What I Heard This Week 07-27-2023
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. – The 14th Dalai Lama
Yesterday I turned on to 2004 and came face to face, bumper to fender, with a police motorcycle cop. For just a moment, I did NOT know what to do. He was just sitting crossways in my lane. The first thing that ran through my mind was reckless disregard for the safety of others… but I’m not confrontational so I pulled over and then I saw what was coming. This police officer was just the very beginning of a caravan of a number of police escorts and pilot vehicles bringing several oversized loads that were not slowing down on 2004. Wanting to get off and away from the road, I pulled in next to the credit union, then turned my car around, pulling onto the lane leaving the mall that would take me back to get on 2004. That was far enough off the road in case one of the containers decided to jump. Suddenly, behind me was a guy in a big dually truck, honking. And honking. And honking. We’re not talking little beep-beeps. He was giving me long-lasting, groaning, prolonged honks. I finally rolled down my window and waved him around, thinking… Well, I can’t really tell you what I was thinking at that moment, because this is a family paper. I just said to myself, “Well, if you want on out there, then pull around me and get on out there, cowboy.” (It would have been hard because there was a car with flashers and lights parked crossways in front of my car at that moment, but I wanted to at least give him another option.) 😊 He laid on his horn again. Suddenly I understood road rage. I wanted to get out of my car and slap him, shake him, spray water on his face to bring him back down off his high-horse. Something. Anything. About that time, he must have looked up from his phone to see what was actually happening in front of him. The honking stopped. What has happened to common decency, patience, calmness, self-restraint, tolerance, composure… I can go on. I now see people driving vehicles that think they are the only ones on the road. I see them at the grocery store parking lot, going to restaurants, and parked in front of my own office. If you’re in a hurry, then YOU should have started earlier. It’s YOUR problem. To the honking man in the truck, have a nice day.
Honk if you love Jesus, text while driving if you want to meet up. – Barbara Kingsolver
Larry the Cable Guy wants you to know that the rumors that he died at age 60 are entirely false. He added, “As much as some haters would love for me to have died, which I don’t know why other than being jealous of my 1980’s Dolf Lundgren (circa 1980’s) looking body, I’m still alive and currently putting Icy Hot on 65 percent of my body after trying to put on my socks.” “I’m not dead, I don’t have sleep Apnea or Diabetes. I do however have major farts from honey roasted pistachios. I love all y’all.”
Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer. – Unknown
Joe Exotic (The Tiger King) has announced from prison that he is running for President in 2024. “Yes, I know I am in Federal Prison, and you might think this is a joke but it’s not. It is my Constitutional right…” he wrote. One news report said he is running as a Libertarian and one report stated a Democrat. Rapper Kanye West has said he intends to run for president in 2024, despite facing several scandals over his behavior. In fact, there are 13 more that have declared their candidacy on the Republican side and three on the Democratic side. What is a Laughingstock? An object of ridicule: a person or thing that is made fun of… oh, silly me, that just jumped into the wrong space in this column. 😊
Sometimes… talking to your sister is all the therapy you need. And sometimes you need therapy after talking to your sister.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Phoebe Cates is 60. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Gremlins. She graced the covers of Seventeen Magazine four times, gave up acting to be a mother, and now owns a popular store on Madison Avenue called Blue Tree. Singer-actor Bobby Sherman is 80. Shindig! Easy Come, Easy Go, and Julie, Do Ya Love Me. Actor Donald Sutherland is 88. Bassist Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath is 74. Actor James Brolin is 83. Singer Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandals is 82. Singer Vikki Carr is 83. If You Love Me Really Love Me, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. Guitarist Bernie Leadon of Eagles, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 76. Guitarist Brian May of Queen is 76. Bluegrass singer Ricky Skaggs is 69. Actor Danny Glover is 77. Lethal Weapon. Actor-comedian-director Albert Brooks is 76. Singer Kim Carnes is 78. Bette Davis Eyes. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 79. Fooled Around and Fell in Love, Devil in the Bottle. Actor Lucie Arnaz is 72. Comedian Jon Lovitz is 66. Parliament-Funkadelic singer George Clinton is 82. He just kicked off his Farewell Tour. Actor David Hasselhoff is 71. Knight Rider, Baywatch. He set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Singer Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens is 75. Mick Jagger is 80. I’m speechless and feeling mighty old.
A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve. – Joseph Joubert
Tony Bennett died at 96, having lived with Alzheimer’s disease for years after being diagnosed in 2016. He continued to practice each day and performed until 2021. He met his wife, Susan, in 1966, sort of… her mother was pregnant with her when the couple posed backstage for a picture with Tony Bennett. Nineteen years later Susan was president of Tony’s fan club in San Francisco and requested to meet him backstage following a show. “It tickled me that someone of her age was so devoted to my music,” Tony shared in his memoir. “I not only agreed to say hello to her backstage but asked her to be my date for the evening, and that’s how it all really began, foreshadowed by a backstage photo taken in 1966!” They were together for more than 20 years before they married in 2007. His life includes 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Bennett was named a NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree, plus he and Susan founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in NY. He had 61 studio albums, 11 live albums, 33 compilation albums, three video albums, one extended play and 83 singles. According to Guinness Book of World Records, Bennett also holds the record for the oldest person to reach No. 1 on U.S. album chart with a newly recorded album, the oldest person to enter the U.K. top 20 album chart, the longest period of time between releasing an original recording and a re-recording of the same, by the same artist, and longest time between U.K. top 20 albums. His concerts were very memorable for my family.
Volkswagen Group of America has announced that Port Freeport is their new Gulf Coast hub for future operations, creating 113 jobs at the terminal facility, and expecting to be operational in early 2024. An 11-year-old boy was fishing in an Oklahoma pond and reeled in a Pacu which has crazy human-like teeth, is native to South America and related to a piranha. (One source said it has a taste for human testicles. Ouch.) DO NOT release exotic, invasive species or unwanted pets into local waterways. It can bring so much damage to ecosystems. If you happen to see the Honey B’s Waffle truck around town, I suggest you stop and visit them. I enjoyed the grilled cheese waffle … it was soooo delicious. Hulk Hogan announced that he doesn’t drink alcohol anymore, just Mountain Valley water in glass bottles, and has lost 40 pounds. President Biden picked US Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti to head the Navy – first woman to lead the service, becoming a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Houston Chronicle’s 4th Annual Best of the Best 2023; community choice awards, 152 different categories are voted on by the people. I was proud to see that longtime customer and advertising partner Killum Pest Control Pearland was the winner of the pest control category. Congratulations, friends!
The heat is horrendous right now. It’s very likely that this is our new normal so please remember to check the expiration date on your sunscreen. The filters or blockers used in chemical sunscreens break down over time and tend to lose efficiency. If there isn’t an expiration date on the can or tube, then use a permanent marker and write the purchase date on the container with a note that it’s only good for three years. If it smells bad, chunk it. If it looks like it’s separated or pills when you put it on, throw it out. (Recycle the container.) Store it in the shade when you’re out, NOT your hot car. If all else fails and you only have an expired container, then use more and use it more often. Bad sunscreen is better than no sunscreen. Many, many years ago, I bought a jar of name-brand nose coat in Mexico, but never used it on that trip. One year later I popped the seal, used it all over my face for that extra protection ☹ and went straight to Surfside. Well, there was something wrong with that nose coat – my face, ears, lips, and nose literally fried. There was a one-inch section on one lip that wasn’t blistered. By chance, I was the only attendant at a friend’s wedding the following weekend. I looked like someone had beat me up. Since then, I have had three basal cells removed from my face, and this past year a dermatologist had to remove a strip of skin from the side of my face to replace what she had to cut off the top of my ear. The effects of bad sunscreen or no sunscreen don’t go away. I now apply sunscreen to my face, neck, and the tops of my hands every morning, but I can’t reverse what happened with that little jar years ago.
Have I mentioned how good Dr. Pepper Float ice cream is? Because it’s hot outside, I’m going to take this space and tell you again Yes, it’s Blue Bell. Comes in gallon and pint size, but you will want the gallon. I found it at HEB, Walmart and Aldi. It is so delicious. Blue Bell is now sold in 23 states. One flavor that didn’t sell very well was 2005’s Peanut Butter and Jelly with bits of peanuts and a grape jelly swirl that their research & development team thought was delicious. 2009’s Tropical Paradise did great in Florida while Richmond, Va. adores Banana Pudding. Since it’s National Ice Cream Month, Blue Bell just released Monster Cookie Dough which is creamy vanilla ice cream with hints of brown sugar, loaded with peanut butter monster cookie dough pieces, candy-coated chocolate pieces and dark chocolate chunks. For a limited time only, of course. There is also Java Jolt, delicious coffee ice cream with dark chocolate chunks and a coffee fudge swirl. This flavor is sold in the pint size, but for a limited time. BTW, Whataburger now has their new Banana Pudding shake. Remember, it’s a hot day!
Keep your house cooler when it’s so hot outside: Use ceiling fans. It costs less than $5 a month to run a high-efficiency ceiling fan for 12 hours a day. Your house could feel as much 7-degrees cooler because the air is circulating. Avoid using the oven, fire up the grill. Get programmable thermostats. Plant trees. (Of course, I don’t know how you’re going to water them.) Cover your windows. Insulate your attic.
Three rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination are pushing for cuts to Social Security benefits that would affect younger Americans. Hmmm. LeBron James’s 18-year-old son, Bronny, suffered cardiac arrest (standstill of the heart, not a blockage like a heart attack) and is in stable condition. In-N-Out Burger has informed employees in five states (yes, Texas is one of them) that they will no longer be allowed to wear medical masks unless they have a note from their doctor. What? Why? If the guy flipping my hamburger is coughing, I want him to have on a mask. The memo said, “We are introducing new mask guidelines that emphasize the importance of customer service and the ability to show our Associates’ smiles and other facial features while considering the health and well-being of all individuals.” I would rather see a mask than have cooties. As of today, there is one Tropical Wave in the Atlantic Ocean, with 0% chance of cyclone formation. Another week down. Good news. US inflation has hit its lowest point since 2021 as prices ease for gas, groceries and used cars. Have a great week. Be sure to check the expiration date on your sunscreen and stay cool. Thanks for reading us.
😊 LISA
Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com
