We Heard George W. Bush Today - Walmart Meeting, BBQ, Batman Gifts. Composting the Leaves

George W. Bush came to Bentonville, Arkansas
to promote his book about his father, George H. W. Bush.

We went extra early to the Walmart Saturday Morning Meeting, to hear to his former staffer Dan Bartlett interview him. 

Dan Bartlett now works for Walmart.

W. fascinated the audience as he spoke about his father, his presidency, and his father's. He brought down the house by admitting his birth at Yale New Haven hospital was a political mistake.

LI was born at the same hospital. Chris and I worked at the Yale Medical complex. She helped a famous professor, Dr. Joan Fassler, with research - as she had at the University of Waterloo. I gathered and copied medical articles for researchers in a government program.

More than once I wore LI in a baby carrier and met Chris at the Yale Medical Library, our joint employer. I found it convenient to leave the Yale Shuttle Bus for a Baskin Robbins French Vanilla malted. The owner asked, "How much malt?" I told the owner, a fan of malteds, "I want enough to make me cough." He said, "I know what you mean."

Laura Bush came another time to promote her book, charming everyone,
but we have not seen the current president or his wife.

Friends went with us to see the George W. Bush Library in Dallas. We went to Dealey Plaza the same day.

The younger Bush is often called W for short, so that became my nickname among the Intrepid Lutherans who organized around a blog. The WELS leaders always blame me for the trouble caused by their own corruption, dishonesty, and false doctrine. The Intrepids heard that so often that I became "W" as a joke on WELS.

After the meeting, Chris heard all about it from LI, who told her about the technical revolution and the new high WM stock price.

I fired up T-Rex and we had a great meal. Unfortunately, a brief spell away from the grill meant the bacon blazed up and turned to ash.  We had homemade cheesecake and other delights.

Alex got Batman birthday gifts. He suggested a Batarang for next year's birthday. I looked it up with him on Amazon and sent him one for Wednesday, not for next year. He went outside with me and the helper to rake leaves for the compost. Snow is coming. We filled up the compost and put the garden hose on branches of the dead tree. Alex told our helper how they would divide the job up - division of labor. Our helper wondered how he become junior assistant. Seniority! Alex was raking leaves for me several years ago.


Other Walmart meeting stars, from previous meetings.

Joe Montana.

Tim Tebow.

Hugh Jackman led the Christmas singing at the meeting
and shook hands with LI and me fterwards. 

No. 1 Notre Dame beats USC, earns title shot - Colleges - The Boston Globe

We saw Joe Montana play at Notre Dame a few decades ago,
then saw him speak about his career at a Walmart Saturday meeting.

No. 1 Notre Dame beats USC, earns title shot - Colleges - The Boston Globe:

Although they did little with flash on an electric night at the Coliseum, the Irish woke up more echoes of past Notre Dame greats with a grinding effort in this dynamic intersectional rivalry with USC (7-5), which has lost four of five.

Notre Dame’s hard-nosed defense appropriately made the decisive stand in the final minutes, keeping USC out of the end zone on four plays from the Irish 1 with 2:33 to play.

‘‘Well, that’s who we are,’’ Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. ‘‘It’s been our defense all year. Our offense is able to manage enough points.’’

'via Blog this'

The Undefeated

Graduates are called Domers.
Those with two degrees are called Double Domers.

Notre Dame's football team beat Michigan, giving the Irish four straight victories.

A few weeks ago, LI and I (and a friend), enjoyed seeing Joe Montana at a Walmart meeting. We were a few rows away. Decades ago, LI and I watched Joe Montana play for Notre Dame at a home game.

The photo inset is lifted from my fourth grade group photo at Garfield Grade School in Moline, over 50 years ago (the last time I was cute). Most days start out with messages from Garfield friends.

Joe Montana and Jeff Long: Leadership at Walmart Saturday Morning Meeting

Joe Montana and a Walmart executive discussed leadership.

LI and I watched Joe Montana play at Notre Dame. He was very close to his father, which I believe was key to his confidence in the game. The meeting erupted when Montana was introduced. He pointed out that he was one of seven quarterbacks recruited for Notre Dame, that he had to work his way up to being the seventh of seven QBs.

Asked about his long career and four Superbowl rings, he said, "Jerry Rice came to practices, caught the ball, and headed for the end zone. He did not just run a few yards and stop. His attitude changed the whole team's approach. That is why he is the all-time receiving record holder."

Jeff Long spoke about the qualities emphasized at Arkansas and
most importantly, "What we will not tolerate."

Jeff Long is the Arkansas Athletic Director who fired Bobby Petrino for having an affair with his young, blonde, engaged-to-be-married assistant.

When the news first came out, and Bobby's initial lies were exposed (before the stripper story came out), sports writers were betting on Petrino getting a pass because of his team's top ten status. College football really matters in the South.

A. D. Jeff Long fired Petrino, and the school leaders backed him up. The student body produced sweatshirts in support of Long's decision, unlike the Penn State students who rioted when Joe Paterno was fired for covering up Jerry Sandusky's heinous crimes against children.

Walmart's featuring of Jeff Long is an indication of their emphasis upon executive integrity. A business has the same problems as a church body when infidelity is overlooked, approved, or covered up. One deception leads to another, so the initial problems expands and infects.

Does it matter that WELS, Missouri, and the ELS rely on money from an adulterous billionaire - praising him for being such a saint? Yes, I think the initial dishonesty has infected all the other decisions and claims made afterwards. Or - the reprobates had no problem with making money from selling indulgences.

Coach Petrino was the highest paid Arkansas employee when he was fired.
The SynConference would have made him Athletic Director
and fired anyone who disagreed.