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Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 379

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Pronouns: The Musical is continues this weekend with the final act featuring songs with It in the title. Caution: It and It’s are acceptable, but not Its. Don’t rely on YouTube getting it right! Curtain time is Saturday at 1:00 am (Eastern US).

I may have one or two important announcement by Tuesday. If so, there would be one or two new pages/tabs. So be watching for the Special page/tab and the Challenge page/tab.

This week marked the renewal of a Halloween tradition in our condo neighborhood. The adults get together for an outdoor social so the candy seekers can have a one-stop feast.

A new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe examines cruising. Being that we enjoy cruising, we felt that his assessment of cruising was very fair.

Amazing how each of us have encounters that hit us in different ways. I want to share four of mine from last week

My wife recently had a toe surgery involving a cartilage implant. November will be a slow month here, so my dancing is on hold – well, unless she either goes along to watch and socialize or she wants me away for a few hours. Meanwhile, I’ve come a butler.

Stephen Colbert make me laugh. This 2+ minute clip is very good spoof on commentator Lou Dobbs.

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I can honestly say President Trump will not impact any of my votes on Election Day. For the record, my ballot has races for Governor, other state offices, Senator, Representative, the state legislature, and local races.

Given next week’s midterm elections, I’m raising the odds of the Democrats gaining control of the House to 90%, but retain the 10% odds of the Republicans losing control of the Senate.

From my perspective, there is no difference between the Democratic party attacks on the Koch Brothers and Republican party attacks on George Soros. Of course, during an election, neither party is willing to look within themselves.

Last week was difficult: mailing of bombs to prominent people – a shooting at a grocery store in Kentucky – a mass shooting at a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh – all three incident by loners with unhinged, deranged minds. Unfortunately, predictable statements about gun control and the Second Amendment again come forth. Whereas the focus continues to be the last 14 words of the Second Amendment, I continue to say the key to the debate is the first 13 words. After all, those are the words not on the lobby wall at NRA headquarters.

To understand the problems in today’s America, find a copy of the Roundtable discussion on This Week with George Stephanopoulos (28 October 2018).

Being that we are living in a time of a self-centered, bloviating, obnoxious, dishonest jackass holding the office of the leader of the free world, I hope you visited at least one of the four links listed in the previous section. Cheers to Master Yoda’s comment that is very applicable today.

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To lead you into this week’s dose of satirical headlines, The Onion reports the latest on the Trump boys. 

Weekly Headlines from The Onion (combos welcome)

Man exhausted having to explain Halloween costume for the umteenth time
Area man always carb-loading just in case
Polite high school football team runs around banner that took hours to make
Study finds placing one foot forward, then the other, remains best method of walking
Parents honor beloved dead grandmother by naming baby ‘GamGam’
Rash not going away on its own

Interesting Reads

100 years after the Armistice
10 countries gone after the Cold War
A Jew’s life between the wars
The complexity of 10 simple things
Building a Moon base: a how to
(Graphic) Growth, GDP, countries, over time
(Pictures) High water in Venice (and to think I was there 21 days before these pictures)
(Pictures) Mexico City’s Day of the Dead parade

To send you into the weekend and into the midterm elections, here’s that is applicable for me and a few of the readers here. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

42 thoughts on “Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 379”

    • Cindy,
      As I’ve said before, he is a pathetic person and an even worse leader. He thrives on lying and exaggeration, but the worst part is that his minions believe him and/or accept it.

      Like

      Reply

  3. I don’t usually comment on American politics, because I know so little, but since you mentioned the violence we saw this week… I heard that your president is considering changing the rule about automatic citizenship to anyone who is born in the US. Since that is a constitutional ruling, I thought it might open the possibility of changing the gun laws. Maybe even a trade off? What do you think?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Shimon,

      As he often does, President Trump just says crap. Some observes believe that he made the statement just to rally his base before the election. The rule is part of the Constitution, and the Constitution clearly states the process for changing it … and an Executive Order is not the way. Even a negotiated trade off would NOT change anything because that it also outside the process.

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      • You know, Frank, since getting your reply I’ve been taken aback and disappointed. I would never have expected you to say such a thing… as you did about the president of the US… especially since you take the trouble to ask everyone who comments on your blog to ‘comment with respect’. From the time I first met you, I had the impression that you were a moderate person and a thinker. What makes you so anxious to get into a mud fight? Do you believe that speaking the way he does will bring you credit or respect?

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        • Shimon,
          I graciously and respectfully take your criticism. Very seldom does a day pass when we don’t hear him lie, exaggerate, distort, blame, or even wrongly boasts. In the past, I could disagree with a president, but that didn’t mean he was wrong. But this man is a divider – although in his vocabulary, uniting is not currently in his vision. I didn’t vote for the man, but I was willing to give him a chance. Maybe I’ve reached my breaking point. Nonetheless, the Constitution is what it is and defines how it to change it – and for a president who to an oath to uphold the Constitution to say something so blatantly wrong is very poor judgment on his part – and (in my opinion) a sign that he is unfit to hold the office. Nonetheless, thanks for you putting my on the spot.

          Liked by 1 person

  4. From Greta’s blog:

    What do not require courage or humility are watching the TV news late at night and rudely tweeting at the nation in the early hours.

    What then to make of anyone running for office who supports such a person?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. Thanks for the article on “the complexity of 10 simple things.” A good brain workout. Proving that 1 + ! = 2, however, seems downright silly. Bertrand Russell was no doubt a very smart guy but this one seems to show he has some P. T. Barnum in him. I say this not as a math whiz but as someone who managed to struggle from arithmetic through calculus II. Anyway, context is everything in most of the examples, all of which show both the flexibility of language and its limitations. It’s fun in the same way that Alice in Wonderland is fun, yes?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Jim,
      I see your point. I picked the article because it was different and it would give those who read it something to consider. Then again, not everyone reacts the same way – which is Ok.

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      Reply

  7. I don’t have time to visit the many links here now, Frank. But I’m hoping for change after Tuesday. This past week has been extra hard, and dt just keeps spewing hateful rhetoric.
    I hope your wife has an speedy recovery!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Merril,
      No apologies necessary. After all, everyone has limited time – and sometimes more limited than others. Meanwhile, DT is pathetic – and that’s coming from me – one who didn’t vote for him but willing to give him a chance.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  8. The read “How to build a Moon base” gave me a lift. Same for my brain from all the articles on the website listverse.com.

    I dodged splats from all the Onions except the third one, but got the best plastering from the sums-it-up comment by cindy knoke.

    I put the first sentence of your reply to ShimonZ on my refrigerator.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. I am just fine being stuck in the middle with you. I am hopeful about the election next week, but know I am likely to be disappointed. No matter what, we need to just keep moving forward. That is easier to do when there are real Cinderella’s in the world being responsive to a little girl. Looking forward to your announcements.

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  11. Cincy,

    The perfect song for this post! Well played good sir . . .

    And yes, yes, and double yes. Regulations! It’s unfathomable that we do not address this, have not addressed this, are playing political football with this.

    As for Trump, he was caught in a lie (again) regarding his statement that people who throw rocks should be treated as if they are firing rifles- a tone deaf and totally disrespectful intimation given recent events. He denied it, but the tape is out there. Unbelievable.

    Anyways . . thank goodness for football, of any kind.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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