On Politics
Although I’m not a Dick Cheney fan, his successful heart transplant seems to have done him wonders. Besides, at least he has the guts to say that The Nincompoop should not have been on the 2008 GOP ticket. Columnist John Avlon did this interesting piece about Palin’s falling star.
Earlier in the week with this post, I explained my reasons why the current presidential campaign is empty. Interestingly, the same day I heard an interview with an analyst who explained that negative campaign ads to two things: excite the base and turn the independents away; and then I saw this from columnist David Brooks.
Outside money spent on the campaign to date is $227.6 million.
When will elected officials realize that analogies to 9-11 and Pearl Harbor are most likely a poor choice of words. At least Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa) didn’t include Hitler. (video from CBS News)
Here are my odds on the Republican vice presidential sweepstakes: Paul Ryan (40%), Tim Pawlenty (40%), Rob Portman (15%), anyone else (5%).
Hats off to our Kabuki Congress that did something right this week (to avoid a shutdown).
On Headlines from The Onion
- American Olympians using Rosetta Stone to Brush Up on English
- England Finalizes Selection of Child to Hold Apple on Heads for Olympic Archery Competition
- God Tells IOC President to Build Ark, Gather Two Olympians from each Sport
- After a String of Incidents, U-Haul Closes Aircraft Division
- New Apple Campaign Urges Users to Buy New iPhone for Other Hand
- Curly Fries Inventor Strikes Out with Curly Veal
Interesting Reads
- Good graphics are the U.S. drought
- CBO calculates cost of repeal Affordable Care Act
- Why New York still welcomes immigrants
- Global couch potatoes
- The Onion’s Infographic Guide to Olympic Venues
- Governor Jindal’s science and creationism problem
- Porcelain Toilets
On Potpourri
This news from Mississippi appalled me. After the couple’s wedding rehearsal, several members of First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs, Mississippi went to Pastor Dr. Stan Weatherford complaining about an upcoming wedding. The pastor did marry the couple, but in a different church. By the way, race was the reason – thus a Dolt of the Year nomination to Pastor Weatherford for not leading the way in his congregation.
No Chick-fil-A for me on Wednesday – then again, I seldom go there – so I won’t be there on Friday either.
Recently had my first locally grown corn of the summer, and wow – the effects of the drought are easily noticeable.
Interesting how 10 days ago there was much chatter about the lack of enthusiasm for the upcoming Olympics. Now that they have started, U.S. television ratings are very high.
I enjoyed the opening ceremonies. The continuous stream of people from across the world confirms the many variations of human beauty.
With his great wit, Ginger Fightback (a visitor here) is providing outstanding Olympic posts like this one (the pic alone is worth seeing). Comment and tell him I sent you.
Checkout the photos by Steve, my long-time friend.
Cheers, a classic cartoon post will go up this weekend.
To send you into the weekend, here’s something that made me smile. (Thanks Moe.) Have a safe weekend everyone. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
A Frank Angle 
First let me say thank you so much for that tremendous flash mob! I had to watch it twice and then go save it to my favorites.
The Potpourri had some great offerings this week, again thank you.
I had my rage at the political field for the week, so I will not comment. I am wrung out.
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Val,
Glad you enjoyed the flash mob! Meanwhile, it’s ok to be tired from political rage as it has been a tough week. Thanks for visiting.
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I LOVED that flash mob. Especially when the unassuming guy turned out to be the conductor. 🙂
And this cracked me up:
American Olympians using Rosetta Stone to Brush Up on English 😆
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Spinny,
The flash mob was very enjoyable … as is the one in the comments! Rosetta Stone is quite the tool. Thanks for commenting … and good to have you back in the saddle.
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One day our descendants will look back and laugh that there ever was a science/creationist debate and at the same time they will laugh that we were once a biological life form.
Have a great day. 🙂
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Mobius,
For some crazy reason, I don’t see that debate going away because of the breeding tactics of one side. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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The world is a happier place when we focus on the Olympics and not on what’s usually on the news. Due to the time difference I missed the opening ceremony. I’m hoping that at least the highlights will be replayed at some stage. Sadly, Australia is not performing as everyone had been hoping. Much blame needs to be cast on our current labor government (our most unpopular government in history) that made the decision to slash funding for athletes and their coaches. Our best swimming coaches are now coaching the Chinese and aren’t they doing well these Olympics. Tragic!
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Spiced,
I have noticed that your athletes aren’t doing as well as usual, so thanks for explaining the reason. How sad. 😦
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Great thoughts as always, Frank.
I wonder what Congress would do if there was a moratorium on coverage for say 3 months…
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Guapo,
Great idea … no coverage of Congress for 3 months. Party leaders come out for a news conference with no reporters. No mention of them on the news. No interviews. Woo hoo!!! Thanks for sharing a worthy idea.
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oh man if that is how people will be chosen for Ark,then no Indians …..ouch
may be the lady in Red can some how sneek in…
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Soma,
But wait … cricket can save the day. Funny that you worked in the lady in red. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
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Love that flash mob. They are always such joyous events to watch. That Rey Koslowski article was very interesting. As much as I love to visit New York, I wouldn’t want to live there. I’m loving the Olympics too. There are certainly wonderfully perfect bodies to be seen in every event. Have a great weekend.
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Paradise,
Of all your travels, you have not yet visited NYC? I’m not a seasoned visitor there, but the amount available is shocking. Thanks for visiting.
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I’ve been to NYC dozens of times, Frank, but although my son lives there now, I much prefer the more laid back atmosphere of Florida. I couldn’t be doing with those New York winters either. I’ll be there for Christmas this year, but only for a few days. 😉
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Whew … thanks for the clarification. Besides, dumb me for forgetting your son is in NJ. Meanwhile, northeastern US winters are not for me!
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😉
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This is the winner for me this week: American Olympians using Rosetta Stone to Brush Up on English.
There are times when I’m talking to people in London and I have no idea what they are saying. So I can totally relate. I would share some of the words with you, but most of them are dirty or mean. You can kinda tell what they mean.
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TBM,
LOL … thanks for sharing your encounters with the world of terminology differences.
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Curly Veal for me Frank
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Ginger,
I can’t understand why that wouldn’t be a big seller. It must have been the packaging. Thanks for visiting.
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Lots of good stuff in there today.
First, in the interests of accuracy, I am glad that you used the term “transplant” in relation to Cheney. Words like replacement imply that there was a heart there to begin with.
Demise of Palin – unsurprising; that she lasted this long – very surprising. Continued popularity of Blow Job Bill – amazing, must be because there is so little to compare him with.
Good article by Brooks, confirms this campaign is lacking more than lustre.
But the money spent (read WASTED) on political campaigns has reached ridiculous levels; they have to put a cap on this national disgrace.
My Onion winner is “After a String of Incidents, U-Haul Closes Aircraft Division”.
What a disappointment re the Mississippi Minister. Just another sad case of a leader following his people.
Great site for Olympic news, the water polo picture is a classic!
And finally, enjoyed the flashmob video.
PS: Didn’t look into the porcelain toilets – was afraid of what I might find!
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Fasab,
No need to fret about the porcelain toilets article because it is about why they are still made of porcelain. Meanwhile, I just the other day I was yearning for the days when airplane trailers were common in the sky. Thanks for taking time to surf through this stuff.
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Your “Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 151,” was an especially delightful box of chocolates. LOL at the Onion headline: “After a String of Incidents, U-Haul Closes Aircraft Division,” took seriously the “Global Couch Potatoes” read, and was baffled by your odds (15%) for Rob Portman getting the GOP VP nomination??!
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Tim,
I’ve had a feeling that Ryan and Pawlenty are the leaders for some time, so I’m going with my gut. Personally, I hope Mr. Romney invites all the potentials for a plane ride … and the slate emerges from the plane together. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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That pastor should have married them in his church not another!!!
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Lisaman,
Welcome first-time commenter … and I’m right with you on that one. Thanks for commenting and I hope you return.
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You mean I missed the chance to rent an F-15 and do some bombing runs? RATS!!! 😀
I heard that there is one other noble thing our Congress managed to drag through approval. They passed a law stating no protests at veterans’ funerals from two hours before to two hours after, and no closer than 300 feet. I hate to see any infringement on free speech, but those from Westboro deserved it.
I’ve had my own drought experience. The wife decided to try growing corn. “Knee high by the 4th of July”? Try “knee high by the 2nd of August”. We’ve only got one stalk (out of over a dozen planted and 8 survivors) that reached hip-high before it tassled. We have a grand total of 9 ears, the biggest about the size of a toilet paper tube. So much for growing my own ethanol fuel! 🙂
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John,
Well – that is quite the farming tale – but I don’t see you being a threat to Orville Reddenbocker anytime in the near future. 😉 I hope you try it again next year. Meanwhile, I can’t imagine the stories if you were a pilot. As always, thanks for sharing your wit.
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Oh, I bet you could imagine a whole SLEW of stories if I were a pilot. You’d just go all CIA on me, and refuse to acknowledge me OR my missions! :p
Actually, I used to be quite the farmer – well, the farmer’s assistant. My dad would always plant a HUGE garden, with 4-6 rows of at least 18-20 corn plants each. That was about a fifth of the garden, with a whole mess of tomatoes, a “root crop” area (usually potatoes), a “leaf” crop (we tried spinach, but it just wan’t economical, so we stuck with peas), and a miscellaneous vine area, usually cucumbers, but also cantaloupe and even pumpkins. And guess who got to weed the entire bloody thing! 😯
And people wonder why I take such delight in wielding a weed whacker….. 😀
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LOL … I will not disclose you or your stories to the CIA. After all, no need to because they monitor you here. I must say, your farming resume impresses me! All hail King of the Weed Whacker!
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Oh, I LOVE musical flash mobs, Frank! And Beethoven was unexpected 🙂 Supposedly, he included this melody in the 9th because it only contains 5 notes and the whole world could easily sing it. One of my favorites, certainly, and this rendition made me a little weepy. Here’s another favorite that you might enjoy, a musical flash mob in Copenhagen playing Ravel’s Bolero.
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Lynn,
Hooray … you hadn’t seen this before! Love the Bolero … especially the ending. Thank for sharing and the Beethoven tidbits as well.
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Great roundup this week Frank. I’ll head over to Ginger and check that out (his stats should show a trackback from you, but I’ll drop the word anyway).
As for Romney’s VP pick? I’m going with Portman. I actually hope not, because he’s the most credible and might reassure some independents. Watch and wait my friend, we’ll watch and wait.
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Moe,
Welcome back and I hope you found something here to wet the whistle. Interestingly, I believe Mr. Portman lives less than 10 miles from me … and yes, I find him credible. Aren’t we all sitting on pins and needles awaiting the pick. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
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We’ve been suffering technical difficulties here at The Grind this Friday, so my internet is sketchy but glad to finally be able to read your post. Love “New Apple Campaign Urges Users to Buy New iPhone for Other Hand”.
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Lame,
Cheers to you for being able to get through to here. Apple marketing is simply brilliant! Thanks for commenting.
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Dear Frank!
This is the first time I come to your blog and it has been through the blog of Nia.
Interestingly the video you link “Som Sabadell flashmob”. I have thought the title: “Wolves in sheep’s clothing”
As I see that in your blog you talk about politics would be interesting to note that the same banks (like Sabadell) making videos so pretty in my country, Spain, are leaving every day hundreds of families being evicted on the street, unemployed, elderly, children .. . That the money they received to activate the economy is used for large commissions of their leaders and speculate with money in the markets … anyway, nice video. I follow you from now.
Greetings!
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Dotdos,
Welcome first-time commenter … and I believe my first one from Spain! 🙂 And finding me via Nia is a pleasure.
Believe me, I had no idea of the sponsor aspect of this video. The video itself is a pleasure to watch, thus the reason for posting it. I appreciate your perspective regarding the “rest of the story” about the bank. I know that Spain’s unemployment rate is high, but I am not well informed about reasons, causes, etc.
As you can tell, my topics are wide ranging, and given an international audience, I try to keep the variety – so I welcome you to return. Greetings and thanks again for taking the time to comment.
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Loved the musical flash mob, thanks for sharing that Frank. As for The Olympics, since I don’t own a TV I can honestly say I haven’t watched a single event…but….GO EVERYONE! My fav Onion headline is New Apple Campaign Urges Users to Buy New iPhone for Other Hand. Brilliant! At last, a use for my left hand!
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Alex,
That was a fun video. Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to seeing my first person effectively and efficiently using a cell phone in each hand at the same time. Thanks for commenting.
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“American Olympians using Rosetta Stone to Brush Up on English”–I really chuckled at this one! I look forward to going back to read some of your links. I’m especially interested in the “Nincompoop” chronicles! I find everything I read about Palin fascinating…I don’t understand, but fascinating! You do a lot of research for this Friday post…I really appreciate it! Debra
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Debra,
OMG … The Nincompoop Chronicles as so much potential as a new blog or a series on the All-Palin All-the-Time cable TV channel! It’s very possible that her fascination is that many don’t understand. Thanks for the kind words and for stopping by.
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But Frank, we don’t need the All-Palin channel. For idiotic right-wing views, we have Fox News, and for things beyond imagination, we have the Sci-Fi (Syfy) channel. 😀
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John,
The APC could have great shows as Cooking with Sarah, Hunting with Sarah, Fishing with Sarah, Sewing with Sarah, Travel with Sarah, BBQ with Sarah, Safety with Sarah, Parenting with Sarah, and Karaoke with Sarah … the possibilities are endless … let alone including the rest of the clan.
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Too when they gave Dick Chaney a heart transplant, they put another evil one in, rather than one filled with love and compassion.
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Hansi,
He is a bit on the gruff side. I wonder what his jokes are like. Thanks for visiting.
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Lots of smiles today with enjoying Steve’s images Gorgeous photos! I enjoyed the tour. :+) Also the video of the spontaneous musical collaboration really fun! Hope you guys have a good weekend. :+)
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Starla,
Glad you saw Steve’s wonderful pics. Thanks for visiting!
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Loved The Onion.
As I said to Ginger FB, I’m getting more olympics from blogs than from television.
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Cuttlefish,
The Onion is such a great site, yet I am selective with what I pluck because some can rub too many people the wrong way. Meanwhile, for me, GingerFB has added a great perspective from his homeland. Thanks for commenting.
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Okay, I’m sure you know that of all the copious tidbits you posted this week that just depressed the hell out of me (politics and chicken and mayors and haters and shooters [guns don’t kill people, people kill people, right????] in general), the flash mob in Spain was my favorite! I played it twice while singing along at the top of my lungs and doing my Snoppy Maposian dance of joy:
“Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin, and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!”
YES! Suddenly, I was no longer a democrat or republican, black or white, male or female, Christian or not, gay or straight–I was just one of God’s children and your video clip did that for me. I feel so much better now. Thanks, my friend.
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E-Tom,
Cheers to you finding joy in the flash mob! BTW … the one from Lynn in the comments is good too (but not voices). Ah ha … you focused on the wrong stuff … why toilets are porcelain is riviting …. The Onion’s guide to Olympic venues is a hoot … GingerFightBack is hilarious … and Steve’s pics are wonderful. 🙂 … just had to rub it in. 🙂 Many thanks for visiting.
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Yes, I also watched to Lynn’s Bolero flash mob (I forgot to mention that). We’ll looks like I’ll have to come back and research GingerFightBack and Onion’s guide to the Olympics then. Take care.
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🙂
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…also looks like I can’t write and spell at the same time. Sorry ! 😦
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No problem. 🙂
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Almost didn’t watch the Som Sabadell flashmob thinking it would be another choreographed dance. WOW! Regarding the election, I’m not thrilled with either of the main contenders this year (voted for Obama last time). Is it too late for another candidate?
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John,
That was a fun video. Hope you also saw the one in the comments. Yep – too late for another candidate. Well, maybe not so if the new candidate was one who people already believe in and that person speaks the truth. Thanks for commenting.
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