In Turkey , where Elder JPZ and I lived (1966-1967) on a NATO base (I’m sure the Turkish government was not paying their 2% of GDP to NATO and the US was likely flying U2 missions from this base to spy on Russia), we lived in a modest ranch style home on the base. I […]
Author: Texas Toast
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Motivational Monday
April 14th, 2025: Empathy “The nature of humanity, its essence, is to feel another’s pain as one’s own, and to act to take that pain away. There is a nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness.” –John Connolly, author “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears […]
I really need to get on to real life, watch SNL, and what looks to be an exciting finish of the Masters tomorrow. But back to Quonset huts. As a structural engineer, Q Huts were an ingenious solution to providing shelter with pre-fabricated components that could be assembled remotely with no crane or foundation. So […]
Elder JA was contemplating the loneliness of the Canadian sturgeon, and was wondering if Texas had a sturgeon. Big Texas YES. In Texas, the shovel-nose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) is the only sturgeon species found, and it’s a threatened species in the state, primarily inhabiting the Red River below Lake Texoma reservoir. Species:The shovel-nose sturgeon is […]
WLBOTT is proud to sponsor the Association of Retired Belly Dancers (ARBD) Gala. The Gala will be held next February in Edmonton, Alberta. The 47th Annual Shimmy Summit, proudly presented by WLBOTT:“Peace Through Twine, Joy Through Hip Scarves.” Highlights might include: Gathering at the Venue The enthusiasm and anticipation was palpable. Next time we’ll hire […]
An esteemed Elder was…. steamed. Celebrating the beginning of a new semester, the faculty threw a mixer. Our Elder summarized the event in two words:“Cubed Velveeta.” Let’s step back and look at the UCSB Chancellor, for ultimately, he is lactose-responsible. Let’s put all these numbers in context. Let’s assume Prof. Yang works 40 hours per […]
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A Chicken and a Half
So, G. I remember hearing a puzzle with I was a kid, but I’m not sure how it goes. It starts with “if a chicken and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half.” Leaving No Turn Unstoned….
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An Old Joke
I remember reading this joke in a Scholastic Book Service joke book as a kid, and not really getting it. I get it now. Mom: Did you tell your father that you dented his car?Son: Yes.Mom: What did he say?Son: Do you want me to leave out the swearing?Mom: Of course!Son: Oh, he didn’t say […]
At the WLBOTT Ag Extension Station, we’re trying to solve a mystery today. Recently, Elder MJ noticed these semi-spheres on a concrete pad at the WLBOTT Rodeo Fairgrounds near our central Texas HQ. You will notice that there are also some snail shells mixed in. There may or may not be squirrel involvement. Google image […]
Kindness doesn’t scale like tech, but it transforms like art. Today, we’re writing about a recent article in the Guardian newspaper. The article describes a memoir written by Bernadette Russell. She decided to do an act of kindness every day for a year. Interesting idea, right? A year of daily kindness is such a rich […]