Today, we are traveling to Lakeway City Hall, where the 2024 Lakeway Photo Festival winners are displayed. The Festival is sponsored by The Lakeway Arts Committee and is an annual event. We are catered by This Too Shall Pass of Austin. Our entertainment is Paul Simon singing Kodachrome.
Also, all the photos are behind glass and illuminated with spotlights. To get a photo of the photo, I have had to take some unusual angles to avoid glare and reflection. I intended to get a clear photo and not worry about the frames. The angles will be a little uncomfortable to highly qualified photographers. The following are the category winners.
Iconic Golfball Tower
Framed
Don’t Wake the Lion
A Rose by Any Other Dark Name.
Life Emerging
Oh Deer
Got Any Nuts?
Woodhouse Scrub Jay
Sharing Sweet Nectar
The Mother Ship
Celebrate America
Misty Morning
Runners -up
Runners up
Well, that is the tour. It is time to relax with food and music. I hope you have a great weekend.
How cool is this? My coffee was waiting for me when merely approaching the machine. How that happened is anybody’s guess, but it seemed like a nice thing to have happened. After the first sip, the time travel clock came to mind. The time is set to November 30th, 1924. The place is Cleveland Ohio and the duration is for an hour. The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves at the headquarters of the National Football League. We are hear for the announcement of the 1924 champions.
The 1924 NFL season officially ended with the Cleveland Bulldogs as champions based on having the best record (7-1-1) for a .875 winning percentage. Second place went to the Chicago Bears (6-1-4 or .857), whom Cleveland had defeated, 16 to 14, in the Bulldogs’ first game on October 5.
The league was founded in 192o. Joseph Carr, the commissioner, announces the standings.
NFL standings
Team
W
L
T
PCT
PF
PA
STK
Cleveland Bulldogs
7
1
1
.875
229
60
W2
Chicago Bears
6
1
4
.857
136
55
W3
Frankford Yellow Jackets
11
2
1
.846
326
109
W8
Duluth Kelleys
5
1
0
.833
56
16
W1
Rock Island Independents
5
2
2
.714
88
38
L1
Green Bay Packers
7
4
0
.636
108
38
L1
Racine Legion
4
3
3
.571
69
47
W1
Chicago Cardinals
5
4
1
.556
90
67
L1
Buffalo Bisons
6
5
0
.545
120
140
L3
Columbus Tigers
4
4
0
.500
91
68
L1
Hammond Pros
2
2
1
.500
18
45
W2
Milwaukee Badgers
5
8
0
.385
142
188
L2
Akron Pros
2
6
0
.250
59
132
W1
Dayton Triangles
2
6
0
.250
45
148
L6
Kansas City Blues
2
7
0
.222
46
124
L2
Kenosha Maroons
0
4
1
.000
12
117
L2
Minneapolis Marines
0
6
0
.000
14
108
L6
Rochester Jeffersons
0
7
0
.000
7
156
L7
As the champagne is being served, the alarm goes off, and we are on the couch. A test has arrived from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “cool.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
After a pod of more than 30 pilot whales were stranded on a New Zealand beach, over a thousand volunteers and professionals organized to save them by carrying them back out to sea on sheets.
The sheets were suspended from the prow of a boat operated by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DoC).
The stranding happened on Ruakākā Beach near the city of Whangārei in New Zealand’s north island, a particularly prolific stranding location for pilot whales. DoC agents routinely survey the beach and ask the public to report any whales coming too near.
Rescue efforts saw almost all of the pilot whales survive, while three adults and one calf perished. A Māori ceremony was held to honor their spirits, as the Māori believe the animal to be a sacred cultural treasure.
“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals,” Joel Lauterbach, a Department of Conservation spokesperson, said in a statement. “This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
The good news in this story is seeing folks pull together to save other Earth residents. The JohnKu talks about thinking of others as more than just animals. I hope you have a super weekend.
This post ran on November 25, 2019. I thought it would be fun to reread it since this is Thanksgiving week here in the US.
* * *
George Washington proclaimed November 25 as a day of Thanksgiving in honor of the new constitution. This day has been used to set Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November. Although the first Thanksgiving might have been held with the pilgrims and native Americans much earlier, George established the date. As a side note of interest, it wasn’t until 1863 that a national day of Thanksgiving was held. I’m sure you would like to go to George’s house and help him and Martha celebrate the day. Here is a list of things not to do to keep history intact.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at the George Washington Proclamation of Thanksgiving in 1789.
10 If you go to George’s place, do not bring a box of stovetop stuffing as your contribution to the dinner. If you do, at best, no one will know what it is. At worst, someone may feed it to the horses. (Now you have a problem, Josephe. George wants to know who brought the stuff that gave his horses the colic)
9 If you go to George’s place, do not hand Tiny the WWF champ a dollar for holding the door for you. If you do, at best, Tiny will need the money. At worst, Tiny just left his self-esteem discussion group and believes he is a close friend of George Washington. (So now you have made Tiny feel like the help, Josue. Don’t worry that step over toe hold never works to take off the toe. Of course, there is always the first time.)
8 If you go to George’s place, do not suggest a game of Monopoly after dinner. If you do, at best, you’ll get some stares. At worst, George will think it a fun idea. (Now ymust to construct the whole game out of paper and a quill pen, Jourdan. Good luck making the tokens.)
7 If you go to George’s place, do not bring up politics as a dinner discussion item. If you do, at best, everyone will ignore you. At worst, you’ll pick a fight with Aaron Burr. (The instructions are correct, Jovan. You walk 25 paces, turn and fire. Yes, I think Aaron has done this before.)
6 If you go to George’s place, do not tell George the turkey is tough when he asks. If you do, at best, he won’t hear you. At worst, he’ll hand you a musket. (He politely suggests you go out and shoot your turkey, Jozsef. Maybe next time, you’ll just say it is excellent.)
5 If you go to George’s place, do not suggest to Martha that the sweet potatoes would be better with marshmallow bits. If you do, at best, Martha will be too busy to hear you. At worst, Martha will think your suggestion is a good one and hand you a ten-pound bag of sweet potatoes. (Well, now you are in a pickle, Judd. You must figure out how to make sweet potatoes and marshmallow bits.)
4 If you go to George’s house, do not ask for jelly-cranberry sauce. If you do, at best, you have created a discussion topic. At worst, the chef had just reached the end of his rope. It seems there have been several menu changes, Julito. Yours is the straw that broke the camel’s back. That knife looks pretty big from here. I think a good before-dinner run is in order.)
3 If you go to George’s house, do not decide to give a toast to the new constitution. If you do, at best, there will be too many in line before you. At worst, George will ask you about one of the articles. (So as a product of public education, Jullien, have you ever read the constitution, let alone know what is in the section? I thought not. Just say you need the outhouse and be gone.)
2 If you go to George’s house, do not stare at George’s teeth. If you do, at best, he’ll think you are looking at something else. At worst, he will catch on. (So now that you have made your host uncomfortable, Junien. I think you better cut your losses by saying something like, “Are those mahogany?” Or I guess you could say you were looking at his nose. Either way, I hope you have a horse standing by.)
1 If you go to George’s house, do not ask if you can try on a powdered wig. If you do, at best, you’ll be told no. At worst, someone will plop a wig on your head. (Lucky you, Jurgen. You are now wearing the lice and bedbug infected wig that remained after the last redcoat left Washington. Maybe setting your hair on fire will save you. In any case, you have got to find some alcohol fast.)
Today, we are on a quest to find any Thanksgiving decorations available in the neighborhood. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is somewhat ignored in terms of decorating, so we are off to see if we can find any. We are catered by Caroline of Austin. Our entertainment is Nat King Cole.
The black machine just sits, waiting for a command. The touchpad offers selections to please every coffee lover’s taste. The conundrum is which to select. There’s the Americano, flat white, cappuccino, Latte, espresso, single cup, and double cup. My finger follows its muscle memory and selects the double cup. The icon lights up to let me know the order has been received. The grinding, groaning, and sputtering precede the slow delivery of fluid that makes life worth living again.
One sip and the clock comes to mind. It is set for November 23, 1924, in New York City, and the duration is an hour. The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves at a newsstand on Lexington Avenue. We grab a newspaper and read.
The article states that Edwin Hubble announced his discovery that Andromeda, previously believed to be a nebula, is another galaxy and that the Milky Way is only one of many such galaxies in the universe. Hubble disclosed his discovery to The New York Times, and they broke the story. Hubble went on to publish a paper on December 30 after peer review and was presented by him at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society on January 1. The idea that our Earth and galaxy were unique has been turned over as a result.
Just as an order was placed with the hot dog vendor, the alarm went off, and we were back on the couch, having a strange craving for sauerkraut. A text has come in, and it is from Linda Hill. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “use ‘just’ in your first sentence.” Use the word “just” any way you’d like in your first sentence, then just write to your heart’s content. Enjoy!
“A 1978 Mercedes Turbodiesel Wagon. That puppy is a classic.”
“I thought you would like it.”
“That model was the first Mercedes wagon to be powered by a diesel engine. It was part of the W123 series, which was known for its reliability and durability. The 300TD was a luxury station wagon with a 3.0-liter, five-cylinder diesel engine that produced 123 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque”
“And who cares?”
“Well Dan Antion would and me of course.”
“You are putting the rest of us to sleep. Let’s get in.”
United Pilot Scott Wardle buys pizza for passengers – By Tanya Stamos via FB.
Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network. You may have seen this story, but I think Captain Wardle’s action is worth another look. Today is also the anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas Sixty years ago. I think he would like this story as well.
United Pilot Orders 30 Pizzas to Feed Passengers After Emergency Landing for Medical Care
A United Airlines pilot has become a social media sensation after personally overseeing the order and distribution of 30 pizzas to 155 passengers on his flight.
Now monikered the “Pizza Pilot,” Scott Wardle says that after 30 years of piloting for the Air Force and as a civilian, he knows what it feels like to be stuck at the airport and that he just “had to do something to show we care.”
United Pilot Scott Wardle serving dinner he bought for passengers – Tanya Stamos via FB.
Well, that care took off, with posts and photos of Wardle handing out pizzas using the check-in counter at the gate as a kitchen counter going viral.
The story began when the Boise-based Wardle was all set for a flight to Phoenix via Houston. About 45 minutes into the trip, the flight crew called to inform him that a patient had fallen unconscious.
Though two nurses and a medic were on board, Wardle felt he couldn’t take any chances, so he came in for an emergency landing at Albuquerque.
Hoping to get the passengers back underway as soon as possible, he suddenly received word that his cabin crew had maxed out their hours, meaning he had to wait for a new set of attendants.
“I made sure to confirm they were on the way with the company, and then I thought, I got to do something with all these people,” Wardle told KTVB 7. “So, I started exploring some options at that point for what I want to do. I came up with the idea of doing pizza for everyone. It’s an easy thing. Most people like pizza.”
Wardle says he loves his job, and the only burden he felt during the whole ordeal was compassion and sympathy for the passengers. He picked up the phone and started ordering dozens of pizzas.
As he began passing them around with plates and napkins, the passengers took notice.
The viral photos and videos reached virtually every corner of Wardle’s social life, with old Air Force buddies and even his graduation class of 1984 and phoning him to say they saw him serving pizza in his pilot uniform.
Pilot Scott Wardle ‘recharges with pizza for free’ – Tanya Stamos via FB
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I just did my thing,” Wardle said. “Many pilots in our company do this sort of thing; I just happened to get my picture taken.”
United Airlines insisted on reimbursing him for the pizzas. They applauded a hero of the friendly skies who waited until every passenger had a slice before sitting down for a pie.
The good news in this story is one person cared about the care and comfort of others. Today’s JohnKu talks about caring. I hope you have a peaceful weekend.
