On Politics
After allowing several major airlines mergers, the Justice Department is balking at the merger between American Airlines and US Airways. What a crock, well, unless they tend to order the others to breakup.
A good article about why Americans hate Congress.
Now this stat from a recent poll emphasizes partisanship: 29% of Louisiana Republicans polled blame President Obama on the Federal government’s poor response to Hurricane Katrina (2005). 28% blame President Bush, and 44% are not sure who to blame. (For foreign readers, President Obama was elected in Nov 2008.)
A friend of ours said he wishes President Obama would come out against eating yellow snow so he can hear FOX News defend eating yellow snow.
On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
- Washington’s Hobby Lobby Lobbies to Strengthen Hobbies
- San Andreas fault feels terrible about what could happen
- Riotous chanting Iowa State Fair Crowed Gathers for Annual Deep-Frying of Virgin (I love the accompanying pic)
- Researchers Discover Female Frogs Prefer Mate Who Knows Way Around the Cloaca
- Elmore Leonard, Modern Prose Master, Noted for His Terse Prose Style and for Writing about Things Perfectly and Succinctly with a Remarkable Economy of Words, Unfortunately and Sadly Expired this Gloomy Tuesday at the Age of 87 Years Old
Interesting Reads
The autobiography of George Orwell (a book review)
Alex’s post about the annual eclipse of Venus
About Mussolini (a book review)
Brief history of lobotomies
Microbakeries
Global divide about homosexuality
The Onion’s Point-Counterpoint about bellyrubs
On Potpourri
Security detaining David Miranda was big news from the UK this week. I suspect he intentionally routed his plans through London with hopes this would happen.
This week’s post about hot sauces received interesting reactions. For anyone interested, here are two sites selling many of these hot sauces: chiliworld.com and hotsauce.com.
Last week I posted about an Ohio school district’s take on evolution and creationism in the science classroom. Thanks to Tim, here’s a collect of essays from the New York Times around a question: Should Creationism Be Controversial? The comments are interesting as they are filled with both hope and ignorance.
American football season is about to start. As a physical sport, it has received much criticism in recent years. Here’s an interesting article from the opposite perspective.
Our first handbell choir rehearsal was earlier this week. Interestingly, we received news that we get to be the first to play a new piece. Yep, we’ll play a world premier by a big-named composer in handbell music!
Sorry, no Saturday Morning Cartoon post this weekend because of a prep-time shortage.
It’s on to the weekend. In the spirit of El Guapo adventurism, here’s a longboard coasting down a small hill. Enjoy the ride, and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
Frank,
I think I love you…
Respectfully submitted,
Jots
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Jots,
🙂 …. Now I’m blushing.
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What a ride on the skateboard. I never been able that! Looks like a lot of fun. That’s wonderful about your choir. How exciting, Frank. I hope all goes well with it!
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Bumble,
Can you see Guap wanting to do that?!!! The did our first run-through of the piece, and it wasn’t easy! Good thing is that our director knows how to work us up to it.
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Have a nice weekend dear Frank, love, nia
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Thank you Nia … and have a great weekend yourself!
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Totally fearless .. those, boys … I wish I could skateboard like that .. what I fantastic feeling of freedom, just like when skiing, which I can. Love the tune in the video too. I wish you a pleasant weekend.
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Viveka,
Great description of the video …. and yes, the feeling of the music was very good! Enjoy your weekend.
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ok, I’m going to go with the deep-fried virgins today!
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Rose,
I hope you looked at the pic!
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Hey to you from the great state of IA. I must object to the virgin cooking photo. I think it was faked. She still has her clothes on. A true virgin fry is without clothes, even for the fryers.
Twain was so on the Mark with his observations about congress. Some things never change. He is a good local boy here in the midwest. Grew up about an hour from my hometown.
I hope you eventually can post some video of your world premier bell choir music. Congrats on the gig.
Have an interesting weekend… Jim
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Jim,
Now we have first Onion challenge …. and I’m sure you speak for experience of attending pasts events!
Glad you enjoyed my reading selection about Congress. Meanwhile, you can see our choir here. (We’re a volunteer church choir – but in that category, we do well). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcGjOyVyULA&feature=youtu.be
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Your video raised my appreciation for bell choirs two or three notches. There was a lot going on there. The number was powerful and strong. I’m very impressed.
Were you in the number?
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Bell music can be very involved. Look left of the tallest lady.
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Good morning Frank, it seems we’ve made it to another weekend! As a New Orleans native, and one who ‘was there’, I can assure you the Government’s ‘poor’ response was entirely Obama’s fault. As was the BP oil spill… 😉
Thanks for the mention Frank, and have a GREAT weekend!
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Good Morning Alex … the BP spill too? WOW!!!! Thanks for the real story!!!
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I tell you the man is all-powerful, superhuman. Hi Alex.
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I’m pretty sure he’s also responsible for ‘Swamp People’ also…..
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I just heard that he’s also behind the grassy knoll.
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I have to step outside of the Onion today and go with:
“A friend of ours said he wishes President Obama would come out against eating yellow snow so he can hear FOX News defend eating yellow snow.”
I nearly spewed a mouthful of tea when I read it. Thank goodness I was able to swallow before the laughing out loud commenced. 😀
I always enjoy these posts, Frank, although I don’t always comment. I appreciate the work that goes into gathering all this info and the links. Thank you.
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Robin,
Nearing spewing tea is much better than actually spewing – thus your timing was excellent. Many thanks for your kind words!
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Hobby Lobby!! Hah! I’m sure there’s one up there in DC, looking for their handout and special favors. Subsidies for glue guns!
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SDS,
Glue gun subsidies …. brilliant!
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Happy prepping, Frank!! 🙂
Shall miss the cartoon but I can’t wait to hear!
…and who is the big-named composer?
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That Katrina stat is plain scary Frank and yup Elmore will be missed. Loved his detroit stuff. I met him once at a book signing. He stank of cigarettes.
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GFB,
Yet he lived to 87 … amazing … and it seems your meeting left a lasting impression.
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Now THAT would be an honour!
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Your Shorts: Vol. 194, would take at least 18 holes of golf to thoroughly discuss. Items such as Mark Twain’s comments about lawmakers, Teddy Roosevelt on banning football, and Carl M. Cannon’s dead-on assessment that “Gerrymandering, and its many ripple effects, is the true source of our discontent,” were good. What stopped me in my tracks, however, was the Pew Research article: “The Global Divide on Homosexuality,” and where, and with whom, the U.S. falls in that regard.
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Tim,
It’s good this set kept you a bit off balance.
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Hatch chili time – grill now to have them frozen for all year!
Oh, I blame the state, parish, city, Corp of engineers for the New Orleans mess – we had friends working in NO hospitals and the storm came in and left – the streets dry -until the levies broke. Those had not been maintained as necessary with the special tax money per gallon everyone who ever bought vehicle fuel paid year after year after year – so where did that money go? If you live in LA, you chuckle and know. Corruption, bribes, mafia – all part of the city. (Yes I can talk – we lived there)
Gee, FEMA and the feds are still releasing Hurricane IKE (2008) money…and holding some still after all these years. LA got some more Katrina aid not too long ago. New Jersey needs patience. It takes time.
Speaking of time – enjoy the weekend
(and great headlines as always!)
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Mouse,
Given all that you point out about the Katrina debacle, President Obama is more to blame … simply no question.
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Sure it’s not Hollywood celebrities or the media?…Probably the religious fanatics eager to have another Noah’s flood – that’ll teach everyone who’s right. We’ve had a bit of rain – yea! Hope your weekend has been full of fun
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That’s it … the media, President Obama, and Hollywood celebs are definitely all the cause of the poor response to Katrina. Amazing what dialogue can discover.
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Wait – there’s “news” – it’s a conspiracy with FOX behind it all. HA! We knew it would be revealed someday. Good work
Such a hoot…but it’s Monday and back to ordinary.
(Will pop over shortly to see what’s up now)
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“Washington’s Hobby Lobby Lobbies to Strengthen Hobbies”
That made me genuinely laugh out loud, probably a bit louder than I should have.
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Twixt,
That is classic wording!
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Even we in Australia know it was George Bush who was slow to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. What is going on in Louisiana? xx
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Spiced,
What going on in Louisiana? Well … certainly not much.
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The poor San Andreas fault …
Are you n Ejacob’s side with this video?!?!
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Elyse,
Just trying to do public service.
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I felt so sorry when I heard Elmore Leonard had died. He had a long life…but I will miss him. Lots of good reads here, Frank. I’ll look forward to the book reviews on Mussolini and Orwell, in particular! Hope you have a great weekend. I’ll miss our cartoon, but maybe I’ll find some time to watch a few Rocky and Bullwinkle shows this weekend. I’m overdue!
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Debra,
No cartoon post was because of garage sale weekend and all the prep that goes into it before. Enjoy the reads!
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Frank this is my very favorite series of yours!!
Love the articles, again and as always.
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Val,
Thanks for the kind words.
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Re Obama, typical of a politician to take credit for other people’s debacles,hasn’t he enough of his own? 🙂
Re The Onions, I think “No more Elmore” would have been more appropriate 😉
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Fasab,
Did you know that he is responsible for Putin being in office?
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No I didn’t know that, does Putin?
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Putin knows everything.
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Congrats on the return of the handbell season!
And yes, I would definitely do that longboard run.
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Guap,
Hooray!!!! You saw the longboard reference and video … I figured it was right up your alley!
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Or down it, really really fast! 😉
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🙂 …. and they hit 65 mph! … but I imagine you want faster!
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For a stunt with so many exciting ways to cripple myself, I think 65 mph would be just fine, thanks!
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LOL!
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not an elmore leonard fan in general, but i am for this post.
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Rich,
Elmore Leonard may not have been a big hit in life, but he received many kind words in this post.
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If this line “Washington’s Hobby Lobby Lobbies to Strengthen Hobbies” isn’t a tongue twister for everyone, then I don’t know what is lol. Besides, doesn’t Washington officials have more than enough hobbies lol.
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Kay,
A definite Peter Piper picks a pickled pepper that is harder to remember.
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