson is voted one of the top ten medium-sized cities in the United States to live. The population is just over 27,000, so if you enjoy living in an area that is free from the hectic pace and noise of a larger city, this may be a town to consider. The cost of living is 6% lower than the Texas state average with an average annual income of $75,473, and a crime rate that is 25% lower than the state of Texas average. The median home price is $148,700 with the average monthly rent at $937.” Wow.


If you are looking for a great opportunity to donate this holiday season, then look no more. The Source Weekly has a Blue Santa box in our office, and we would love to have a few more unwrapped toys to share. TBT Real Estate and Brazosport Cares Food Pantry are collecting simple hygiene products at 916 North Gulf Blvd, Freeport. Food isn’t the only thing that people need right now. A new toothbrush or a bottle of shampoo is always appreciated. Military Moms and Wives need help this year with postage for sending their care packages. It costs $14.35 for each box and they will be shipping out more than 3,000 boxes this month. Let’s not forget to always take the time to give back to the community where we live, work and raise our children.


Guess who I met at Hobby Lobby on Saturday? He was dressed in blue jeans, with a white short-sleeved t-shirt, candy-cane suspenders and I spotted him on the fabric isle giving the bolt of red velvet quite a test to see if it was soft enough for him. I watched him knowing ‘someone’ was going to get some new britches and top this year. I shopped in that section for a few minutes longer, then made my way towards the front of the store, but not before I saw him in line squeezing the red bolt tightly in his arms, while waiting his turn for the ladies to cut the fabric. There also happened to be a line of small children with sparkles in their eyes, surrounding and calling out to him. He responded with a big “ho-ho-ho” and “how are you?” I remember seeing Santa at Dido’s one day in flip flops, cargo shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. He came up to me and asked how I was doing, hugged my neck and then he was off. My two young children sitting in the back of the car, wanted to know why Santa didn’t have on his velvet outfit and I had to explain that he only wears that during the winter. When you go to Dido’s to eat, you can dress a little more informally…or even Hobby Lobby to shop.


According to the United Nations, the world must slash its emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases by 7.6 percent every year to 2030 or miss the chance to avert devastating climate change and avoid environmental catastrophe.


Someone sent me this: Your entire life can really change in a year…you just gotta love yourself enough to know you deserve more, be brave enough to demand more, and be disciplined enough to actually work for more.

Have a great week. Shop Local as much as you can. Thanks for reading this. Lisa

  • What I Heard This Week 10-26-2023

    by on October 25, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • What I Heard This Week 11-30-2023

    by on November 29, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • Much Ado About Nothing - Texan in Winter

    by on December 6, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The power went out at my house last night for four hours. While this may not seem like a major catastrophe as it was the middle of the night and […]

  • Much Ado About Nothing - “Human Bait”

    by on January 16, 2020 - 0 Comments

    My dad always told me to have a backup plan in case my current job doesn’t work out. I wasn’t sure what that’d be until I saw this ad: “HUMAN […]

  • What I Heard This Week! December 20, 2018

    by on December 20, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The AK-47 is a type of assault rifle originally manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1949. A 17-year-old Humble High School student accidently shot herself recently with an AK-47 that […]

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