On Politics
Sure seems that both parties are still believing in the governing-by-ultimatums approach
Political observers notice that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been very unhappy with various cabinet choices by President Obama. The probable reason is simple – he faces a primary challenge in 2014.
Congress may have reached a end-of-the-year tax compromise, but the next 3 months are going to be business as usual – nothing
A special thanks to Alex Jones, guest on Piers Morgan, for demonstrating my point about a national conversation regarding gun control. For those that did see it, here’s an interesting 6 minutes.
On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
- Ornithologist forced to participate in History Channel’s “What if Human Beings Suddenly Became Birds” program
- Walgreen manager certain dead father would have been proud of Crest toothpaste display
- Asshole on plane greeted at baggage claim by whole family
- Four copy editors killed in ongoing AP Style-Chicago Manual gang violence
- Man returns to work after vacation with fresh, re-energized hatred for job
- Biden’s handlers suggesting he forget the words “pink” and “stink” together
Interesting Reads
Piano pleasures
Augustine’s two books and Genesis
Humans as violent animals
The development of jazz
Seven shapers of technology in 2013
Infographic: The Internet – a decade later
On Potpourri
Wow – baseball spring training is 5 weeks away.
Earlier this week, the baseball writers didn’t elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. That;s fine – and so is the treatment to the steroid guys. But their vote reminded me of something they said in the past. They stated that Pete Rose’s eligibility had run out, so he wouldn’t appear on the ballot. Hello – because he was never eligible to be on the ballot, how could his eligibility expire?
Good news – Saturday will deliver the first classic cartoon post of 2013.
To send you into the weekend, let’s take a trip to the Star Wars’ Cantina for the band – well, a different version of it. Have a good weekend! In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
A Frank Angle 
Dear Frank,
Since I am often in this role, I must go with this Onion headline:
Four copy editors killed in ongoing AP Style-Chicago Manual gang violence
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Elyse,
You were one of the persons for whom I selected this headline! Thanks for coming through. 😀
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you picked my favorite! we are so on the same wavelength
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Val,
Hopefully following Queen Elyse will not lead to a beheading.
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Never! Val gets the Queen’s highest accolades.
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Whew … glad she’s saved …. and I should have known she is part of your court.
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Val is the best.
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Oh, and I printed the article and am posting it in the kitchen in my office.
How many PhD’s do you think will take it seriously??????
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My head is spinning … which article?
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Four copy editors killed in ongoing AP Style-Chicago Manual gang violence
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LOL … The majority won’t read it … not sure if they would get it.
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That we are, Val!
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“Asshole on plane greeted at baggage claim by whole family”—Can’t even tell you what image this put in my head. Well, on the other hand, you can probably guess… 😉
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Carrie,
Well … the images could be on the plane or in at baggage claim … the latter includes them telling the spouse about the idiots on the plane. Thanks for commenting.
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“Man returns to work after vacation with fresh, re-energized hatred for job” — this does not apply to just the male of the species.
Yay, classic cartoon post is back!
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Lame,
The one I picked for you was fairly easy to identify. At least I remembered! See you tomorrow … oh … a hint just for you …. a Looney tunes character. 😉 Have a good Friday.
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I’m looking forward to it Frank. I hope that you’re having a good Friday, too. Virtually see you tomorrow!
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Interesting ‘interesting reads’. You have months of reading and viewing on this blog, Frank. How do you make the time? (Seriously, how?)
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Cuttlefish,
Well … have a plan that includes things that are easier to put together. … and have a few ready-to-go posts as emergency posts for when you get behind. Thanks for visiting.
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now with this one I could write a really weird story…haha! ” Walgreen manager certain dead father would have been proud of Crest toothpaste display”
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JackieP,
Here ya go … a special edition of AFA Fictioners …. you get 123 words for your story. 😉 Thanks for commenting.
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haha! Thanks Frank
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I couldn’t resist.
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Onion is awesome. So are you.
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SeaShells,
Cheers to The Onion … and thanks for the props.
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Hi,
A lot of good headlines from the onion, but I will only pick one:
“What if Human Beings Suddenly Became Birds” all I can say is Wow free air travel. 🙂
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Mags,
Free travel indeed …. especially if we get the ability for long distances! Thanks for stopping by.
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I saw part of that program with Piers Morgan. Piers didn’t look like he was coping too well. It certainly is important to look at crime statistics in the UK with its laws that have removed guns from the people compared with the much lower crime figures in the US. Very interesting stats xx
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Spiced,
The video here is just have of it, in which Piers calmly sits. Given the guest’s rant, it seems the host did well. In terms of statistics, as I always say, all one has to do is determine their stance and then go find the statistics to support it. After all, there are that many statistics from which to select. Nonetheless, I did see the stats that focused on burglaries and rapes. Thanks for commenting.
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Usually I look at such posts without understanding any of it… the context is that of another world for me. And this time too. But when I read that Biden’s handlers suggested he forget the words “pink” and “stink” together, it did bring a smile to my face.
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Shimon,
I understand about context. But, I’m glad that the pink & stink headline brought a smile. Thanks for stopping by.
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The plane one for me Frank!
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GFB,
A touching imagine isn’t it. 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
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enjoyed this on the whole and in parts
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LouAnn,
Well thank you … and thanks for stopping in on this Friday morning.
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nice to start my day with you and a cup of coffee Frank
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Yep …. one of the purposes … not too heavy.
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As usual, your Friday Shorts enthralled me to no end, at first with St. Augustine’s take on the creation of the world, then with the book “Why Jazz Happened,” but what I really got stuck on was No. 2 in the “Seven Shapers Of Technology in 2013,” which predicts that “Enterprises will expect analytical tools that enable users to create and iterate over their own models,” from which comes the “Modeler’s Hippocratic Oath,” which pledges:
~ I will remember that I didn’t make the world, and it doesn’t satisfy my equations.
~ Though I will use models boldly to estimate value, I will not be overly impressed by mathematics.
~ I will never sacrifice reality for elegance without explaining why I have done so.
~ Nor will I give the people who use my model false comfort about its accuracy. Instead, I will make explicit its assumptions and oversights.
~ I understand that my work may have enormous effects on society and the economy, many of them beyond my comprehension.
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Tim,
I knew this week’s interesting reads would be a bounty for you … so glad I was able to come through … znd thanks for sharing the oath with everyone.
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Loved the cantina! That was always one of my favorite scenes for some reason, great.
Thanks for the reading picks. I have opened two for later reading today, Augustine and Humans, both are of extreme interest to me.
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i’ll have to go with pink/stink. as for pete rose, i have mixed emotions.
first, i will always hate him for what he did to ray fosse in an all-star game. it doesn’t matter to me, and maybe it should, that he and fosse were actually good friends. i would never fault rose for treating all opponents the same, but not in an all-star game. that was far from necessary, and i also believe that it should not be legal to run over a catcher. he is standing in a defenseless position with equipment that would barely stop a papercut. considering how we’ve changed protection rules in football, i can’t see how that should be allowed in baseball.
second, although there is a sign in every baseball lockerroom that says “if you gamble on baseball, you will be banned from baseball,” i don’t care that he gambled because he bet to win. he did not bet to lose, which means he was trying his best to win. if it was all about money, he would have bet to lose and thrown a game. so the gambling doesn’t bother me.
third, and most significant, few people realize that rose actually signed an agreement to be banned from baseball and thus the hall of fame. bart giamati presented him with a choice: either accept the ban from baseball or be prosecuted for gambling on baseball. he signed and agreement to accept the ban. it was his choice, and it is wrong for him to talk about how unfair the ban is when he accepted it. i know this from a discussion with a guy named mike francessa, who to me is the best sports-talk radio guy in the country and based in new york.
very unrelated but far far more important, CR is at the top of the game today.
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Rich,
What a surprise … you were one of the reasons I selected the AP Style – Chicago Manual headline! … CR … absolutely!
The purpose of my Pete Rose comment was not to re-ignite the debate around him, but to ask the question – how can eligibility expire if one was never eligible? For my biggest beef about the situation, here’s something from deep within my archives. https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/on-a-special-jersey/
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Just watched the Piers Morgan video. Holy Cow!
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Nancy,
I like the way Piers just sat there and let the guy go. Alex Jones is a classic for showing why a national conversation about gun violence cannot take place. Thanks for visiting.
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Ding, ding, ding–the winner for me this week is Man returns to work after vacation with fresh, re-energized hatred for job.
Really, season training is only five weeks away.
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TBM,
Spring training always starts sometime in mid-February … and to think there are some good players still unsigned! Thanks for sharing your favorite Onion.
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Very good Onion selection today. Hard to pick winner, although this one brought the biggest chuckle, “Biden’s handlers suggesting he forget the words “pink” and “stink” together” how queer???
Saw the Alex Jones clip before. What a cringe-bringer! It’s a text book example of how to destroy your own argument by shouting too loud. Piers Morgan is still an obnoxious prick though, you can’t take that away from him!
Internet infographic was excellent.
But I need to punch something after the musical hands video. Those guys who can make fart noises with their armpits give me a similar feeling! 🙂
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Fasab,
Regarding the interview, exactly what I was thinking. Besides, he never actually answered the question! Regarding the Biden handlers, I think the suggestion is quite profound.
Meanwhile, since you enjoyed the musical hands, he’s my favorite. Enjoy … and thanks for commenting.
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Dear help us all! Now I’m a gonna really whup his ass – if’n I can git into the ring that is
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Ha ha … good one … and classic!
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Morgan is one smart business man – he’s had some very interesting guests recently. (Jones and extremists on both sides are what is making things/changes so difficult…maybe that’s why Congress settles for holding hearings and dealing with sports issues?…important stuff like that Walgreens guy would find interesting….)
Have a great weekend!
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Mouse,
Good points here … and yep – if there is one thing we can count on Congress to do is nothing. Meanwhile, now about the Walgreen’s guy. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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Frank, sorry – but I have to say that boxing video gave a lot more than that less enjoyable music video you posted – not like you … *smile Boxing video is brilliant – really made my day. I wish you a great weekend – and I’m looking forward to your cartoon tomorrow.
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Viveka,
Glad Fasab was able to provide your entertainment away from my quirky side. Have a good weekend.
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That was so funny – great boxer – but didn’t have a clue about the rest … a bit like me.
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I must say … he had issues with entering and leaving!
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What a wonderful world it would be if the Onion could run our government and our elected officials could write for the Onion. Oh, wait a minute . . . same difference.
On a lighter note(?), you have been nominated.
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Cayman,
The last president campaign gave The Onion boatloads of material – most I didn’t use – but it was funny! Our elected officials simply make it too easy for The Onion. … Thanks for the award – and I’m due for an award post. 🙂 Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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The other day on some humorist’s tv show, the Congress lost to a Cockroach in terms of favor-ability rating. Yep an opinion poll found cockroaches more popular than Congress which now has an approval of around 15%–a direct measure of the number of clueless in our society. To me both parties have each drank the Kool Aide of their zealots, to the demise of our great country.
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Randel,
Some consider 15% approval to be an improvement. They are a pathetic lot – then again, they are there to represent the party, not the people. Thanks for commenting.
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Wow, that manualist lends a whole new meaning to the ‘hand jive’. Awesome performance. 😀 Had to watch it right to the end.
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Paradise,
Your musical appreciation just doesn’t seem to fail you! 😉 … In case you didn’t notice, there was a second video of the same guy in the comments. Hope your trip is going well, so thanks for taking the time to stop by.
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“Four copy editors killed in ongoing AP Style-Chicago Manual gang violence” This had me falling off of the sofa laughing – I know, weird, but I have to read and correct a lot of Masters Theses. Loved the links to the piano, jazz history and tech trends. Wonderful potpourri, Frank!
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Lynn,
Only those of us with experience in dealing with several style manuals really appreciate that headline. Meanwhile, just letting you know that I was thinking about you when selecting those interesting reads … thus actually hoping you would see this post. 😀 thanks for making my day!
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Man returns to work after vacation with fresh, re-energized hatred for job–Maybe it’s just me thinking more and more about retirement! 🙂
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Debra,
Good choice and Ah ha … you have the retirement itch!
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Gotta be careful with ANYTHING to do with a Chicago-style shootout. I haven’t seen the year-end stats yet, but I’m fairly sure my beloved Windy City killed over 500 people. As compared to NYC actually having a whole day without gun or knife fatalities. See? Chicago CAN whip NYC’s butt! 😉
Still working the backlog!
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John,
I didn’t even think of that aspect … then again, I count on you to remind me.
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I could easily be the man returning from vacation.
If only I had taken the vacation…
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Guapo,
Ouch … I sense your current situation. Be strong!
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