On Politics
A friend was telling me that the “Obama shutdown” of the government might impact an upcoming camping trip – To which I applied, according to the Constitution, Congress is in charge of the budget, so Congress shutdown the government, not the president. It enjoyed using the Constitution on an ardent Republican.
First, it was defund Obamacare, then Republicans shifted to delaying Obamacare; and this week’s focus started with long-term spending. Is there any doubt that the shutdown is nothing more than a game?
Although Speaker Boehner makes a good point each time he says, we have to stop spending more than we take in, I want to ask him this question: Is it OK to not pay for something that you purchased?
If Speaker Boehner is confident the clean Continuing Resolution (CR) doesn’t have the votes to pass (which is contrary to the Democratic view), why not take it to the floor to prove the point?
Yes, I have called my Congressman to say to move forward and end the shutdown – but I imagine my call to that office was in the minority.
While I tried to listen to a recent speak regarding the shutdown from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), I had to turn it off within five minutes.
Here are two gems from The Onion: Explaining the government shutdown and providing ideas for ending it.
On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
Man panics after reaching age where parents prematurely started family
Parent charts child’s width on kitchen wall
Radio station begs listens to come down to see guy in tomato costume
Stop sign taking forever to change
Space under boardroom table a complex web of feet massaging genitals
Psychiatrists deeply concerned about 5% of Americans who approve of Congress
Interesting Reads
Walking to see nature
Should websites remove comment sections?
Women and men’s body odor
Banks and deregulation
Love and the taste of food
On Potpourri
I celebrated Pierogies Day and Fluffernutter Day, which means my first-ever Fluffernutter … which may include a dose of chocolate sauce in the future.
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Here’s your upcoming celebrations
- (Fri) Coming Out Day, Egg Day, Sausage Pizza Day, You Go Girl Day, It’s My Party day
- (Sat) Free Thought Day, National Day of Spain
- (Sun) African Penguin Awareness Day, Chess Day (fitting given the past Satire Bits), Yorkshire Pudding Day
Although I do not know many of them, this season’s cast Dancing with the Stars has numerous good dancers.
The handbell choir plays on Sunday, so here’s the arrangement of Be Thou My Vision.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association recently stated, that teams and individuals do not participate in organized post-game handshake lines/ceremonies beyond that interaction that is required. The rest of the story is that teams can shake hands, but KHSAA is not liable for altercations.
I scheduled for a routine colonoscopy, but I cannot understand why my wife is so excited about it!
Before Time: The Musical continues, I must conclude my interviews for a new producer – candidates provided by the Joseph Stalin/Idi Amin School of Musical Producers.
A Saturday Morning Cartoon is next!
To send you into the weekend, here’s another blast from my post from The Hollies – it’s a Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress. Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
I could talk a lot about Congress and basic economics, and how poorly the Republicans, those champions of the free market, seem to understand capitalism, investment, and economics in general. Most people don’t buy their homes with cash, but they buy them anyway. They assume on purchase that the value of living there, plus anything they get back in profit on sale, will be at least as great as the value of the payments including interest. They borrow in order to fund something they can’t afford in whole now. Borrowing is not an evil.
Businesses borrow, too, including for cash flow issues. If most of their receipts come in at one part of the year, but their employees and suppliers expect to be paid year round, they arrange a line of credit for short-term cashflow funding.
Not only that, they INVEST for the future. And they also repair and replace stuff when it breaks down.
Some want us to run the government like a business, or like a household. In some ways, we should, like the best, smartest ways businesses and households function. And still there are some big differences, including the fact that the US government can print money, as long as we don’t hit this idiotic debt ceiling.
Okay, more… the notion that we don’t need to default if we hit the debt ceiling because we can “prioritize” payments is idiotic on the face of it. I don’t care if it’s ten bucks to Don next door. If you don’t pay him when you said you would, you’re in default!
And this is why I say stuff like “Don’t get me started” and “if you don’t actually want to know what I think, don’t ask me….”
Have a great night and wonderful day tomorrow!
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hmmm… and then I read the item about websites removing comment sections…
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… I appreciated getting it off your mind!
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Melanie,
MANY, many great points. ,, Yep, our debt ceiling is stupid enough that we are one of the few countries in the world with one!
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I’m gonna keep out of the politics, to be honest I’m not sure I really can grasp the lines behind this shutdown.
But I do love the Hollies song…
Had the cameras done in both ends not long back… wondered if they try to meet in the middle, but the surprising thing was my wife got all excited about it as well…
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Bulldog,
The Hollies song has been a long-time favorite of mine … and much better than anything about US politics at the moment.
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Interestingly, my friends overseas assure me that the shutdown made our government the laughing stock of the world… the looming default date though (Oct 17), is seen as no laughing matter, and receives far more press abroad then our little “shutdown”. This article sums up the sentiments I’ve heard quite nicely: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24467534
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Twixt,
Fabulous article … and one I recommend for readers. Don’t you think arrogance is a good descriptor?
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Thanks for The Hollies video, Frank. I have to say that Audrey Hepburn did the black dress better than anyone before or after… And as far as the shutdown? It IS the responsibility of Congress but as the song goes, “Blame it on Barack Obama.” (Substitued for “Blame it on the Bassonova.”
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Cathy,
Great point about Audrey Hepburn. …. and Yep shirking responsibility by blaming others is the story!
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Great song, Frank! I loved the video. I agree Miss Hepburn is lovely. I don’t know how to respond to the shutdown anymore, except guess what…They lost the election. I don’t know why they don’t get this. I just want it to end really soon.
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Bumble,
Selfishness and arrogance are two good words to describe the reasons for the shutdown. Ms. Hepburn = classy!
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Genital massaging for me Frank and thanks for the fluffernutter film!
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GFB,
Definitely a meeting for Oily …. and I recommend trying a Fluffernutter.
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This with the shutdown … I got it explained on BBC – in 60 sec. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24341801 … something I never heard of before. Thanks for the Hollies tune, ages since I heard it the last time – 30 years ago. I wish you a great weekend and I hope US will stay open.
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Viveka,
As the article states, a shutdown hasn’t happened since the mid-1990s … but this is what can happen when different parties are in control of the three big sections of US government … and that is sad to say.
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This whole shutdown is just crazy. Wouldn’t it be nice if grownups could sit down and work out their differences. I know I’m dreaming and that will never happen.
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TBM,
The best one-word answer I can say for the reasons is selfishness – thus I’m with you.
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Beautiful videos… Thank you dear Frank, have a great weekend, love, nia
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Nia,
Thank you … and cheers to your weekend.
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It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canadia, so we will be eating turkey and reveling in fall weather…meaning sitting by the fire drinking warm drinks and watching something a tad interesting on the tv. Have a great weekend, Frank!
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Kayjai,
Many blessings to you and your family on Thanksgiving weekend … and I even know that Monday is the official day! Enjoy!!!!
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Can’t thank you enough for brightening my morning with “Walking the Walk – Thoreau and the act of seeing nature,” and the handbell choir piece “Be Thou My Vision.” (Anybody I know at your church playing the flute part?)
Also, concerning Sen. Rand Paul’s view that defaulting on the national debt would be good because it would “force the U.S. govt. to prioritize its payments and live within its means,” I agree with your view that (1) it’s a talking point, and (2) it’s based upon a moving target.
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Tim,
I have one question for Rand Paul – Why run as a Libertarian Party candidate? … of which his answer will be BS because the reason is about power and money … in short, I don’t give him much credibility.
Regarding the flute, not sure we are adding that part … but will know on Sunday because that’s when we actually rehearse together. I’m fairly sure our friend isn’t playing. Wasn’t it a beautiful piece!
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Gah. We live in crazy times. Good luck with the colonoscopy. Mine’s coming up this year, too.
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SDS,
I think prepping for a colonoscopy is better than going through what Congress is doing to all of us.
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Makes you wonder about that stop sign, doesn’t it?!! 😆
On the colonoscopy thing… as I feel that “enjoy” would not be the appropriate wish here, I will however use the same verb for the results! May they be enjoyable! Your wife’s excitement is probably out of the anticipation of happy results! Have a great weekend, my friend! 🙂
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Marina,
I’m confident that my wife’s excitement isn’t about my misery regarding the preparation …. nor about the results … but I think she’s looking forward to seeing if I say anything humorous coming out of anesthesia! After all, she’s the one who looked at me saying Do I know you?
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😆 😆
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I agree with ya on the shutdown. It’s a game, and now swiftly turning into a ‘blame-game’.
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Hansi,
The Blame Game … wasn’t that a song by Shirley Ellis …. Banana nana fo.
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Dancing at 5a to the Hollies….thanks, Frank! What a great way to start the day!!
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Jots,
Alright … glad I was able to give you a good start to your day … and if I recall, soon you will be running … if so, have a good one.
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Love the Hollies vid, simply awesome.
The articles where interesting this week, the Banking was sadly fascinating.
I have nothing after this one: Psychiatrists deeply concerned about 5% of Americans who approve of Congress
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Val,
Sadly fascinating shows that there is so much more going on that we know or even anticipate. Meanwhile, the psychiatrists have a point!
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Contrary to Boehner’s assertions, both NBC and CBS cite interviews of House Republicans showing enough support a clean CR to pass it.
My favorite of your Onion headlines:
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Jim,
Thus my point, if the Speaker is so confident, why not vote to prove his point? Meanwhile, I couldn’t resist using that one from The Onion!
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Exactly, Frank. He refuses to call the vote because it would anger and frustrate the Tea Party bloc.
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But it would only frustrate the TP if the vote went again them .. .thus my point.
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Yep, I get it Frank. For anyone who want to delve further into the matter I would like to recommend this very clear and understandable post by my friend and blogging colleague, The Erstwhile Conservative.
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Thanks.
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I agree with you and fellow commenters about this ongoing government shutdown. Holding the government hostage in this misguided effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act simply because extremist and racist members of the GOP oppose it and personally despise Barack Obama infuriates me. Obamacare is the law, the GOP lost the election, wreaking havoc with the economy as a defensive strategy because Tea Party members hate having a black man president reinforces how un-American partisan party politics can be. I’d like to see all these right wing zealots with their government funded elite brand of health care voted out of office. If this was sports they’d all be fined for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s cartoon post which I’ll likely get around to reading at 10 PM Sunday night.
Have a great weekend.
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Lame,
That a way … way to air it out and call it as you see it.Well done!
Tomorrow’s dedication is on the edge of my time period … actually outside of the Golden Age … but a note-worthy character.
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I’m sure you’ll come up with something thought provoking tomorrow Frank. You’re consistent.
I’m feeling cranky. My colleague has a cold and came into work every day this week spreading her germs and now my throat is aching. She’s sitting next to me coughing her head off right now. I kinda want to kill her, but I’m not the violent type.
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peanut butter without the fluff, please. ☺ hoping for good results on your routine test that sounds not very exciting but guess it must be done. your wife just wants to make sure her main squeeze is doing a-ok. 🙂
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Sunshine,
I think my wife is hoping for me to say something she can laugh at as I’m coming out of anesthesia. But don’t sell the Flutternutter short …. try adding chocolate chips on it!
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just don’t do as my dad did when coming out of anesthesia – he did a number on an overweight nurse in post op. not good but thankfully the nurse had a good attitude. 😆 okay, will try the Flutt… -eek, just thinking about the marshmallow makes me scream inside.
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LOL … did you see this one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPpLN4wff3E
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OOooo! 😆
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Glad you enjoyed it … and good morning Sunshine!
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Great song! As far as this government dog and pony show–shall we all move to Colorado, sit around a bonfire and just get along? Hey, man. It will be resolved. Just a bunch of folks who love hearing themselves talk. 🙂
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Airport,
Dog and Pony Show is a great description of this classless act!
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Good luck!
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Fasab,
Good one … but its not for several weeks.
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What, no fluffernutter filled peirogie?
One of the most unsettling bits of the shutdown is that despite the noise of the populace against it, the Reps keep going on about how it’s what Americans want.
Makes me think taking out the capitol rotunda as a symbol isn’t such a bad idea….
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oh, and HI NSA!!!
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Guap,
A Fluffernutter Pierogi … wow … Dollar signs are in the eyes! Are you a Fluffernutterist?
Where the GOP gets their poll results are beyond me. May it’s from your Friday polls!
Meanwhile, thanks for sending the NSA my way. 😉
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“If Speaker Boehner is confident the clean Continuing Resolution (CR) doesn’t have the votes to pass (which is contrary to the Democratic view), why not take it to the floor to prove the point?”—-Exactly. I wish he would put his money where his mouth is, so to speak.
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Carrie,
There you go …. given that the two of us have stated this, what’s the problem? 🙂
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Especially since we’re Ohioans. You’d think Boehner would listen to us… 😉
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Yep … but we don’t donate enough to him.
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Ah, you’re right. Forgot about that little nugget. Not for his–or any other congress-person’s–lack of trying though. The amount of political flyers I received during the last election was scary.
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No kidding … I wouldn’t mind the check for printing and postage of that material!
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It was really quite obscene, wasn’t it? And it’s not cheap paper they use, either. It’s shiny, stiff, sturdy stuff. Last year, I took a picture of a few days worth of flyers I’d received and put it on Facebook. It covered almost my whole table, I kid you not.
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Same here … and then the TV ads!
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Thank goodness for DVR. I just whizzed right past those babies.
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Yep …. and we even limited watching the news.
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Pingback: Day 11 of the federal government shutdown Update: | Sunset Daily
Politics is always a game, played inside the hushed scrum of suits who are far too adept at dismissing our back yards, just because their front yards look so pretty.
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Cayman,
That’s a hard statement with which to disagree.
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The decision to shut everything down does seem most bizarre. We are certainly living in interesting times, politically xx
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Spiced,
It’s the US system … and thus capable of the bizarre.
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Well, looking at this from outside, it doesn’t look like a game. But it does look like a legitimate confrontation of values. As for your friends camping trip, always good to hear about people who’re forced to skip a camping trip because of a government emergency. When it gets really bad, we have to go on a camping trip because we’ve lost our homes.
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Shimon,
I can see you point about values confrontation. Then again, they are elected to govern – not impose values. I didn’t see my friend at church today, so I assume he at least made the trip eastward. But I enjoy your point because everything is a matter of perspective. Many thanks!
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I don’t know about your country, Frank. But in ours, the members of parliament are chosen to represent the values of those they represent. It seems to me to be a function of democracy. And if those voters believe that the new health care system has been imposed upon them by a certain constellation of representatives, they can legitimately use another constellation to prevent the instrumentation of the legislation.
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I see your point and it is a good one. The American system has one thing different from other major democracies. Given the separation of powers, the system actually promotes governing that involves finding common ground in order to prevent one-party rule.
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That is the way our system is supposed to work too, ShimonZ, but it currently isn’t because of a powerful voting bloc within one of our two political parties. The so-called Tea Party is a primarily-fundamentalist Christian grouping which is united by dislike for large government (except the military) and social programs. The TP has become powerful by gerrymandering of districts and by demagoguery through loose campaign finance laws and extreme right-wing radio and television, all with a religious flavor. Having no fear of being un-seated, they control the leadership in our House of Representatives, which also happens to be where our finances are controlled.
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Jim,
Many thanks for pitching in with this one. For the next Interesting Reads in OITS, I have an interesting article that helps explain the system and this is why it is designed in this way.
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Being a Free Thinker, I had a free thought on Saturday….it never returned. 😦
I believe it was about that 5% who REALLY need some help. 😕
I’ve never had a fluffernutter sandwich, sometimes PB and sliced banana…VERY occasionally, PB and Miracle Whip. GOOD, but fattening, I can prove it. 😀
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Archon,
I had another Fluffernutter over the weekend, and sprinkled mini chocolate chips on the marshmallow creme. Yum!
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stop sign.
as for fluffernutter, eww. when i was a kid, there were things i loved – like bologna or ham – which i later hated. and there were things i hated – like chocolate with nuts – which i love now. however, there has never been a time during which i enjoyed fluffernutter.
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Rich,
That’s OK … I can’t relate to having a fluffernutter at any other time in my life, but now.
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if i tried to eat that stuff, my teeth would turn around and bite me just to punish me.
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Add chocolate to it!
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chocolate is too perfect on its own. i don’t like to add anything to it.
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… and try with chunky peanut butter.
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i have a feeling we’ve discussed this before, but the best use of chunky peanut butter is on a hot dog. no, really. try it. and if you’re really bold, stick some chunks of banana in the peanut butter.
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Hmmm . a hot dog with chunky peanut butter and bananas .. then a fluffernutter with choco chips for dessert.
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I think women look at a colonoscopy as a tiny view into the pain of childbirth. I know every one of them I’ve ever mentioned getting or needing one, has grinned like the proverbial Cheshire cat! 😀
Yeah, just as I was getting caught up from my ‘hiatus’, dang if my ISP doesn’t start experiencing “indeterminate-cause temporary outages of unknown durations”. Nice way of saying “Throw two dice – on a 3 or 4, you get great Internet, on a 10 or 11, you get so-so service, and if you roll snake eyes or boxcars, your Emails will VANISH!”. (Sigh.) Gotta love life in the middle of nowhere.
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John,
Glad to have you back in the saddle. As for the colonoscopy, we’re kidless, so not true for us. Personally, I think she’s anxious to see what I say coming out of anesthesia so she can get a chuckle and never let me forget it.
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