Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 201

On Politics
The Incidental Economist is an interesting site for those contemplating health care with a focus on research, an eye on reform.

Here’s an interesting tidbit to ponder. George HW Bush (1988) and Mitt Romney (2008) received the same percentage (59) of the white vote.

Regardless of the party occupying the White House or a party of the senator, no senator should be able to hold up confirmation of a presidential appointee. Therefore, it’s time for the US Senate to change its rules.

Although Republicans are taking a beating in the polls regarding the recent shutdown and debt ceiling issue, many of them remain obstinate.

The 29-member House-Senate budget committee met this week for the first time. Leaders say they have set a low bar for success. I hope the venue for future meetings is large enough to handle the panel and all the sacred cows each of them will bring to the meetings.

The Onion discovered Congress’s plans for improving its approval rating.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
Operate trying to find right work-anxiety-life-anxiety balance
Fun-loving, laid-back woman with a bit of nerdy side joins online dating service
Lonely man pets dog through cracked car window
Girlfriend to stay beneath blanket for next five months
Panicked newborn didn’t realize breathing would be on Apgar Test
Pumpkin clearly had finger in it

Interesting Reads
Sequester and research cuts
A Who Said It quiz from The Onion
Historical graph showing US opinions about the death penalty
One person’s struggle and journey regarding faith and science
New map of the brain
For those enjoying pictures of insects

On Potpourri
If you didn’t see the story about bus driver Darnell Barton, here’s a 2-minute feel- good story.

I’m nervous about this weekend’s music premier because the piece isn’t easy, my part is difficult, I’ve never premiered new music before, and the first time will be at a special celebration dinner. Our handbell choir is 12-14 people playing one instrument, and one person not holding their own affects others.

Here’s an interesting quote (paraphrased) for reflection: Tablets and smartphones in public place keep us from noticing what is happening around us, thus causing to lose our sense of duty to others.

It’s a new month, so November is loaded with monthly celebrations, such as food celebrations as greens & plantains, Georgia pecans, plums & pomegranates, spinach & squash, sweet potatoes, apples, raisin bread, pepper, banana pudding, peanut butter, and fun with fondue. But wait, there’s a variety of month-long celebrations as military appreciation, historic bridges, drums (percussion), inspirational role models, novel writing, sponges, real jewelry, and many more!

Here are your weekend celebrations!
(Weekend) Pumpkin Chunkin Days, Sherlock Holmes Weekend
(Fri) Give Up Your Shouds Day, Family Literacy Day, Prime Meridian Day, Vegan Day, French Fried Clams Day
(Sat) Cookie Monster Day, Plan Your Epitaph Day, Sadie Hawkins Day, Deviled Eggs Day
(Sun) Cliché Day, Jellyfish Day, Sandwich Day, Zero Tasking Day

Thanks to all for completing another act of Time: The Musical and I appreciate the different genres you provide. There are at least two more acts and an epilogue before the curtain closes by the end of the year … but, fear not, a new (yet to be announced) musical is in the works for 2014.

Last week’s cartoon feature honored Roadrunner. The good person behind Lame Adventures is a cartoon connoisseur. Not only did she detect a flaw in the post (which I corrected and I thank her for that), she provided this outstanding piece (by humorist Ian Frazier) about the opening statement in Wile E Coyote’s lawsuit against Acme Company.

I have a Saturday Morning Cartoon post planned for this weekend.

At a concert during my college years, promoters announced the next concert – to which I responded to my good friend, Who and the hell is Lou Reed? Then someone several seats away said, Walk on the Wild Side – and then I knew. The concert never happened, but I think his Rock n Roll Animal live album is a classic. Lou Reed passed away last Sunday at age 71 …. RIP.

Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

On a Favor

Here’s one of my favorite  John Mellencamp songs to serve as background music during this short read … enjoy Paper in Fire.

Not sure I’ve ever requested anything from readers before, but heck, there’s always a first time.

Several of the reasons I changed themes were a wider use of space and the potential for adding subpages. For instance, I added a Schedule subpage to the About page (which you can see if you wish).

Now my favor request for the willing. I’m not an all about me type of person, nor a good self promoter, but I want to add another subpage to the About page labeled Testimonials for newcomers – so, I’m seeking submissions … and yes, selected ones will be linked. I say “selected” because I do have some editorial control.

It can be about anything pertinent to this blog. Some may prefer about a favorite topic as politics, religion & science, travel, life or whatever. Others may prefer to focus on regular features as Monday Morning Entertainment, Satire Bits, Opinions in the Shorts, or Saturday Morning Cartoon Classics.  And yes, you can even submit something about me … but the bottom line is that it’s coming from you and about whatever ….. and originality in your own style or quirky nature is a plus!

Writing them in the comments is fine with me, unless one prefers to use email. In advance, many thanks to my WordPress community.

On Satire Bits: Vol. 75

The first half of the week deliver comfortable weather for Cincinnati. Then again, some rain is approaching, and Halloween forecast is for miserable. That also means I got another pass of the leaves done because rain and wind means more leaves will fall. Meanwhile, I hope your week is going well.

To send you into the Halloween headlines, (and many of you have probably seen this), but one has got to love this costume.

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Given Halloween, I dived into The Onion’s archives to see what I could find. For those who want to make their own spooky headline, make one from the words in these headlines. My combo is below, right before the  holiday musical treat.

Haunted corn maze owner has another conversation with Zombie Number 2 about not touching

Solitary crow on fence post portending doom

Sexy nurse having trouble finding Halloween costume

In-the-know warn Halloween becoming overcommercialized

Haunted tape dispenser unsure how to demonstrate hauntedness

Costume of Rutherford B Hayes is top seller

Amount of Halloween candy down 15%

Trick-or-Treaters to be subject to random bag searches

Zombie nutritionist recommends all-brain diet

Mars might be haunted

My combo: Zombie nutritionist recommends haunted cow, solitary nurse, sexy crow, and Rutherford B. Hayes

… and for those you needing this holiday song from the past, bring on the Monster Mash. Have a good rest of the week.

On Time: The Musical – Act 8

The Story
Time – The Musical is an original A Frank Angle production featuring songs about time.

Program (Past posts)
Act 1: Time
Act 2: Specific Time
Act 3: Years
Act 4: Months
Act 5: Days and Weekdays
Act 6: Weekends
Act 7: Hour(s)

Act 8
Act 8 focuses on songs about short time. Because songs with minute(s) and second(s) are limited, the producer is opening it up to other words as moment, ticks, instant, and others – but beware as words have other meanings outside of the sense of time. Besides pleasing the new producer, an additional challenge for attendees is no duplicates.

Production Note
It has come to my attention that past acts have crashed browsers. Please 1) include the song title and artist in your text, and 2) paste the URL as part of your last line. The latter will provide a link, thus not embed the actual video. But I don’t mind unembedding. .

Announcement
Ladies and gentlemen, to kickoff Act 8 is one of my favorites named after a continent I haven’t visited. A grand AFA welcome to Asia with Heat of the Moment.

On a Monday Sport

Hi there. How was your weekend? What did you do? Did you have good weather?

We weren’t racing around like other weekends, but we still got in a night of ballroom, a dinner-group evening with a Mediterranean theme, visited my mother-in-law as she continues to gain strength and confidence, and a low-key Sunday watching football and walking two miles.

Time: The Musical is the next post with Act B – Brevity, featuring songs with time words as minute(s), second(s), moment(s), tick(s), and other possibilities.

Here are this week’s celebrations

• (Week) Magic Week, Peace Friendship & Good Will Week
• (Mon) Chocolates Day, Lung Health Day, Separation of Church and State Day, Ochi Day (Greece)
• (Tues) Cat Day, Republic Day (Turkey), Gnocchi Day, Pancake Day, Basketball Coaches Day,
• (Wed) Checklist Day, Candy Corn Day, Zero Tasking Day, Haunted Refrigerator Night
• (Thurs) Halloween, Caramel Apples Day, Magic Day, UNICEF Day, Knock-Knock Jokes Day

To start your week with a chuckle, Viveka (our Swedish humorist, photographer, chef, and former dancing maiden) says this is her favorite commercial. Enjoy … and have a good week!