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What I Heard This Week 06-23-2022

What I Heard This Week June 22, 2022

Twenty years ago, a guy named Dave Hall started MotoArt, where he recycled old airplane parts into pieces of functional art such as desks, conference tables, and even beds. He realized quite soon that the average person on a budget could not afford to buy his art, so he began offering PlaneTags (PlaneTags.com), where he takes the skins/metal of retired aircraft and etches them with the tail numbers of the planes. They can be used for luggage tags, keychains, or whatever, but so far, they have become more like baseball cards or other collectible memorabilia, and now have quite a fanbase that is continuing to grow. Once you buy a PlaneTag (what a great gift), you can Google the tail number and it will tell you the whole history of the airplane. There is even a PlaneTag made from the NASA MLP-2 mobile launch platform. There is also a Grumman G-21A Goose, Douglas A-4 SkyHawk, Boeing 747, F-14A TomCat, and about 100 more. I know Father’s Day is behind us, but what great conversation pieces!

The manager of a northern California gas station was fired after he accidentally set the gas price to 69 cents a gallon instead of $6.99. The pricing error reportedly cost the gas station $16,000, as hundreds of drivers realized the mistake and filled their tanks. His family created a GoFundMe to help repay the lost money.

What’s the difference between a Bear Market and a Bull Market? The bear represents a paw swiping DOWN, and the bull represents a thrust UP with his horns. Good visual analogy. The stock market tends to drop by 5% or more about three times per year, and by about 10% or more about once per year, and by 20% or more (a bear market), once every 3-4 years. A bull market follows a bear market, and it does not end until another bear market is confirmed. So, the market moves in cycles. Over an average 60-year investing career (30 years working and 30 years in retirement), you will go through about 20 bear markets. Normal market behavior. According to many, the current bull market started in March 2009 near the end of the great recession which ran from December 2007 to June 2009. A Bear Market is not what we want to see happen because we are spoiled. But every bull market must come to an end. So far this century we have had a bear market in 2000-2002 (Clinton & Bush), in 2008-2009 (Bush), and in 2011 (Clinton).

“Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered.” – Unknown

Cooking Hint: This makes so much sense. Use fettuccine noodles instead of toothpicks to skewer stuffed chicken or meats together during cooking. Cook’s Illustrated

Hong Kong’s 260-foot-long Jumbo Floating Restaurant was a popular tourist attraction that served Cantonese food to more than 30 million visitors including Jimmy Carter, Tom Cruise and Queen Elizabeth II, and had appeared in several movies since it opened in 1952.  The restaurant had been closed since COVID restrictions, struggling with financial problems and high maintenance costs. After offering, without success, to donate the floating restaurant for free, preparations began, to tow the restaurant to a less expensive but unannounced location to park the vessel.  The kitchen boat was left behind because of a recent fire, then only one week after leaving, the Jumbo Kingdom experienced bad weather and capsized in the South China Sea. Hmmm.

Don’t forget: The Grand Ol’ Americana Show is a one-of-a-kind tribute to the original, traditional, family-truckster, holiday-roading, red-blooded, two-fisted, route 66-ing, All-American Summer; celebrating the culture, comedy, and music that define the American spirit. June 24th. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: 979-230-3156.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Country singer Kathy Mattea is 62. Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses. Singer-actor Kris Kristofferson is 85. Singer Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon is 77. Singer Howard “Eddie” Kaylan of The Turtles is 74. Happy Together. Singer Todd Rundgren is 73. Hello, It’s Me, Can We Still Be Friends, Love is the Answer, We Gotta Get You a Woman. Singer Alan Osmond of The Osmond’s is 72. Actor Meryl Streep is 72. Actor Lindsay Wagner of The Bionic Woman is 72. Singer Cyndi Lauper is 68. Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Actor Frances McDormand is 64. Actor Michele Lee is 79. Knots Landing. Guitarist Jeff Beck is 77.

Singer Deborah Harry of Blondie is 77. Singer Fred Schneider of the B-52′s is 71. Singer Victor Willis of the Village People is 71. He performed costumed as a policeman or a naval officer. Keyboardist David Paich of Toto is 67. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 74. Good Times. Jazz pianist Dave Grusin is 88. Singer Billy Davis Jr. of the Fifth Dimension is 84. Singer Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys is 80. Country singer Lorrie Morgan is 63. Comedian-director Mel Brooks is 96. Actor Gary Busey is 78. Drummer Ian Paice of Deep Purple is 74. Actor Leslie Caron is 91. Actor Jamie Farr is 88. Dancer Twyla Tharp is 81. Actor Genevieve Bujold is 80. Actor Dan Aykroyd is 70. Actor Pamela Anderson is 55. Jazz pianist Dave Grusin is 87. Model-actor Jerry Hall is 66. Actor Kathy Bates is 74. Misery.

Actor Mariette Hartley is 81. Her celebrity got a significant boost from a series of television commercials and print ads for Polaroid cameras and film, with James Garner that ran from 1977-1984. She and Garner were so naturally convincing as a married couple that she had a variety of t-shirts made, proclaiming “I am not James Garner’s wife!”; “I am not James Garner” (for her husband) and “I am not James Garner’s son!” (for her son). In response, James Garner’s real-life wife had a shirt made that declared “I am James Garner’s wife!” More than 250 commercials were produced.

Shop Local Weekend is June 24th to 26th.  Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce. See ad page 8 in this week’s edition.

Tony Bennett’s Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album “Love for Sale” with Lady Gaga, was delivered to him by mail this week. Tony has Alzheimer’s and has stepped back from the spotlight at almost age 96 (August 3, 1926). The story of how Tony met his wife is pretty sweet. Susan Crow was only 19, and president of his fan club in San Francisco. Tony was 40 years older, when they met backstage after one of his shows. The two dated for nearly 20 years before marrying. Actually, they had met previously when Susan’s parents were pregnant with her… in the singer’s backstage dressing room, in 1966. They have a photo to prove it. Good story. The two founded Exploring the Arts and the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts high school in Queens.

Jerry Seinfeld the television character was very interested in dating women. In fact, Jerry the character dated 73 different women throughout the show’s legendary run according to Wikipedia. Three years after French’s teamed up with NYC ice-cream maker Coolhaus, mustard Grey Poupon partnered with Van Leeuwen ice cream for a limited-edition Dijon ice cream with salted pretzels. There’s going to be a prequel to the Hunger Games movie series. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie is due out November 2023, starring Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, and Tom Blyth as young Coriolanus Snow. Yes, it’s a young adult series, but I loved them when my kids were growing up. I was always reading something they were interested in, so we had things to talk about. For Star Wars fans, 91-year-old James Earl Jones is reprising his role as the voice of the powerful Sith Lord on Disney+’s new Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

Doo-dle. verb. 1. a rough drawing made absentmindedly – to write untidy. scratch. scrawl. jot. We have all doodled. It is a very private act, one that we don’t always choose to share with everyone around us. Some have a private meaning, and some, we have no idea what we were working towards. President Andrew Jackson drew faces and animals, especially alligators and tortoises. Herbert Hoover preferred elaborate geometric designs on White House stationary. FDR enjoyed sketching ships. Ronald Reagan drew cowboys, football players and horses. But LBJ had drawings of Bobby Kennedy (the hair is unmistakable), a 3-eyed octopus smoking a cigarette, or how about a 4-legged beast with a human face, wide eyes, tears streaking down its cheeks and a goatee. There were even fence posts with alien heads drawn on Senate letterhead. I love Texas Monthly, and I love my job!

Former 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar has been sentenced to 151 months, or 12 years and seven months, in prison for receiving and possessing child porn. TLC canceled the family’s show in 2015 following allegations that the oldest Duggar boy molested four of his sisters and a baby-sitter, years earlier. He publicly apologized for his actions. Wow. That makes it better. I am sorry, but what mother would stand by a husband who molested 4 of his sisters, cheated with prostitutes, then downloaded and viewed horrible child porn? Porn, which included toddlers. She didn’t put him in timeout, she had two more kids with him for a total of 7 children.  Duggar sought a sentence that is “sufficient, but not greater than necessary,” and goes on to claim he’s “lived an admirable life while navigating unique challenges associated with being in the public spotlight since childhood.” Oh, I get it. It’s not his fault. And while we are on this subject, a California jury found that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted 16-year-old Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. Huth, now 64, was awarded $500,000. Cosby has now been accused of sexual misconduct by 60 women, but this was the first civil case to reach trial. Kevin Spacey, in the news again and was charged with four counts of sexual assault in the U.K.

The Rolling Stones will resume their “Sixty” tour in Milan following Mick Jagger’s recovery from Covid. Beyonce released her first single this week from her new (#7) album called Renaissance, which is supposed to be available on July 29th. The single is Break My Soul. It is definitely a Beyonce song and catchy. Her last album was Lemonade in 2016. The Chicks, aka Dixie Chicks, were about a half-hour into their concert when Natalie Maines said she was having such bad allergies that they were going to stop the show and come back to Indianapolis another time.

An 18-foot, 215-pound state record Burmese python was caught in Florida, carrying 122 eggs. A normal clutch is 50 to 100 eggs, so she was one fertile momma. An average length of a Florida python is between 6 and 9 feet. This one was discovered using a program that captures male pythons, fits them with radio transmitters to track them. These guys are called scout snakes, this one was named Dion, and he had been hanging around in the same area for several weeks, so you know the reason. Males are way more attracted to the biggest females they can find. You know their type. Her last meal had been an adult white-tailed deer. Adult, meaning full size. So, could she eat a person? Hmmm. The 2022 Python Challenge in Florida runs from August 5 to August 14. Hunters are paid for every python they kill (humanly, they say, but isn’t that an oxymoron). $1,500 cash prize for the longest python caught and $2,500 prize for the most pythons caught, and if you happen to have a python-sniffing dog, you might get some great boots out of the deal.  They caught 232 snakes last year but believe there are an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 snakes still roaming freely where they have no natural predators. Pet owners released them in the wild, too afraid they would wake up as a tasty morsel the next morning, like the poor deer. The wetlands must be restored. Have a great weekend and thanks for sharing a few moments with us. We appreciate you.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week 05-05-2022

What I Heard This Week May 4, 2022

It was all over the news this week. An inmate disappeared from a northern Alabama jail. They also issued a warrant for the missing 17-year veteran (Assistant Director of Corrections) officer, Vicki White, 56, who is believed to have willingly assisted in the inmate escape. She is described as an exemplary employee. The inmate, Casey White, 38, was sentenced in 2019 to 75 years in prison, after being convicted of two counts of first-degree kidnapping and attempted murder. Then he confessed to stabbing a woman to death in 2015 and was set for trial next month. He is described as dangerous and may be armed with an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun. Like REALLY armed, so he’s bad news. But here’s what got me. The news said that the guy may be disguised. Hmmm. Considering this guy is 6’-9” tall, we were all wondering what he could be disguised as? A redwood tree. Perhaps a lighthouse. He wouldn’t be able to make it through our front door without bending in the middle. But I’ll be looking. It’s a pretty safe bet that I will run the other direction if I see a telephone pole that I don’t know.

Boris Becker, now age 54, who made tennis history in 1985 when he won Wimbledon at age 17, then went on to win five more grand slam titles over the next 11 years, was found guilty of four offenses relating to bankruptcy, including failing to disclose, and concealing and removing significant assets. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and is expected to serve half that time. Becker declared bankruptcy in June 2017, meaning he was legally obliged to disclose all his assets. Becker was accused of “playing the system with bad faith” by concealing and transferring assets and depriving creditors of more than $2.51 million in assets.

A litter of four Mountain Lion kittens were found abandoned under a picnic table near an office building in southern California. Two kittens died and were found to have THREE types of rat poison in their systems. When you put out any kind of poison or pesticide to kill rats, mice, squirrels or other animals, you have to be so careful. Their momma could have eaten a poisoned animal then nursed them. So much better just not to use anything like that.

With only two female northern white rhinos left in the world, scientists are rushing to find ways to save the species before it’s too late. They’ve come one step closer to this goal by creating artificial rhino eggs from stem cells.

OK listen up. If you have been reading this column for a while, you know I do what I can to help nature and encourage you to do the same. Pollinators are the basis of life. Butterflies, bees, and others carry pollen in and between flowers of the same species, fertilizing them so they produce fruit, vegetables, and seeds, so we can feed our faces. Without healthy pollinators, it will be devastating, and I just hope it’s not too late for us to do something about our extreme carelessness with nature. Threats include pesticides, global climate change, and illegal logging of the forests where monarchs migrate for the winter. Monarchs are on the waiting list for protection under the Endangered Species Act. I have always grown milkweed in my garden for the monarchs. Normally I have so much growing that people come and cut it when they run out of their own. This year I was amazed by how much was in the garden, then a few days later, there was nothing but hungry monarchs looking for more. Everyone I asked, said that their supply was also quickly eliminated this year. Please plant this pretty plant in your yard. You won’t even know how good it feels until you see your first caterpillar, chrysalis or new butterfly, and trust me, THAT FEELS SO GOOD!  Go to SaveOurMonarchs.org to request free seeds. Be aware that the plant you buy at the nursery may have been sprayed with insecticides to make it aphid resistant.  You can also receive FREE SEEDS by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: ​Save Our Monarchs | P.O. Box 390135 | Minneapolis, MN 55439, along with envelope and $5 donation for each request. I just ordered.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Singer Toni Tennille is 82. Love Will Keep Us Together. Drummer Alex Van Halen is 69. Actor Melissa Gilbert is 58. Actor-turned-politician Glenda Jackson is 86. Guitarist Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly and The Crickets is 85. Singer Tommy Roe is 80. Best known for his hits Sheila, Dizzy, Jam Up and Jelly Tight, Yummy, Yummy, Yummy and Sweet Pea, also called bubblegum music. Singer-guitarist Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield & Poco is 78. Actor Candice Bergen is 76. Musician Billy Joel is 73. Actor John Corbett of My Big Fat Greek Wedding & Sex and the City is 61. He has been in a relationship with actress Bo Derek since 2002, after meeting on a blind date. Singer Dave Mason of Traffic is 76.

Singer Bono of U2 is 62. Model Linda Evangelista is 57. Singer Donovan is 76. Singer Eric Burdon of The Animals & War is 81. Composer Burt Bacharach is 94. Singer Steve Winwood of  Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith. is 74. Blues musician Guy Davis is 70. Country singer Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn is 67. Actor Kim Fields of The Facts of Life is 53. Actor Sullivan Sweeten of Everybody Loves Raymond is 27. Actor David Keith is 68. An Officer and a Gentleman. Singer Stevie Wonder is 72. Movie director-producer George Lucas is 78. Musician David Byrne of Talking Heads is 70. Actor Cate Blanchett is 53. Singer Danny Wood of New Kids on the Block is 53. Director Sofia Coppola is 51.

Wynonna and Ashley Judd announced the death of their mother, Naomi Judd who was 76, saying they lost their mother “to the disease of mental illness.” Actress Joanna Barnes died at 87. She starred in 1961′s original The Parent Trap. Tony-winning actor Robert Morse who played the leader of the advertising agency in Mad Men, died at 90. David Birney of the 1972 sitcom, Bridget Loves Bernie, died of Alzheimer’s disease at 83. His co-star was Meredith Baxter and at one time they married in real life.

The Rolling Stones are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. Yep. 60 years. Do you feel old? I do.

At a Jack in the Box in Houston, a 19-year-old fast-food worker was shot in the hand after customers became upset because they were going to be charged for added buttermilk dipping sauce.  The young man had just clocked out and was waiting for his ride when he heard a dispute in the drive-thru window from women in a vehicle. They almost ran over him leaving, so he threw his drink at them, then they turned their car around, came back, and shot him. Somewhere in there he also threw his food at them, so he may have escalated the situation just a tad. But to shoot someone?

It looks like Russian President Putin is set to undergo some type of cancer surgery and will transfer control for two to three days, to a former federal police chief while he is incapacitated during and after the procedure. One news report said that in 2020, Putin was diagnosed with bowel cancer. His replacement, Nikolai Patrushev is considered an “outright villain and if he should come to power, Russians’ problems will only multiply.”

Al Pacino celebrated his 82nd birthday with his 28-year-old girlfriend. Madonna, 63, broke up with her boyfriend who is also 28, after three years of togetherness. Have you ever seen the movie, Harold and Maude that came out in 1971, starring Bud Cort, and Ruth Gordon, with great music by Cat Stevens. You should.

The LJ mulch site is overloaded with mulch, so they want you to stop by with a truck or trailer, your aunt, uncle, neighbor, friend or enemy, anyone at all… and help them get rid of it. Thanks to freezes, tornados, hurricanes, and every single time the wind blows, trees and branches have fallen, mulch happens. Help them out. Tell your friends in Brazoria, West Columbia or wherever, because you don’t have to be from LJ to pick up mulch right now. Spread the word and spread some mulch!!

An Illinois couple found a half-eaten, very well preserved, remains of a 63-year-old container of McDonalds’ fries and two burger wrappers, inside a bathroom wall while renovating their home. The remains were found inside a bundled-up towel. The fries were very well preserved, brown, and crispy. Or was it hard as a rock? Yikes. The picture was amazing but scary that it was still so preserved.

Russian troops stole nearly $5 million worth of farm equipment from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol. The stolen equipment was located by remote GPS and locked, preventing them from being used. When they drove the stolen harvesters to Chechnya, they realized that they could not even turn them on. Don’t you just hate it when that happens?  We need to continue our prayers for Ukraine.

A Columbus, Ohio couple were arrested (43 charges including money laundering & receiving stolen property) after making more than $480,000 in 2021, by stealing and selling 1,100 catalytic converters. It’s a thing now. That, and gas thieves who drill a hole in the gas tank then drain it into a container and walk away. Beware. Big trucks and vehicles that sit up high have easier access to the gas tanks.

Kentucky Derby: Grab a pretty little hat, a cigar, a bourbon, or mint julep, and get ready. Epicenter is the favorite to win the 2022 Kentucky Derby. He joins Zendon, Messier, and Mo Donegal as the only horses in the 20-participant field with odds of 10-1 or better. The longest odds of the Derby belong to the No. 2 horse, Happy Jack. He is considered a 67-1 longshot. Meanwhile, Simply Happy – with odds of 20-1 – is riding out of the No. 5 gate, which has been the best starting spot in Derby history, producing 10 winners since 1930, and four winners since the year 2000, which are the most from any starting gate.

A Louisiana couple in their 60’s, were arrested for second-degree murder after their 36-year-old deceased daughter was found sitting upright, partially clothed, submerged and fused by her own waste to a hole in a 1960’s style sofa, covered with feces, urine and insects. Her bed sores went all the way to her bones. Their daughter suffered from locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological condition that prevented her from moving her muscles. The couple were respected, and seen as pillars of the community, but neighbors said they were not aware that the couple even had a daughter.

Last week, The Source had only been online just a little bit when I received a text from Kay, who lives in Tennessee. Last week, I had written about half loaves of bread in India. Kay replied that she can buy half loaves of bread in Tennessee. She sounded like she might have been bragging just a tad… like “I have half packages of hot dog buns, hamburger buns, and everything since I moved to Tennessee!”  She didn’t say that exactly, but I could hear it in her text. Like we aren’t smart enough in Texas to do something that clever. Which might be true. Then a couple of days later my phone pinged and there was a picture of her grocery basket filled with half loaves of sour dough, honey wheat, Hawaiian, whole wheat, artisan and get this… Texas Toast. That really hurt.  You can buy a half loaf of TEXAS TOAST in Tennessee. It doesn’t seem right. I replied to her, “Show-Off.” I sure do miss that smarty-pants. 😊

Oh, wait. There was more today. Kay from Tennessee pinged me again, this time with a picture of the bread truck in traffic, passing right by the Citgo gas station, Dodge’s Fried Chicken, and an ambulance. There it is, pretty as you please. Lewis Bread. Half Loaf. Full Flavor. Written all over the back of the bread delivery truck.  LewisHalfLoaf.com. Definitely, Texas can’t compete with this…

We have all heard about Johnny Depp and his crazy former wife, but an online petition to remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2 now has 3.2 million signatures, and if it can each 4.5 million signatures, it will become one of the most-signed petitions. The petition (change.org) was set up by fans who claim that Heard “has systematically crusaded to ruin Depp in Hollywood” since the couple divorced in 2016. Have a great week-end and tell your mommas I said hello.

LISA

Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

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What I Heard This Week! 08-26-2021

What I Heard This Week August 25, 2021

A 30-year-old El Paso woman posed as her 13-year-old daughter and has been charged with trespassing on school grounds, supposedly to prove the vulnerability of the security at the school. She documented the day on social media and is now charged with criminal trespass, tampering with government records and an unrelated outstanding traffic warrant. In the video she is wearing a hoodie and a mask, so it is believable that she could get away with it.

July 2021 was the Earth’s hottest month ever recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Mike Richards stepped down as the new host of Jeopardy, just days after it was announced that he had been chosen. The news came after past lawsuits of Richards’s alleged harassment and discrimination on The Price is Right resurfaced, though he denies the claims. Some of the host’s past controversial comments about women, Jewish people, and the disabled community made on a 2013 podcast, also made the rounds. I have always told my kids that you must be careful, because you never know who your next boss may be. Looks like the ‘people’ decided he wasn’t the right man for the job. Supposedly, Ken Jennings is now in the lead to replace Richards. Poor LeVar Burton.

At the start of the pandemic, McDonald’s took away some breakfast items, McMuffins and McGriddles. Then they started serving pastries all day, no breakfast sandwiches. There’s a blueberry muffin, cinnamon roll, and apple fritters. On September 1, they will add the Glazed Pull Apart Donut, large enough that you can share…fried dough, sugar glaze and…well, that’s it. Fried dough and sugar glaze. Just like a real donut. You may not want to share. Really. When is the last time you shared a donut? OREO just announced two new limited-edition cookie flavors. Salted Caramel Brownie, and Apple Cider Donut. Hmmm. At least it’s not Pumpkin Pie Spice. Mountain Dew VooDew 2021 is being released for the third year, just in time to be scary. You will always know when I am hungry, by what I write. I’m starving right now.

There was a very tiny bit of very hot gardening going on at the back of my office this weekend and while I was back there, I happened to see a longtime friend. Our conversation went from trivial to such hot weather, to climate change. When I mentioned to him that he needed to enjoy it, because it is the coolest summer of the rest of our lives, he said, “So, I’m guessing you believe in climate change.” I do believe. Yes, indeed, I do. He stated that he does not believe. This week, the world’s leading authority on climate change, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told the world our climate is dangerously close to a tipping point that would lead to climate chaos, and that human activities are to blame.  Deadly and record-breaking forest fires, heat waves, floods and droughts occurring not only in the U.S., but around the world, are showing us the beginnings of extreme weather. They are calling this “code red for humanity.” There is a positive side to the report showing that we can change our course, but it can’t be left to chance. It will be determined by the choices we make from this day on. Not just a couple of people, or a couple of companies – every single one of us, in every community, in every country, as a common goal to heal our planet. So, I started thinking, after my friend left. “What if you’re wrong?” If you are wrong, then eventually and quickly, we destroy everything beautiful thing that we are so blessed to have in this world, leaving a very dangerous and threatening place for our children and grandchildren. If I’m wrong, we will simply be leaving a much prettier, cleaner, smarter world for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Your actions matter. You can make a difference. Why not start today.

The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. Isaiah 24:5-6

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Nita Talbot is 91. Hogan’s Heroes. Actor Dustin Hoffman is 84. Actor Connie Stevens is 83. Country singer Phil Balsley of The Statler Brothers is 82. Actor Larry Wilcox is 74. California Highway Patrol Officer Jonathan “Jon” Baker in CHiPs. Actor Keith Carradine is 72. Actor Donny Most is 68. Ralph Malph on Happy Days. News anchor Deborah Norville is 63. Actor Sam Elliott is 77. Singer Barbara Mason is 74. 1965 hit song “Yes, I’m Ready”.  Today co-host Hoda Kotb is 57. Singer-flutist Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull is 74. Mandolin player Gene Johnson of Diamond Rio is 72.

Cartoonist Gary Larson of The Far Side is 71. Singer Sarah Brightman is 61. Actor Antonio Banderas is 61. Wrestler-actor Hulk Hogan is 68. Singer Joe Jackson is 67. Actor George Hamilton is 82. Actor Danny Bonaduce of The Partridge Family is 62. Singer Dash Crofts of Seals and Crofts is 83. Summer Breeze, Diamond Girl. Singer David Crosby is 80. Actor-musician Steve Martin is 76. Actor Antonio Fargas is 75. Huggy Bear in Starsky and Hutch. Bassist Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone is 75.

Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones since January 1963 and one of the greatest in rock & roll history, has died at the age of 80. His first love was jazz, so he took the Stones to great levels. The news comes weeks after it was announced that Watts would miss the band’s new US tour dates to recover from an unspecified medical procedure. He had previously been treated for throat cancer in 2004. My son reminded me of a story. As the three of us were leaving the Rolling Stones 2019 Houston concert, my daughter remarked, “I wish Charlie Watts was my grandpa.” He was a sharp dresser, married to the same woman for 57 years, and as an artist, after their concerts he would go back to the hotel (while others partied) and sketch a picture of the bed. Watts told Rolling Stone: “I make a sketch of every bedroom I sleep in. I’ve sketched every bed I’ve slept in on tour since about 1968.” Perhaps it will become a best-selling coffee table book for all of his fans.

Don Everly, one-half of the pioneering Everly Brothers whose harmonizing country rock hits impacted a generation of rock ‘n’ roll music, has died. He was 84. The brothers began singing country music in 1945 on their family’s radio show in Shenandoah, Iowa. Bye Bye Love, Let It Be Me, All I Have to Do Is Dream, and Wake Up Little Susie. Child star Jane Withers died at 95. As a girl, she landed leading roles along with Shirley Temple. As an adult, she was known as Josephine the Plumber in ads for Comet cleanser. Nanci Griffith, Texas-born singer-songwriter celebrated in folk and country-music circles for her crystal-clear voice, and storytelling skills, died in Nashville at age 68.

In Fredericksburg, a Dalmatian gave birth to sixteen puppies. A typical litter is about around 6-8. Hmmm. Pongo and Perdita are the parents in the story of 101 Dalmatians, and they had 15 puppies. General Motors and Ford are locked in a trademark battle over which company gets to use the word cruise in branding for its self-driving vehicles. How about neither! Two customers at a North Houston McDonald’s drive-through were arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on the restaurant’s manager during a dispute over the amount of salt on their fries. One of the suspects was out on probation for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Hmmm.

A dehydrated, underweight alligator was spotted basking in the sun on a Padre Island beach, 400 miles west of where it had been tagged in the bayous of Louisiana, puzzling National Park Service rangers. It was transported to a rehabilitation center, where he/she says you’ll have to read the book, to find out the real story. 😊 A 72-year-old Kingwood man, called the Tan Ben Franklin, has run races on every single continent and in all fifty states, finishing nearly 800 marathons. Serena Williams and Nike have launched a new line of women’s apparel and shoes. Some colleges are now un-enrolling students if they are not vaccinated or charging thousands of dollars in Covid testing fees to remain on-campus. It’s about time. In some cases, they are threatening to cut off their wi-fi. Bet that works better than anything else.

What’s more American than apple pie and hot dogs? Chevy challenged Guy Fieri to craft a recipe, with all the flavors we associate with baseball. Remember the Chevy jingle from the 1970s, “baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.” Supposedly, Car & Driver named it the co-best car commercial of all time. Before you turn up your nose, read the ingredients. It actually sounds pretty good…handheld, savory, sweet, and quite pretty. This recipe is for just one single Apple Pie Hotdog, but I think you might want to at least double the recipe even if you’re by yourself this Labor Day, because all the reviews say they’re quite good.

Apple Pie Hotdog
1 packet pie crust dough
1 ¾ oz apple pie filling, lightly mashed with a fork
½ oz bacon jam
1 all-beef hot dog, dried off
2 tsp Demerara sugar (substitute: Turbinado sugar. Light brown sugar. Granulated sugar. Sanding sugar.)
1 egg beaten
Pinch apple pie spice
A drizzle of apple mustard (50/50 apple pie filling and yellow mustard) make extra, use to marinade chicken, in slaw, meatloaf, or ham.)
Instructions
Cut two 3” x 5” pie crust dough rectangles and place on baking sheet
Egg wash the pie crust dough edges
Spread apple pie filling down middle of rectangle, then bacon jam, place hot dog in middle
Cover with second 3” x 5” pie crust dough (stretch it)
Crimp edges with a fork to seal (it will stick out a little on one end)
Egg wash top of Apple Pie Hot Dog
Sprinkle with apple pie spice and sugar
Bake in over at 350 for 18-20 minutes until golden
Remove from oven, drizzle with apple mustard and top with crumbled bacon. If you aren’t a huge fan of mustard, you can just use a little for taste. The touch of spice balances all the sweetness. It’s so easy to burn the edges and get soggy bottom, so bake with care.

A Lake Jackson man recovered from a rare, flesh-eating bacteria that he caught in his right hand over the Memorial Day weekend. It is called Vibrio Vulnificus. He had been surf fishing near the free beach at Surfside. That’s pretty bad, isn’t it? Well, not as bad as deciding to go fishing again, in the same area, only to find that he had it again, in his left hand. He underwent two surgeries, but still isn’t sure how he contracted the bacteria since he didn’t have any cuts or open wounds. Galveston County Health Department has reported only cases in of Vibrio in 2021, one in Crystal Beach and the other was food-related. Hmmm. Stephen King said, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.” Sir, stay out of the water, it’s not safe.

Have a great weekend. Thanks for reading us. I will leave you with the little thought that Connie sent me. If I have to stir it, then it’s homemade. Yes, indeed.

LISA

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What I Heard This Week! 08-19-2021

What I Heard This Week August 18, 2021

There was a helicopter pilot ticketed by The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Western Canada. It seems he landed in the middle of a high traffic parking lot, so a female passenger could exit the helicopter and pick up an ice cream cake from the nearby Dairy Queen. Hmmm.

Governor Greg Abbott has tested positive for Covid just one day after a mask-less, indoor, crowded, Republican fundraiser. Abbott, who was previously vaccinated, is said to be “currently experiencing no symptoms” but is allegedly “receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment,” an expensive treatment that is in such short supply that doctors “approve the treatment for only those most likely to develop severe” COVID-19 symptoms. Hmmm. I wish that everyone could afford that special treatment. The FDA says the first dose of Regeneron’s cocktail must be injected within 96 hours of exposure to the coronavirus. Oh, so that must be why he was being tested every single day. It contains the monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab and is the first injectable coronavirus antibody treatment approved by the FDA to prevent COVID-19 after exposure to the virus. Monoclonal antibodies reduce the risk of hospitalization and death. What a lucky man.

Sarcasm. Just one more service I offer.

An Indonesian man disguised himself as his wife in order to board a flight, wearing a niqab (covers the face) and burqa (long, loose garment worn by Muslim women) that covered him from head to toe, with just an opening for his eyes. The disguise enabled the man to fly even though he had just tested positive for Covid-19. His wife, however, tested negative, so he used her ID and negative test results in order to board the plane. He probably would have been successful if a flight attendant hadn’t seen him go into an airplane bathroom, then come out wearing men’s clothes instead of women’s clothing. An on-site health officer immediately tested the man for Covid-19, and the test came back positive.

Alice Rodgers, Lake Jackson city secretary extraordinaire is retiring on December 1st, after 37 years, so be sure to drop her a card in the mail, phone, or email her at the city to say thank you.  She knows everything about every-thing, and every-body… warts, and all.  25 Oak Drive, LJ, 979-415-2400

Texans, please get vaccinated. You can’t trust the Texas power grid to keep your ventilator on.

Alex Trabek died in November from pancreatic cancer. His sharp-looking Jeopardy wardrobe has been donated to The Doe Fund, to help men on job interviews and employment. The Doe Fund is a nonprofit organization in the U.S. that provides paid transitional work, housing, educational opportunities, counseling, and career training to people with histories of homelessness, incarceration, and substance abuse. Graduates of The Doe Fund’s flagship Ready, Willing & Able “work first” program secure permanent housing and employment and become taxpaying members of their communities. There has been a Jeopardy search for a new permanent host since January, with 16 guest hosts standing at the podium. The greatest of all time champion, Ken Jennings, was first, then executive producer Mike Richards, followed by Katie Couric. Then, Dr. Oz, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker, Jeopardy! winner Buzzy Cohen, Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik, NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, anchor George Stephanopoulos, co-anchor Robin Roberts, Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton, Co-anchor David Faber, and sportscaster Joe Buck. Today it was announced that after 37 years, Mike Richards has been chosen as the new daily host, while Mayim Bialik will be the face of new spinoffs, the first of which will be “Jeopardy! National College Championship” on ABC. A lot of people were rooting for LeVar Burton who is best known for his role as Kunta Kinte in Roots.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Blues musician Robert Cray is 68. Keyboardist Garth Hudson of The Band is 84. Singer Kathy Lennon of The Lennon Sisters is 78. Actor Joanna Cassidy is 76. Actor Butch Patrick is 68. Werewolf Eddie of The Munsters. Today Show meteorologist Dylan Dreyer is 40. Singer Tony Bennett is 95. Actor Martin Sheen is 81. Singer Beverly Lee of The Shirelles is 80. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is 80. Actor Jay North of Dennis the Menace is 70.  Actor-turned-princess Meghan Markle is 40. Actors Dylan and Cole Sprouse of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody are 29. Humorist Garrison Keillor is 79.

First Lady of Children’s Music Ella Jenkins is 97. Actor Loni Anderson is 76. Actor Erica Slezak of One Life to Live is 75. Singer Rick Derringer is 74. Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo, Hang on Sloopy. Actor Maureen McCormick of The Brady Bunch is 65. Actor Wayne Knight of Seinfeld is 66. Newman the mailman. Actor Tina Cole is 78. She starred as Robbie Douglas’ wife Katie in the hit series My Three Sons, making a bold move when she and her on-screen husband Don Grady decided to share the same bed in front of cameras. My, how things have changed.

In listening to all the crazy weather reports recently, I have heard the word Derecho quite often. I didn’t know what they were talking about, so I looked it up. A derecho (deh-REY-chos), from Spanish: derecho “straight” as in direction is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm associated with a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms known as a mesoscale convective system. Derechos can cause hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, heavy rains, and flash floods. In many cases, convection-induced winds take on a bow echo (backward C) form of squall line, often forming beneath an area of diverging upper tropospheric winds, and in a region of both rich low-level moisture and warm-air… a derecho can produce destruction similar to the strength of tornadoes… There you have it. Just in case you wondered too.

There has been a 50% increase in carbon dioxide in the world’s air since the start of the Industrial age, measured at its annual spring peak this year. In case you didn’t know it, or you choose to ignore it, carbon dioxide traps heat. And the average rate of increase is faster than ever. Remember this is the coolest summer of the rest of your life.

My son mentioned something about an ear of garlic… I said, “What!?! Wait. It’s called a bulb or head of garlic, or a clove of garlic, not an ear.” Giggle. I just love that boy. 😊 Gage and I have been watching the old series, Boston Legal, that ran from 2004 to 2008, starring James Spader, and William Shatner (two of the best actors around) as the main characters, and a bunch of other truly beautiful people. It’s considered a legal-comedy-drama.  Henry Gibson is a judge. Candace Bergen popped in last night. Leslie Jordan plays a man that killed his mother with an iron skillet, then killed his next-door neighbor (with the same skillet) because she threatened to tell the police. Oops, I’m telling too much, but he does “get his” with an iron skillet pretty quick. And you laugh. Out loud. Often. I recommend it. But not for children. I am so tired from staying up late, but Gage will be heading back to school in Boston soon, and I can sleep once he leaves. We just sit at the kitchen table and laugh, thinking out loud, “how can something so serious, be so funny?” Dang, I’m going to miss my kid, AND the late nights we share together, always splitting a new, and different beer. We had to throw away a very expensive bottle last week. Life is too short to drink even a half of a bad beer. I think it had raspberries in it.

How to clean your cast-iron skillet. Turn on your oven to 400. Add a layer of salt to the bottom of the pan and place it in the oven for 10-15 minutes, then use an old kitchen towel to scrub it off.  It cleans and helps preserve your pan.

Michael J. Fox says that his first sign of Parkinson’s was a tremor or twitch in his pinky finger. He was diagnosed at age 29. The Rolling Stones plan to head out this fall on the No Filter tour across the U.S.,  but drummer Charlie Watts will not be joining them. After a successful medical procedure, doctors recommended “rest and recuperation.” He is replaced by Steve Jordan, a member of the John Mayer Trio.

Helium was detected for the first time on Earth, in 1903, in Dexter’s Hugoton Gas Field, now the largest helium reserve in the nation. Many people do not realize that helium is a non-renewable resource. It is made on earth via nuclear decay of uranium, and it is recovered from mines. Remember when you order your next balloon bouquet… balloons are bad for all creatures in the oceans and waterways, and helium is a non-renewable resource. In fact, don’t order the bouquet, just pick up cookies or a plant.

It’s HOT outside. Today, I heard of the third person (that I know of), who has suffered from heat stroke in recent weeks. Heatstroke occurs when the body loses the ability to sweat and fails to cool down. IT IS LIFE-THREATENING and you will need immediate attention. Find some shade, avoid peak sun hours between 11am and 4pm. I think it’s more like 10am-6pm in South Texas. Wear protective clothing, long‑sleeved shirts, sunglasses, and hats. Sunscreen! Remember to reapply often.  Beware of medication side effects. Some medicines make you more sensitive to the sun. Look them up or talk to your doctor to see to see if your prescriptions could increase your sensitivity.

There is a limited-edition ice cream flavor, created in celebration of National Mac and Cheese Day, by Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. $12 a pint if you can find it. It is described as a little funky, a little salty, a little sweet… very creamy and buttery and a lot better than you think it will be. It would have to be.

Boston Beer announced a partnership with Pepsi to release an alcoholic Mountain Dew called HARD MTN Dew. All in caps. Now, looking back to days of immaturity, I remember people mixing the neon yellow soda with vodka, liquor of choice, or perhaps better put, whatever was available. This canned version might seem a little more elegant, available 2022, in original, black cherry and watermelon.

A Chicago pharmacist has been charged with stealing 125 official COVID-19 blank vaccination cards and selling them on eBay to 11 buyers for about $10 each. Each count of theft of government property carries a potential maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced they will now offer $100 gift cards to residents who receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This seems like a much better deal than paying for a stolen black market vaccination card.

The world’s smallest park resides in Portland. Designated in 1948, Mill Ends Park is a circle, two feet in diameter, with a total area of 452 square inches. It’s cute. The US government is offering up to $10 million to anyone with information on who is behind the recent rash of cyberattacks on the country’s critical infrastructure.

A bride-to-be asked the internet for advice about her right to ban her fiancé’s grandmother from the wedding reception. The bride said “However, for precisely the same reasons that we don’t want kids there, I don’t want his elderly grandmother at our wedding either.”  “I think that I am well within my right to make this request, I am the bride after all,” she said. “(My fiancé and his grandmother) both insist that (the grandmother) will be fine and that she wants to go to the party. But I just know that it will inevitably lead to us dealing with her and taking care of her, and I just want to get drunk and let loose with my friends.”  What a charming young woman. I wonder at what age someone will dispose of her. Have a great week. Thank you for spending your time with us.

LISA

0

What I Heard This Week! 08-01-2019

What I Heard This Week August 1, 2019

According to a recent U.S. Foods study, one in four delivery food drivers admitted to taking food from a customer’s order before dropping off the meal. Fifty percent of the deliverers polled said they had been tempted by the smell of the food they deliver. Hmmm. First there was the Blue Bell licker, now this.

There was a great article about all the food we throw out, (not counting the food that is tasted by our delivery people 😊…see above.) When you cut up a pineapple, don’t throw out the core. Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that can reduce nasal and sinus inflammation, can help arthritis and muscle pain, and potentially fight cancer. You can add the core to fruit salads, slaws, salsas or stir-fries, blend it into smoothies, flavored water, tea or sangria. Hmmm. More foods you can save, next week.

Thank Goodness I don’t have to hunt for food. I don’t even know where tacos live…

In Huntsville, two prison system employees (a high-ranking official and his wife) were fired when another woman was arrested for allegedly buying and selling prescription pills in the prison parking lot. It gets better. The woman arrested was the mother-in-law of the high-ranking Texas prison official.

Johnny Manziel reportedly scored a 32 on the Wonderlic test, which boosted his chances among the teams considering the former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner.The Wonderlic is a 50-question test that measures cognitive ability. The test time is limited to 12 minutes. A score of 20 is indicative of “average” intelligence and roughly equivalent to an IQ of 100. Former Bengals punter Pat McInally, who attended Harvard, is the only prospect known to have scored a perfect 50 on the test. Perhaps there is now hope for this boy who changed his name to ‘John’ Manziel a few months ago.

Arsenio Hall has confirmed that The Prince of Zamunda will not be alone in the “Coming to America” sequel due to release on August 7th, 2020.

My most ‘recently hired paper delivery person’ isn’t with us anymore, so Connie was kind enough to deliver papers to Jones Creek (thank you, Connie) and my daughter helped me deliver to LJ, Brazoria and Sargent last week. I offered to pay Anne-Elisabeth by the hour, and she accepted. 😊During our Thursday morning run, she asked me if I was paying myself to deliver. I told her that I had already paid the carrier in advance to deliver so I was out that money, plus I was paying ‘her’ to deliver so if I paid myself, I would definitely end up even further ‘in the hole.’ Life. You end up in the hole quite a bit.

You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it. Charles Buxton.

It’s the end of Shark Week…to conclude the eventful week that ends on August 4th, the Discovery Channel will air on that day, all day, “encore presentations of the biggest specials from Shark Week 2019.” There are 18 new specials this year along with the nightly talk-show, “Shark after Dark” so there was a load of new information. I gathered there are so many more reported shark ‘incidents’ because there are so many more people swimming in oceans that actually belong to the sharks. Remember that.

Swarms of grasshoppers, so thick that you can see them from space and on weather radar, are invading Las Vegas. The National Weather Service has warned motorists that it could even impact visibility on area roads. The insects are harmless and will likely be gone in a few weeks. But for now, they are attracted to white light (not much of that in Vegas) and it’s mating season.

Public Service Announcement: Michelle says her phone died last week so that’s why you haven’t heard from her. Shear Spice Clients: call her. 979-297-2660. FYI: She reminds you to back-up your phone and your pictures. Yep. A Public Service Announcement. Back-up phone & pictures. More than one location.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Rock musician Simon Kirke is 70. Bad Company. Rock musician Steve Morse is 65. Deep Purple. Actress Lori Loughlin is 55. Perfect example of what not to do. Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is 85. Movie director Peter Bogdanovich is 80. The Last Picture Show. Jazz musician David Sanborn is 74. Law professor Anita Hill is 63. Actress Hilary Swank is 45. Rock musician Jim McCarty is 76. The Yardbirds.

Mick Jagger is 76. We celebrated with him and a few friends at the No Filter Tour at NRG stadium on Saturday night. Part of the kids Christmas gift last year were tickets to see The Rolling Stones. First a lovely dinner at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen across the street from NRG, then we prepared to rock-n-roll. We parked, enjoying our short walk in on such a pretty evening, snagging a fellow fan on the way to take a picture of the three of us standing in front of the Stones banner. They were the first band to play NRG when it opened in 2003. The concert had originally been scheduled for April this year but was postponed when Mr. Flamboyant, Mick Jagger, had heart surgery. You would NEVER have known by the way he was strutting his skinny little stuff on stage, changing outfits more often than most Vegas acts,but I must tell you that they sounded surprisingly good for a bunch of old guys. In fact, from Midnight Rambler to Satisfaction, they were better than good, they were great.Charlie Watts was ridiculously calm, never giving up those drumsticks. He just turned 78.Rolling Stones, me, my kids. Such a nice night.

So, let’s say you’re driving down 288 and you have a flat tire. There’s no shoulder to pull over to safely change the flat so you don’t get flattened in the process. Or perhaps you see an older person that has had car problems. Or you see an intoxicated driver. I’ve told you this before, but someone suggested that I can’t say it often enough. Pull out your driver’s license and look at the back where it says TEXAS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 1-800-525-5555. It’s in tiny print. This is for motorists to use to report a need for non-emergency assistance. It is not a substitute for 9-1-1 and it is not a Customer Service line to answer driver license questions. It is for motorists who have a legitimate need for assistance on Texas roadways. It could be city police, sheriff’s department, or highway patrol. You can also call if you see hazardous road conditions, debris in the road, suspicious activity at a rest stop or obviously intoxicated or dangerous drivers. You will have to provide your name, cellphone number, vehicle description, highway location, mile marker and/or county or city location. I’ve had to use this number twice in my life; once near Gonzales when I had a screw in a brand-new tire and another time near Iowa Colony, where there was no room to pull over for anotherscrew-infested flat.  State police showed up both times with lights flashing while the tires were changed. You just never know when it’s going to happen.

If you grew up in Texas, then you had Dr. Pepper, queso, and Miller Light in the ‘icebox’, along with a tin of bean dip and Fritos set out on the cabinet so there was some substance close by before you hopped on the couch to watch the Dallas Cowboys. Anyone outside Texas probably looks at a can of bean dip and says “yuk,” but we know it is really good stuff. I came across this recipe for bean dip so I thought I would share it. One can refried beans (I personally, would use leftover pintos), 6-8 pickled jalapeno nacho slices, 1 tablespoon of brine from the jalapeno jar, ½ teaspoon each of salt, sugar, & onion powder, ¼ teaspoon each of paprika, chili powder, & cumin. Dump into food processor and zap. Little Fritos work best to scoop bean dip…personal opinion only.

Saint Arnold Brewery will be celebrating Root Beer Float Day, August 4th from 11am to 4pm. FYI.

A 16-year old boy has won $3 million as the first Fortnite World Cup Solo Champion which is more $$ than Tiger Woods made for winning the 2019 Masters Tournament. What now can a mother say about her children playing video games? Not much. “Bugha” says he spends about 6 hours a day practicing.

Thank you to Donna at Texas Gulf Bank drive-thru for assisting me last week. Thank you to Dr. Sam Shandley for taking time to have the loveliest conversation with me this morning. He was out for his 5-mile morning walk and I was on my way to feed a neighbor’s cat. We couldn’t have planned a better tete-a-tete and had it work out so perfectly on such a hot July morning.

Someone scammed a 55-year-old grandmother by posting a picture of Channel 2 weatherman, Frank Billingsley along with a fake identity, then somehow convinced a woman that he wanted to put $4 million in her bank account in case something happened to him.  The woman believed “her prayers for finding true love” had been answered and she proceeded to send $40,000 for service fees so the money could be released into her account. The woman never met the man in person. The woman’s son said that he wants to,“help other sons and daughters to watch out for their aging parents (wait, she was ONLY 55-old enough to know better and young enough not to fall for it) but when he looks back, there were signs…long romantic emails that looked like a novel, bad grammar that was obvious English was not a first language, and phone texting instead of ‘real’ phone calls or video phone chatting.” Whew. Any ONE of those should have sent him into an immediate tailspin. They reached out to Billingsley who said later, “I get this email from this woman asking if I’d been talking to her online…No, that’s not me.” He also said that he’s been contacted before about someone using his images online. Scammers!

This afternoon I received the following email. I cut and pasted it exactly like it came to me.“My Dear, My name is Miss. Sirah Abdelqader. I’m the only child of the former Central Bank Governor of Sudan, Hazem Abdelqader, whom am sure was poisoned to death by his colleagues on their visit to Turkey in 2018 but the government of Omar al-Bashir gave a report that my father died of a heart attack, they killed him in order to appoint a new governor but I left everything to GOD to judge. My mother died 2 months ago of cancer. Because of the ongoing crisis here in Sudan, I decided to relocate to another city since my mother is dead and cause of moving our properties I discovered a bank document in my late father’s briefcase indicating that my late father deposited huge sum of Fifteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$15.500.000.00), with a prime bank in Abidjan Ivory Coast which my name was the next of kin according to the document. Please advise your reply to me urgently as I want to go to Ivory Coast by this week for this inheritance claim but only want you to stand by me and provide your account details to transfer the fund because with the ongoing crisis it’s not advisable to transfer the fund to Sudan. Thanks, and good day. Miss. Sirah Abdelqader” DO NOT FALL FOR THINGS LIKE THIS…

Only in Los Angeles. Police were pursuing a man wearing a clown mask and green wig, sitting on top of the sunroof of a black BMW sedan while driving 2-3 mph in the fast lane of the freeway, all while holding a (prop) chainsaw. As the officers tried to pull the car over, the driver then led officers on a chase at speeds of more than 70 mph before heading towards the beach. As the car came to a stop, the driver got out and ran, but then stopped to help scoop sand to cover an individual lying on the beach. A reason for the bizarre behavior and pursuit was unclear. Hmmm.

In Abilene, a nearly $350,000 fire truck that was delivered just last month, went up in flames during a test drive to check the brakes. Hmmm.

Freddie Brown of Brown’s Auto Sales is easing into a new chapter of his life after 64 years in the car business. The Brazosport Chamber of Commerce will present its first Lifetime Achievement Award at a luncheon at noon on August 29, at the Dow Academic Center and will honor Mr. Brown for his MANY contributions to our community. You should give him a call to say congratulations. 979-265-2651.

Nothing I say or do is done by popular demand but writing this column sure is fun. Thanks for reading. 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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