On Politics
Elected officials in Washington continue to favor politics over policy … and that’s why nothing is getting done.
I heard this one not long ago: Politicians are like cockroaches. When the lights are on, they scatter not to be found – but when the lights are off, they thrive on the feast.
I enjoy when a respected Congressman rips Congress.
Many people are like politicians. For instance, as many complain about media bias, why are the viewership numbers for FOX News and MSNBC rising? I explain media bias in this past post.
I recently called my Board of Elections to see how I can undeclared a party. Unfortunately, I have to wait until the 2014 primary.
With 2016 talk already happening, here’s a campaign-theme idea for a future Republican candidate: Repeal ObamaCare, repeal Social Security, repeal Medicare, repeal Medicaid, repeal prescription drug plan for seniors, repeal unemployment payments, repeal disability payments, repeal food stamps, repeal subsidized housing, eliminate the departments of Education and Energy along with the Environmental Protection Agency, stop all funding to Planned Parenthood, PBS, public education, …. after all, I want to see how far you get!
On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
- Epic saga of employee’s ineptitude passed down through generations of coworkers
- Congressman says the time is now for effectively meaningless gun laws
- Divorced father buys string cheese to make coming to his place fun
- Coworker running NCAA office pool relishing his temporary significance
- Man has trouble growing beard of bees
- Area woman thinks all her friends should be comedians
Interesting Reads
Ethnic intolerance in Hungary
Math and the speeding ticket
Kathleen Parker, Mariska Hargitay, and Rape Victims
David Brooks on the Gun Control Debate
About Calvin Coolidge
Obamacare and Two Americas
On Potpourri
A special thanks to Georgette for this great post – one that she says I helped inspire.
Dancing with the Stars is off and running. Sorry to Dorothy Hamill have to leave the show due to an injury.
Baseball’s Opening Day Cincinnati Style is Monday – and the weather isn’t looking good – but as we know, that’s subject to change.
For those counting on a Saturday Morning Classic Cartoons post, sorry … none this weekend … but hopefully returning next Saturday morning. For those needing a cartoon fix, here’s a nugget to hold you over.
Because our handbell choir plays this weekend, I send you into the weekend with the joys of the two tunes we’re playing: a recording of Te Deum Laudamus (a not-so-easy, fast paced tune with a favorite of techniques) and a video of Easter Joy played by very large choir of several hundred ringers!
To the Jews, Happy Passover. To the Christians, Happy Easter. To all, have a good weekend! For those traveling, be safe. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
A Frank Angle 
I have been humming that (your second video clip) all day this Maundy Thursday in anticipation of Sunday. Beautiful handbells. Just returned from services to find your mention. Thank you. I very much appreciate the nudge that made me post today.
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Georgette,
Easter Joy is a fun piece to play … and I can see how it is a catchy tune to have in your head. In the spirit of the season, the link to the other one is pretty good .. actually more intricate music, but good for Easter.
No problem plugging your post … after all, I’m flattered. Happy Easter.
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Yes, DWTS is off and running, but it’s going to have to run without me this season. It was the only reality show I watched, but I think it’s run its course. With as little time as I have for TV now, I like to stick to scripted shows. But who knows? I might tune back in when it gets down to the last few.
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Carrie,
I had it in my mind to mention that DTWS is losing steam .. thus run its course … but that thought got away from me as I was writing. Nonetheless, we still find it entertaining. … it’s also good to record so it’s easy to bypass commercials and stuff.
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Yes, setting the DVR for it is a good idea. So much extra fluff in there.
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Nonetheless, no doubt … I believe ratings are showing a downward trend.
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Great handbell piece, Frank!
Have a fun weekend.
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Guapo,
Thank you sir … fun one to play … and I like this one with such a large gathering.
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Thanks as usual for a thought-provoking post. I love the handbells whenever you share them, but also The Jetsons–double bonus!
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Patti,
The Jetson’s are one that I have yet to feature (and not in the works), but heck, figured some would enjoy the intro! Glad you enjoyed the handbells … and hope you listening to both.
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Hurray for the Jetsons! Always loved that show. This quick clip transported me back to being a kid with no worries in life. 🙂 Thanks for the post! Growing a beard of bees…….hm…..
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Java,
Glad you enjoyed The Jetson’s intro and they are on my list for a future Saturday Morning Cartoons post. Poor guy with the beard-growing problem.
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this one should say, “Area woman thinks all her friends think she should be a comedian.”
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Rich,
…. and that one works too!
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The Jetsons was one of my most favourite cartoons. It was such fun. Love the one about the man trying to grow a beard from bees xx
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Spiced,
The Jetson’s were one of my favorites, too! … so I’m sure they will be a Saturday Morning Cartoon feature in the future. Glad you enjoyed the bee beard!
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Have yourself a good Easter Frank…
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Bulldog,
And a Happy Easter (in a few days) to you as well.
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Divorced father buys string cheese to make coming to his place fun–classic!
So much to read in this weeks Potpourri. I will have a good reading feast with some of these. Enjoy your Easter, Frank, as I know you will, and I think with all you’ve gone through in the past few weeks this Easter may hold special significance. I love music on Easter Sunday…I’d love to hear those handbells! 🙂
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Debra,
There is something about string cheese easily being the life of a party!
I’m sure two balls of energy will be in your Easter presence. My friend always got to live out his pyromaniac side on Easter Vigil by being in charge of the fire … and I loved to kid him about it … so he’ll be in my thoughts. Meanwhile, I hope you listening to both bell pieces … both have energy and joy, but the linked recording is a more intricate piece. Enjoy your Easter!
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Ah, there’s nothing like bells to make me think of Easter. And nothing like Congress contemplating more meaningless ineffective laws to make me see stars to accompany them. Yikes!
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Renee,
Yep … handbells and Congress is quite the contrast!
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Dear Frank, have a nice weekend, Love, nia
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Nia,
Have a wonderful weekend in Istanbul!
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Boy, the Jetsons, good choice.
As for the Onions for the first time joint winners:
Congressman says the time is now for effectively meaningless gun laws
Divorced father buys string cheese to make coming to his place fun
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Fasab,
Instead of just saying no classics, thought I would put in an intro, and for whatever reason, The Jetsons first came to mind. meanwhile, good Onion choices! Happy Easter to you.
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Thanks for the op-ed reference from Lee Hamilton. He is quite a guy — what politicians used to be and should be.
Happy Easter, Frank.
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Elyse,
I appears that Lee Hamilton’s column only appeared here … then again, his district was on the Indiana side of the Cincinnati area. For sure, he was (and still is) very respected. Happy Easter!
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Here too. Sad that there are so few like him.
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Hoppy on to Easter.
(Love those Jetsons…politicians? not so much: less talk, fewer holidays/vacations(work first-play later), don’t spend money you don’t have (like ordinary people have to do) and do what you ask the regular citizens to do – and maybe I’ll change my mind.)
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Mouse,
Hopefully the Jetson’s will reappear on my Saturday Morning Cartoons in the near future. Meanwhile, there’s not much good to say about Washington politicians.
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Ah, Frank… The Jetsons. I used to watch that many years ago, but could never remember the theme tune! And nice hand bell music too!
Have a good weekend!
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Tom,
Welcome first-time commenter. Glad to hear that you are a Jetson’s fan. BTW, on many Saturdays I feature a Saturday Morning Cartoon Classic. For past 41 posts, look in the sidebar … Categories > Entertainment > Classic Cartoons
Glad you enjoyed the handbell piece too as I like to provide either audio files or videos of songs we plays. Oh … I have a Handbells category too. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by … and nice blog yourself!!!
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Somewhere along the line, politics became a thirty second solution delivered in reams of heavily filtered analysis. The policies got buried inside the big, ugly sexy of “What did that guy just say?”. It’s a dangerous place when the beauty contest trumps the conversations we need to be growing smarter on. Sorry for the soapboxing, but your post moves me that way. Thank you sir.
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Cayman,
No apologies needed for soapboxing because you make sense. Love the this line: when the beauty contest trumps the conversations. Many thanks!
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Listing to the hand bell video as I write … beautiful. Kathleen Parker, Mariska Hargitay, and Rape Victims – interesting reading … love when people stand up and make a difference to others. I love that TV-series and I love Olivia. Not surprised at all that she are have take it on outside the series.
Wish you a pleasant Easter weekend.
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Viveka,
Because you enjoyed the handbell video, I recommend listening to the link as well … more indicate music .. but still full of joy. Gotta agree on Mariska Hargitay, both as a person and the character she plays. Stay warm this Easter weekend.
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I will … today a couple of more flakes came, but nothing serious. It’s was only teasing me.
I like some of the hand bell music, but like with all other music I like … I don’t like everything. *smile
Have a great weekend now.
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Ah yes … what isn’t a matter of taste!
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The Jetsons!! I used to watch the Jetsons, but alas cannot click it as I’m in a cafe, using their wifi & there’s people about. Our megabytes are all used at home… SIGH until next month. Grrr.
Anyway, another great post, Frank. You cover much ground, but I can’t get out of my head the picture of the politicians/cockroaches scattering. Oh my gosh, such an analogy!!
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Words,
I’ve got a feeling the cockroaches/politicians analogy is applicable across the globe. … BUT … I’lll feature The Jetson’s in on a future Saturday.
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Elroy Jetson showed up in my crossword puzzle today. Aren’t the gun laws you already have, pretty much meaningless? You and Pasquale enjoy Easter.
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Archon,
Wow … the stars are aligned for me to mention the Jetson’s and you find Elroy in a crossword puzzle all in the same day. The power of planning! Hey … don’t sell we American short because we have more than just gun laws that are meaningless! Thanks for the Easter greeting!
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I enjoyed the Easter medley performance by the massed bell ringers. A question: Are there pieces written for handbell choir and organ which are intended for solo organ recitals as well as church services?
I also liked the article in Stars and Stripes, “Obamacare and Two Americas.” It led me to read up on the history of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, which is a remarkable example of American freedom of the press. In a biography I’m presently reading about Douglas MacArthur, the author mentions that the U.S. military commanders in the WW 2 European Theatre were overwhelmingly in favor of allowing the newspaper to print, as an escape valve, the common GI’s gripes about their dreary and danger filled lives in the military, as well as their opinions of top level officers, up to and including Gen. Eisenhower. Not so in the Pacific Theatre where famously thin-skinned Gen. Douglas MacArthur thought their criticisms of him were bad for troop morale.
I look forward to including the Stars and Stripes website, especially the Opinions, in my news reading list.
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Tim,
In general, handbell music is written for handbells, not keyboards because a keyboardist doesn’t have enough fingers to include all the handbell parts. However, there are joint pieces …. meaning handbells and organ/piano. On this piece, interesting how it does have an organ sound in a mass ring setting. However, I just checked the supplier, and it doesn’t not have an organ part.
Glad you enjoyed the Stars and Stripes website!
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I’ve had trouble growing a bee beard Frank and nice ot see the Jetsons!
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GFB,
Nothing like being able to empathize.
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Another great post. I like the comparison of politicians with cockroaches. Not always true, but sometimes it does feel like that. Thanks for the handbell music. Happy Easter!
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Otto,
The analogy of politicians and cockroaches has been a popular item in this post. Glad you enjoyed the handbell piece. If you didn’t, listen to the one in the link because it’s a more intricate piece. Happy Easter to you as well!
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This one…
“Congressman says the time is now for effectively meaningless gun laws”
… sounds all too true.
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Robin,
Seeming like reality is what good satire does.
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Love the ringing choir!!
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Lisa,
Fun pieces to play as well. Many thanks!
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Happy Easter!
Here’s one I love by Will Rogers: Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.
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Rachel,
LOL … Will Rogers was right one. Then again, given so many years ago, I guess it also shows things haven’t changed. Thanks for the Easter greeting.
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Frank, I’ve always loved the jazzy intro to The Jetson’s. A few years ago when I was craving a fix for the Gina Lolajupiter Miss Solar System 1963 episode, I managed to find it online. The Internet, what a monument to procrastination!
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Lame,
Both the Jetson’s and Flintstone’s did a great job of spoofing character names with stars of the time. Who could ever forget Rock Hudstone.
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Or Stony Curtis and Ann-Margrock?
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The weakest part of that appearance was obnoxious Pebbles. I wasn’t a fan of Bam Bam’s, either.
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Definitely weaker characters in the grand scheme.
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Yep. Completely agree with that assessment.
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Nice sum-up of what the Republicans bring to a campaign and government.
I am waiting for The BB to get off the phone on the other side of the table at which we are both working, so I can run the handbells recordings. What a treat.
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Cuttlefish,
The Republicans have some image issues. Then again, there zealots do provide entertainment …. well, it a distorted way.
Hope you got a chance for the handbell pieces … both have a joyful spirit to them!
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You knew I’d love this handbell piece! I’ve never seen such a large host of bells. It would have been a blast conducting this. Handbells never fail to lift my happiness meter. Cheers!
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E-Tom,
Mass choirs are fun … several years ago, we were in one of almost 700. Hope you listened to the one on the link … which is actually a tougher piece.
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Yes, that is the one I listened to. Awesome!
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🙂
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