by

Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 157

On Politics
This is a great line that is not only appropriate for this political season, it’s true for life: Think for yourself, don’t believe everything you hear, and look it up.

I find the late-night comics and their take on politics  to be funny, such as this pre-debate bit by Conan O’Brien.

I didn’t watch the debate, but did notice that top Google searches during the debate involved two of the questions on my list: Simpson-Bowles and Dodd-Frank. Even heard some morning commentators mention Glass-Steagall (another one of questions). For those who watched, could the moderator have used my rules? I note that some are criticizing Mr. Lehrer’s performance.

Debate Fact Checks

This article at National Journal provides a great graphic about the breakdown of voter preferences. Thanks Moe.

For those who enjoy The Onion, here are the voter guides (video) for the election: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney

For anyone desiring a deep discussion of various global issues, consider visiting Intelligence Squared. Thanks Tim for mentioning this site.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

  • Guy in Suit Handling Newspaper like a Pro
  • Florida to Experiment with New 600-Lever Voting Machine
  • Reporter Steps in to Replace Woman’s Missing Husband
  • Schwarzenegger Admits to Affair with Predator Costume
  • Texting While Fielding Causes Record Number of Outfield Collisions
  • Nauseating Precious NYC Couple to Walk Around in Rain

Interesting Reads

On Potpourri
I will have a Saturday Morning Classic Cartoon  post tomorrow.

I like this one. The race for Ohio’s senator involves Josh Mandel and Sherrod Brown. When people search “Mandel Brown Ohio”, the commonly get the site for Mandell Brown, a Cincinnati plastic surgeon.

Here this weekend is the football battle that is the oldest non-league rivalry game in college football. Go Bearcats!

Baseball’s regular season ended on a Wednesday, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Bud Selig. The one-game playoff games are about to start, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Selig.

The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame may be a great idea, but their selection process may be one of the worst processes ever. All I have to ask is no Moody Blues again? Is Bud Selig also running the R&R HOF?

Have a good weekend. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. Enjoy the video. (Here’s a higher quality video to the same song below that must be watched on YouTube.)

64 thoughts on “Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 157”

    • Elyse,
      Hooray – my first post-debate endorsement of my rules! Wonderful … maybe now I will sleep well tonight. 🙂 Thanks for commenting. BTW – I think you will like Val’s posts in my reading list. Just don’t read them before bedtime. 😉

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  5. Jim Lehrer is way past his time and should move on. He is incompetent and does not have the capacity to engage the debaters with proper follow up or even keeping track of the time. I vote for new blood.

    Ditto on Bud Selig. The past few weeks I thought he was running the NFL.

    Go Reds.

    50 years of James Bond girls. Time to quit writing and go check that one out.

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    • Randel,
      Interestingly, the debate organizers got Jim Lehrer out of retirement … and it seems that the legendary figure may have gone one too many.

      Cheers that we have the same opinion of Bud Selig!

      Don’t give up on your Cardinals yet! … but thanks for the best wishes for my team … the team that I currently find very worrisome.

      Thanks for visiting!

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      • Here come the St. Louis Cardinals. They are a heart attack team. They surprise me all the time. I thought the Braves would dust them. Now I wonder if they have that October magic once again. The Reds deserve to go to the World Series for a change of pace.

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  7. Thank you so much Frank, I am humbled to be on your list.

    Now to the rest, dang where was that Cone when we so much needed it! Where were our questions when they were so much better!!!!!! Why weren’t you the moderator? Dang and double Dang. You do realize I am being respectful, there is something far more rude I really want to say, but my potty mouth is being flushed.

    Loved the 50 years of Bond Girls! Don’t know what I enjoyed more, laughing at the names or simply remembering the movies.

    I loved the story of the Bat Boy, loved it! Had tears by the end. I have a sister who was born with Downs, she lived a grand life much to the dismay of the doctors who told my heart mother to put her into a institution at birth. Candy will be 67 in January, far exceeding all expectations of life.

    I am saving the rest, for later but they are open and waiting for me.

    As for the Onion, what can I say but woe is me.

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    • Val,
      You are very welcome … and deserving! Besides, I know you are one of the readers who enjoys this section.

      Regarding the debate, in order for me to moderate, my rules must also be in place. 🙂

      I’m glad someone read the Bat Boy story! …. especially because it ends up you sharing something special! BTW … We don’t know Teddy, but know who he is. If you recall, he dances ballroom. It just so happens that he’s taking a lesson (sometimes) at a studio where we go for a group class. He’s a very nice man!

      BTW, I think you will enjoy this past post, which is actually from the Cincinnati Enquirer. I turned it into a post because they quickly archive their articles. (Which is something I should do with the article about Teddy.)

      Thanks for visiting and sharing your story.

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  9. I thought it was one of the better debates I have watched. There was some spontaneity to it and no teleprompter, thus exposing the emperor and his lack of clothes. He was kicked to the curb by facts. The cone of silence should surround the media afterwards. We don’t need them telling us what we just saw. It all pisses me off Frank.

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    • Shimon,
      You bring up a very good point that deserves an answer, which I will limit to 2 key points.

      1) The US process is far too long, thus we already have ample information for a decision.

      2) These events generally frustrate me because the candidates generally don’t lack the question as the maneuver their answer in order to get to a comfortable talking point that we have heard many times.

      Thanks for the thoughtful question!

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  13. I have three questions: (1) Does the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame continue to exclude The Moody Blues because it thinks (wrongly!) that their music isn’t true rock n’ roll? (2) Will the UC-Miami football game survive? (3) Did someone read about your Cone of Silence and lower it over moderator Jim Lehrer causing him to totally lose control of the debate?

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  14. It’s reassuring to hear about the surge in people googling Simpson-Bowles and Dodd-Frank. Hopefully, that’s a few less ignorant people who’ll be going to the polls in November.

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  15. Good Morning Frank Go Bearcats!

    “Nauseating Precious NYC Couple to Walk Around in Rain”
    I enjoyed reading the blog post from Blogger Le Clown on blogging Lots of good advice.
    Enjoyed the Moody Blues nice blast from the past. :+)

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  16. I lost count of the number of reasons I hate Bud Selig. Mr. Weebles actually had a brilliant thought: George W. Bush should have been made Baseball Commissioner instead of running for president. This way we would have at least had a guy who cared about baseball as commissioner, and the world would have been safer without him in the White House.

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    • Weebs,
      Interesting rationale, as well as one that I haven’t heard anyone say before. Meanwhile, I can’t stand Bud Selig. Actually, I can’t think of anyone in sports that I despise more. Thanks for commenting.

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    • Twixt,
      This week was “That was the week that was” … thus I noticed it was a bit long, but decided to go with it – although I did remove a couple of bits. Thanks for visiting.

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  19. On the Onions my vote would go to “Nauseating Precious NYC Couple to Walk Around in Rain”, if only I knew which damn lever to pull on this here voting machine contraption.
    And 50 years of Bond girls – yum!

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  21. Running behind, so just a quick drop-in.
    I got my Wednesday’s night’s entertainment. Got to see a British Brown Bess musket (on TV) that landed in America in the 1740s, and had parts from the 1750s and 1770s. Uber-cool!
    Gotta go with the Nauseating Couple. We used to drive our circle of friends nuts with a baby-talk routine. Truly barf-inducing, even at extreme range! 😀
    Catch ya on the next post, hopefully with a manageable Inbox!

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  23. LOL! Love the Conan video clip. I didn’t watch the debate. I figure I’ll get caught up on it this weekend by watching the fake news. It’s more fun that way. 🙂

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    • Robin,
      Hooray … finally someone commenting on the Conan clip – to which I laugh each time! Although I didn’t watch, I recommend the fact checks I listed. Thanks for commenting.

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