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Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 244

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Although I wonder about the political nature of the Senate report on torture and subsequent comments, no waterboarding means no waterboarding. – no ifs, no buts, and no rewriting and no reinterpretation – no means no. What part of “NO” don’t Washington and the political hacks understand? On the other hand, I’m against indictments and trials for high-level decision makers.

As Congress continues to deliberate a bill to fund the government, all the other stuff attached to the bill is more confirmation of why Washington has a low approval rating.

With gas prices falling, I suggest that if they were rising, it would be President Obama’s fault.

My heart goes out to Filipinos as they deal with the Typhoon Hagupit.

Recent community-police incidents have brought the need for improved community-police relations and interactions. In order for improvement to occur, and instead of quickly pointing the finger elsewhere, it starts with everyone taking a deep look into the mirror at themselves.

Although it was sad to see a university disband it’s football team, which centers around the madness of the money chase by college athletics. But as in life, competition is fierce, and with competition comes casualties … all because college athletics has sold their integrity.

Speaking of college football, the Big 12 has only itself to blame for not getting a team in the final four, and TCU and Baylor didn’t help themselves with their nonconference schedule. In other words, I suggest some inward reflection. Then again, maybe this conference desires to make less money and become the perennial Cotton Bowl host.

Last Saturday was the last home for the University of Cincinnati football game at the professional Bengals stadium, the temporary home during on-campus renovations. I look forward to return to games on campus. They played this 82-second video to the crowd toward the end of last week’s game, which the crowd appreciated. After all, Nippert Stadium is a unique venue in the center of campus. (past post)

Saturday is the big day for my 2014 holiday party. Doors open at 3 AM (Eastern US) … and remains open the entire weekend. Santa visits around 3 PM Sunday, so hope you return to visit Santa and tell him your holiday wish.

Visit the Banned Toys Museum to discover if you had any of top banned toys. Of the Top 10 and the Honorable Mention, I only had two. How about you?

I’m currently reading Bill Nye’s new book – Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation – thus expect a book review in 2015.

Yesterday’s Life: The Musical  delivered another fabulous set of music. With so many songs available, maybe the future will give us Bummed: The Musical. This was Act 14, and for those wondering, the current plan involves 3 more acts, so it will carryover into 2015.

The front page of Thursday’s Wall Street Journal included an article about being Noodle Ring Day – and that made me smile.

The next Saturday Morning Cartoon post will wait until 2015.

To lead you into The Onion, see this unexpected collaborative business marketing effort.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

  • Royal couple spent the $36.21 Queen had left over from 2010 US visit
  • World’s oldest woman pleased that every other human on earth when she was born are now dead
  • Michelle Obama reassigned to Department of Agriculture after butting heads with the president
  • Area theater has strict rules against bringing in outside movies
  • Stressed-out CVS back to selling cigarettes after only 3 months
  • Pope rummaging through Vatican basement for plastic nativity scene figures
  • High school band director spends 85% of rehearsal hammering in dress code for holiday concert

Interesting Reads

Your Weekend Celebrations

  • (Fri) Lost & Found Day, Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, Ding-a-Ling Day, Gingerbread House Day, Ambrosia Day, Poinsettia Day, 12-hour Fresh Breath Day, Day of the Virgin Day
  • (Sat) Violin Day, Day of the Horse, Tic-Tac-Toe Day (Naughts & Crosses Day), Pick a Pathologist Pal Day, Cocoa Day, Gingerbread Decorating Day, Shareware Day
  • (Sun) Monkey Day, DNA Day, Candle Lighting Day, Choral Day, Bouillabaisse Day

Here’s another 2-fer from two big-time pop piano players to send you into the weekend. The first is an extension of Life: The Musical’s recent act, while the second takes us back to a 1969 rock opera. Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

65 thoughts on “Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 244”

  2. I had clackers and yard darts as a kid. My kids had one of those Yo-Yo water balls. When my oldest was about seven, he was swinging it around in the backseat of the car, when all of a sudden I felt this odd splash on the back of my neck and the side of my face. The ball had burst, and I was bathed in its inner juices. Ugh.

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  4. I didn’t have too many commercial toys as a kid and as a parent used common sense so I didn’t need the state to ban things on my children’s behalf. Common sense appears to have died somewhere in the last two decades. #1 is a doozy though huh? Maybe that was what killed common sense!

    I hope I don’t miss Santa!

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  5. I heard Bill Nye on the radio the other day… he’s really taken off the gloves on this evolution ‘debate’, definitely going beyond the kiddie audience. What a schmuck. Of COURSE dinosaurs and humans co-existed, otherwise how would we know what they look like???? Sheesh.

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    • Trent,
      Mr. Nye is making the rounds … after all, part of his author obligations is to promote the book! Then he’s also a good spokesperson and has the ability to explain things in a casual way. Regarding dinosaurs and humans co-existing … duh … The Flintstones!

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      • Yes! The Flintstones prove my point exactly! By the way, there is mention of dragon-like creatures in the bible, and many a biblical scholar points to that as proof that dinosaurs were actually around in old testament times. I dunno. I just would have thought that the impression of massive, carniverous reptiles would have been more deeply imprinted and described somehow…

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        • And a reminder to you … the Creation Museum, the place that hosted the debate involving Bill Nye, is in the Cincinnati area … and to my estimation, a bit less than an hour’s drive (and one that the odds of me taking is very small).

          FYI: The Holiday Party is still going on … so I hope you pop over.

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  6. I had Clackers, Frank, and about a thousand bruises on my arms until I figured out how to use them. My mother was livid when she realized what I’d done to myself, but by then I knew what I was doing with them. So she let me keep them, but she wasn’t happy about it at all.

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  7. As always Frank, the reads were great. I loved the map, very cool. Paranoia as a Weapon, very interesting.

    I will take Saturday.

    Congress continues to play games. I despise them and think they should all be tossed out on their azzes.

    As for toys, yeah had a few so did my kids. Oh well, we all live dangerously.

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    • Val,
      You know that I’ve stated “Throw them all out” on more than one occasion. Glad you enjoyed the reads. The map is interesting to me … wow .. has that map changed in 100 years! Do you recall which toys you had?

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      • We had Clackers or something that looked very much like them, all of us played with these in the neighborhood and there were more than a few ‘accidents’. Lawn Darts were a staple at family get togethers’, couldn’t have fun and games without them. My brother had several labs and I am fairly certain the Atomic Energy Lab was one of them.

        My kids had the Battlestar Missile Launcher if I am not mistaken.

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  8. “Stressed-out CVS back to selling cigarettes after only 3 months” is, sadly, probably true, but I plan anyway to stop by one today to check it out. Also, concerning the band director who spent 85% of the band period talking about the Holiday Concert dress code, it could have been a shortened period caused by a 90 minute delay snow day.

    Great video for one of my all-time favorite rock tunes – “Pinball Wizard” written by Peter Townshend.

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  9. Interestingly enough, regarding the torture report: aside from water boarding (there are other water techniques used), everything that is done, has been done, to alleged terrorists is done daily in U.S prisons, to American prisoners. As far as the release of the report, just another tactic of diversion. And as cynical as this may sound, it’s fodder for the military-industrial complex. Incite, incite, incite. Gotta keep the war wheel going.

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  11. ” suggest some inward reflection”. Pretty astute advice for most of what is going on now.
    Thoughts to all those affected by Typhoon Hagupit and all those in the streets of Hong Kong struggling against an oppressive government that lies. (and upon reflection, people here should consider and contemplate life there?)
    Banned toys! (You’ll shoot out your eye!) Did you see the list of STEM toys that were supposed to “exercise kid’s minds”(Donahue of Chicago Tribune)? Really? 2 Frozen dolls (one sings the Frozen songs!), action figures, a toy tow truck with big wheels (make the appropriate noises) At least a Tinker toy set was included…and a girlish lego-type kit that build 3 pink models (pictures and instructions given). Yep, those are really going to encourage creative and higher level thinking! How about some cardboard boxes?
    Smiles sent, Frank. See ya’ at the party!

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  12. Bonjour Frank. Toys -I had none on the list, which is probably an indication of economic restraint exercised by my parents. As long as I had crayons, paper and or wall space I was a happy camper. To this day my drawings appear in my childhood bedroom closet in my mother’s house, despite layers of paint applied over half a century later. Did I just say half a century. And it’s hard to believe Sir Elton was that young once. Sorry am going to neglect commenting on recent events over yonder d’r. As I hear myself sounding like the broken record -it is virtually impossible for change to come given the constitution. Its just easier to sit in my room and play with my etch-a-sketch.

    Have a good one Frank

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  14. We were way too poor to have toys as kids, as there were too many of us. But our folks loved us to the point where they were always bending the rules. There was a lot of encouraging to ‘run with the scissors’ and ‘ask for candy from strangers.’
    Can’t wait to read Bill’s new book. Hope it’s a cracker.
    Cheers!

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    • Peak,
      Running with Scissors is a timeless game! Meanwhile, I like Bill’s book. It’s not a book for the meat-and-potatoes folks, but it’s good for an important audience. Ooops … I’ll wait to explain more.

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  15. Dear Frank–apologies for my lack of attention here recently. Nothing personal, I assure you–just slam-jammed with stuff in December. Hope to be more “comment-y” in the New Year–God bless you!

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  17. Fascinating article about Newton.. Though it seems to me that there was too much emphasis on his lack of social graces. After all, with whom would we prefer to converse, a genius, or Mr. Nice Guy?

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      • I think we have to be careful about what we call a lousy personality. We usually give extra credits for social skills. But there are many reasons for some to avoid social contact; to prefer solitude, or working alone. In the case of Newton, his unhappy childhood, and the fact that most people around him didn’t really understand those subjects that most interested him, might have been an understandable reason for an anti social tendency.

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  19. I am all for the Gas prices falling Frank.. Its the cheapest here in a while.. Now £1-12p here a Litre.. yes not a gallon.. It was as High as £1 45p .. So we shall be able to Party.. but no drink driving! 🙂 I hope you enjoyed your party.. 🙂

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