Learning to be a good listener has been a life-long course. Even today, I find myself picking up on things people say that they don't always understand just what they said. I guess that is where the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" comes into play. But, somethings, getting a picture of that in action isn't always an easy task, even in the days of Tik Tok videos and the like.
There were 2,755 Billionaires, according to Forbes. And, 86% are richer than they were a year ago for a combined $5 trillion increase in wealth since 2020, according to Forbes. Some say that is a clear sign that billionaires do exercise their risk-taking muscle. AH!
Bob Jordon, will become Gary Kelley's replacement as CEO of Southwest Airlines in February 2022. You may have to fly Southwest even more. Because Bob needs the money, now. That's a little take on the funniest bumper sticker that I have ever seen concerning a business on the Forbes lineup. During Herb Kelleher's founding run as CEO, the bumper sticker read: "Fly Southwest. Herb needs the money."Thanks Gary. Welcome, and congratulations, Bob.
Not a hill that I want to die on, but the Governor, Mr. Abbott , made the statement , "That's pretty goofy" and now has tested positive within the week for the Corona Virus. He had meet a large (3,500) social gathering in Plano, a Republican Party fund raiser. (He's running for Governor again.) Now, his staff says that the Governor meets large groups of people. What they failed to say was those crowds you could not get within ten feet of him. The news file footage had many surrounding his wheelchair. They were all notified that the Gov could have spread the virus even though he said that he had received both vaccinations. He mentioned that he had received his booster but that is not confirmed. Currently, he is mansion-bound in quarantine.
At the Dallas Zoo, it has been a couple of months of celebrations. First, the zoo had two new arrivals in the Giraffe barn. They were both born in July and have been released into the Savannah to run and frolic seeing this big old world for the first time. So cute. And this week, a trio of big cat cubs turned 1-year old and got a frosty treat. All three were licking it up! They each weigh about 150 pounds now. No "here kitty kitty.!
It's now only 5 weeks until the State Fair starts its run this year on September 24th You can get 20 bucks of food coupons if you roll up your sleeve under Big Tex and get your Covid19 shot at the fair. People won't get their shots on their own, but you can bet they will grab up those $20 coupons as they roll up those sleeves. It makes no sense. Did they even think that they had to pay to pass through the turn-stiles at the gates just to get in? My favorite TV kid that makes me laugh when he says, "I'm only 6. You figure it out." had another hit with that one.
The hot air balloon festival in Plano has been cancelled again this year. Bet they hate that.
And on closing this post out, I head someone say the other day, " Don't you have an obituary to be in?"
Cannot forget about Mary Wallace Funk aka Wally Funk, Jeff Bezos' Goodwill Ambassador for her flight on Blue Origin. The woman is no slouch. She has over 20,000 flight hours in and was the first female member of the National Transportation Board. She is from the Grapevine area...didn't get to far from DFW airport though until she left planet Earth and experienced real weightlessness. No big Bowing going up and down to create weightlessness.Wally finally got to experience the real thing. Also, she's only an octogenarian, not the nonagenarian, that Miss Opal Lee has in the bag.
Miss Opal Lee, the nonagenarian, who walked to D.C. to get a national holiday established for June 19, 1865, (also known as Juneteenth) the day that about 2,000 Union troops made their way to Galveston Bay, Texas, with the executive decree announcing that a quarter of a million enslaved black people were free.Today the nation has a new Federal Holiday. Miss Opal's walks and talks got the legislative bill passed creating the National Holiday in 2021.Thank you, Miss Opal.
Finally, a couple of weeks ago a pet black banded 6-foot cobra slithered out of his unlocked cage. When his owner of only a few days or more discovered it, he called 911. Long story short, since that news cycle ended, not one word was been said about whether the snake (very venomous) has been seen, recaptured, killed or whatever. People were scared and rightly so. So the news clamps up.
Tonight, on the news, a python was seen crawling out of the spice isle in a Sydney, Australia supermarket. He was captured by a shopper, who turns out to be a snake handler, put it in a plastic bag and later released it into the wild. What are the odds. It's non venomous for one. Catch and Release johnny on the spot. End of story.
Several years ago, I was shopping at a SAM's Club and saw a lot of blue vest running from isle to isle. It turns out, there was a snake loose in the store. It most likely came in on a pallet. It was finally caught and disposed of. When you hear people say, "be aware of your surroundings" they don't always limit that to a villain, don't you know.
We got plenty at White Rock, too!
