Dallas Airport Foot Washing 'Scandal'?

 In the Muslim religion....there is something called 'Wudu'.  It basically means after a hot-dusty walking (in your sandals)....you need to cleans your feet.  (Yeah, it is a Jesus-thing, if you think about the tradition).

For about seven years....at the Dallas Airport....they had a couple of foot-washing stations established.  No one said much.   

Back in July, the Airport went and submitted a proposal....to add two more stations.  A men's area, and a women's area.....in the bathroom areas.

This got out, and a discussion started up.  Cost factor?  $300,000.

Why?  Well...across the US....in airports with no foot-washing stations....Arab guys were putting their feet in hand-washing sinks, and creating hazards.  Sanitation also came up as a topic.

This selling easily to the public?  No.

But I'd go and ask three questions.  

First...if this is a practical idea, and Arabs are traveling around the US....wouldn't you have to have a foot-washing station in every airport?

Second, while everyone hints of a Muslim 'thing'.....isn't it mostly true that long before Islam wrote the ten-odd rules for Wudu....weren't older Semitic, Jewish purity laws, and Zoroastrian traditions doing the same thing?

Third, isn't all of this geared toward sandal-people....not folks wearing loafers....which is the typical footwear of 90-percent of Islamic guys not in hot dry environments?

 Then I come to this odd thing....there's probably 30-million people to walk through the Dallas Airport since 2019....that never even noticed the foot-washing stations that already existed.  Same thing with the tampon-machines in men's bathrooms....most guys never noticing that either.  Funny how we travel and never seem to notice crazy stuff?

1975 - 2026: How Conversation Differed

 It occurred to me....there's this strange 'path' for conversational topics in 1975, and in 2026.

There were usually ten general areas of conversation in 1975.

First, you could bring up the Baptist revival wrapping up....the lack of AC at the church....Minister Jim being let go....Reverend Bob compulsive talk over moral lessons.

Second, you could bring up NCAA football....Coach-Bear's recruitment last year....Neighbor Rick who is going to Tuscaloosa for Saturday's game, or the crappy nature of Bowl selection.

Third, weather.  Either lack of rain....too much rain....storm alert....or a 30-minute talk over the best place during a tornado.

Fourth, so-and-so's husband/wife ran off.....neighbor Cal's mother-in-law coming to visit for six weeks....Widow so-and-so hanging out with the bank manager.

Fifth, so-and-so's daughter kicked out of college....such-and-such teacher let-go because of immoral relations with some 16-year old high school gal....or so-and-so's son (age 16) got so-and-so's daughter (age 17) pregnant.

Sixth, cars.....Ford has some new transmission....GM is recalling such-and-such....your cousin's Oldsmobile caught on fire.

Seventh, animals....so-and-so's cattle broke the fence----with 12 escaping out into some snake-infested woods....you've come over to talk of buying a herd of donkeys....beef prices escalating.

Eighth, so-and-so's son has returned from his three years of Marine service....your neighbor is hyped-up to join the National Guard....your cousin was declared mentally unfit for Army service and wants to talk about 'why'.

Ninth, weather chat.....the neighbor wants your opinion of H D Bagley (Channel 19's weather guy) versus Channel 31's 'Lester'. The science-minded neighbor might want you to explain doppler-radar, and you have your 7-year-old kid explain it.

Tenth, advice talk.  Neighbor needs your advice on hornet infestation.  Your cousin has a snake infestation.  Your slutty neighbor gal (the one who wears tube-tops daily wants your feeling over lawn management.

2026?

It's a list of 3,000 topics....mostly in conflict with 50-percent of your friends, neighbors, and relatives.  Some of the topics involve stuff that CNN can't talk about....which makes you wonder about out-loud, and getting your aunt all disturbed.  Some people arrive at the carport and seem to confessing 700 pages of information about medical BS....which you admit....you might be more of a expert on dog issues/medications.  So-and-so stops by....wanting your personal feeling over trans-stuff....with you thinking they mean a Ford transmission versus a GM transmission.  

My favorite conversation moment?  Somewhere around 1973...some local fellow (Alabama rural landscape) who knew my dad....stopped by...with his dead hunting hound in the back of the truck.  The dog had gotten into some five-star 'fight' and died while tangling up with some wildcat.  Guy had found the dog, and was emotionally distraught.  He wanted to share this woeful moment.  My dad...kinda stoic in nature....listened intently for about ten minutes....letting the guy share things.  Then my dad suggested a proper burial somewhere and a marker.  Our guest wiped his tears away....appreciated the advice, and quietly left.  There was some quiet conversation between my dad and I...with him saying....sometimes, you just need folks to share something, and then find a way to get them fixed-up 'right'.

The world has evolved a bit, but we probably just need to give folks a chance to dump something, and tell them to resolve the problem.  

Seven General Questions You Can Use....To ID Your Friend's IQ Level

 What is the capital of your state?

List the zip code of your local town.  

Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?  

What is the chemical formula for water?  

Approximately when did World War II end in Europe (year)?  

From World War II, from the list of USSR, UK, Japan, France, Italy and Canada....who were our allies, and who were the enemy?

How many continents are conventionally recognized on Earth?

If a person can't answer any of these correctly....you can assume the IQ level is 80 or below.  If you can get one of the seven....it's likely a 90-IQ.  

Nikola Tesla

This past week....I got hooked onto looking up the last twenty years of Tesla.  So the story usually went...from 1927 on....he was in some cheapo-slum-like hotel, and just marginally surviving.

Well....NO.

Around 1927....in NY City, they started to build the New Yorker Hotel....which was the exclusive 'brand' of hotels in the city. 

Early 1930s....Tesla is set up in the hotel....two rooms....33rd floor....costly monthly rate.  One room for sleeping....one room for office/'research'.

Who paid the bill?  Westinghouse (the company).

The three generators in the basement?  This story is never fully detailed.  One was enough (at the time/era) to supply all the power needs of the city of New York.  It's never clear why three were built into the building.

When Trump's uncle came to pick up the research 'boxes'?  Most people agree....what was returned to relatives....was a minor portion of what Trump picked up.

The last decade of Tesla's life?  I think he was still toying with communications (long-distance).

Why the dilapidated hotel bogus story?  Yeah, that part is now in my mind.....bogus and made-up....for some odd reason.

14 August Observations

1.  WNBA owners and the league management met Thursday....still unable to define a 'woman'....now saying it may take weeks/months.

I'm of the mind that there are probably over 300 words....which these people are currently able to define (to include dumbass, man, juvenile, grassroots, hocus-pocus, insane, and fruitcake).

2.  I watched some podcast this week....talking over a suggested UAP/alien/UFO subject.  The new suggestion?  There might be tens of thousands of aliens....already walking around us in society.  

I paused over this....IF they looked like us and were simply 6 to 12 inches taller....I doubt that you'd ever figure this out.  Odds of this?  After thinking over it....I'd say 50-50 chance.

3.  Karoline Leavitt, White Press secretary/host....leaving at the end of the month?  Well....that's the initial story.  

My thoughts.....she will exit....no permanent replacement will be selected.  After Thanksgiving and the mid-term election....she will return.  Her job from now to December....talk at campaign stops for House/Senate folks....for Trump's message.  

4.  Among the six-odd podcast folks that I follow....whose whole theme is economics/home-buying....the second half of 2026 is seen marginally 'bright'.  Home-buying....with current interest rates....is locked into a undesirable position.  

5.  Biggest shocker for 2027 'era'?  About 10-percent of the work-force is likely to be told that AI is replacing them.  Additional shocker?  About half of them will be told this....but it'll be a bogus excuse that the company uses....just to shrink the production/service cost to the organization.

This group....will be mentally affected, and trigger a PTSD situation....irrational fear of laid-off....by AI.

6.  I've decided....this 'I-identify-as' BS is legit.  So I am defining myself.....as a Einstein-PhD-level genius.  With the ID, college BS, or testing crap.  

If you feel you are a Roy Clark-type singer, or a Micky Mantle-type baseball player....just ID as such. 

7.   AOC....annual salary for the past 7 years: $174,000 a year.  Net-worth claimed?  $31,000.

Single, no kids, no mortgage, no car.

Something ain't right....did she spend every penny on shoes, or booze?

What Happens In The WNBA, Enes Kanter, Royce White Saga?

I doubt that the WNBA can create a way to avoid the two playing WNBA games....other than saying both do not meet qualifications.

So Kanter and White will end up suing in court....probably for $20-million in damages....which six months of delay will occur....before paying both off.

More of a comedy now?  I'd suggest that.

My Six Primary Problems With The WNBA

 First....if you understand 'traveling' violations....there's an average of 30-plus violations per game....usually never called.

Second....same story for 'turning-the-ball-over'....there at least thirty-plus violations....never called.

Third....if you view games...across the entire league....there's probably 15 to 20 capable/qualified players in the league....enough to have 3 (maybe 4) teams at best.  

Fourth....the league pretends in some way to be roller-derby-type of players (rough), and half of my enjoyment of watching is the anger on display.

Fifth....of the top five players paid (big bucks)....you could dismiss two of them because they are just social-media 'stars'....not real players.

Sixth....whatever was the original intent....they are mostly a collection of LGTBQ-plus people (about 75-percent), and rarely fill an arena beyond 3,000 paying customers.