Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 398

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Greetings. Last week was one of those rare weeks without an OITS. I was behind on the writing and replying to comments on the previous post – so I decided to pass.

Hey hey hey – 2 to go to #400! Visit #400,000 may happen during the upcoming week – but maybe not.

FYI: I’m aiming for the next concert to be on Saturday, June 8th.

My Quickstep routine is in the books. Good news: We didn’t crash and burn. (FYI: Quickstep is not an easy dance.) We successful got through it and my partner was thrilled! For me, we did well – but I’m a tough critic on myself, so I only get a C. My partner and I have the same instructor, who choreographed a routine around this scene from An American in Paris – but we danced to this Bobby Darin version of I Got Rhythm that is definitely aerobic.

We recently wrapped up another season of handbells and ushering.

• The last handbell piece was Shalom Chaverim. An interesting piece that you can watch a large choir in Japan play. Click here
• The last play was Tiny House, a new play as a joint effort between the Cincinnati and Cleveland theaters. A fun play – and the building of the tiny house was interesting to witness. Thumbs up if it ever comes to your area. Here are two reviews (one from each city): Cincinnati and Cleveland
• Of the personalities who died this week, I’m connected with two. Doris Day was born and raised in Cincinnati. Comedian Tim Conway and I graduated from the same university (Bowling Green).

If you like rich and creamy, Graeter’s (of Cincinnati) is a fabulous ice cream (past post). They recently introduced a new summer flavor – Malted Pretzel Ball – so, I’ll be trying very soon.

Some may recall that John Roebling built Cincinnati’s suspension bridge before the more famous Brooklyn Bridge. Click here for a short (less than 2 minute) video of the bridge done by a local TV station.

As a viewer of the CBS Evening News, I already miss anchor Jeff Glor – but look forward to Norah O’Donnell anchoring later this year.

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The Democratic field of presidential candidates continues to grow. Now at 24, let’s go for 30! On the other hand, I wonder about the end game of the majority of the field.

This week the Alabama state government passed the most restrictive abortion bill in the country. Although their intent is to challenge Roe v Wade in the Supreme Court, I simply say patriotism, morality, and civic duty cannot be legislated.

I have long been a critic of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Her recent comment about AG Barr lying made me wince. On the other hand, I acknowledge the difficult task she has with her current caucus, and she has been done well during this difficult time.

To describe the current situation in Washington, while some proclaim Constitutional crisis – but I prefer institutional crisis.

Here’s an example of the goofy far right of Republicans. My state senator wants to ban insurance coverage of abortions except for re-implanting an ectopic pregnancy into the uterus. Interestingly, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the procedure doesn’t exist. The senator disagrees.

According to President Trump, Hungarian authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is doing “a tremendous job” and “respect all over Europe”. Sorry to say, that comment is not a surprise and follows praise of other authoritarian leaders from Russia, North Korea, and Turkey.

I grew up in the portion of Ohio that mined coal. Being along the Ohio River, multiple coal-burning power are still located nearby. Because we know President Trump vowed to revive the coal industry, here’s an interesting article about the source of energy for Ohioans.

To lead you into the weekly dose of satire, The Onion provides tips for going through a divorce.

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Weekly Headlines from The Onion (combos welcome)

Man starting to think only reason people hanging out with him because they are on same jury
Dress that would have forever altered course of woman’s life patted, placed back on rack
Dissatisfied Taco Bell customer goes rogue
Unsettling study finds two cousins technically fair game
Charity pairs naughty hags with children who taste good in stew
New blender changes guy’s life

Interesting Reads

How much of the Internet is fake
Ancient humans
Nazi looted painting
A camel festival in Mongolia
Enduring McCarthyism
(Graphic) Countries with the worst bad loan ratio
(Photos) Food photography
(Photos) Bikers in Hanoi

To send you into the weekend and as a tribute to Cincinnati treasure Doris Day, it’s time for a Sentimental Journey. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.(NOTE; The video will NOT play embedded here. After you click the video below, then click Watch this video on YouTube.)

On Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 31

On Tom Watson
To some, Tom Watson’s run at The Open was bad for the game. To others, it was great. Although I find it hard to believe that some would be rooting against him, they were clearly not the majority. Given the competitive nature of any athlete at that level, the loss must be tearing through him. And to think that after a good tee shot on 18, the second shot landing 5 feet shorter would probably have produced a different result. Although I congratulate Stewart Cink for the win and being a class act, my heart sank too.

On Walter Cronkite
Last night CBS preempted 60 Minutes for a tribute show to Walter Cronkite. Now that was great hour about the genuine newsman oozing with integrity.

On Sotomayor
The recent hearings did confirm that Washington is not about the people. Let’s face it, Republicans main opposition is for 2 reasons: the Democratic nominator and the judge may rule against their special interests – similar Democrats previously opposed President Bush nominees. Given the way opposition came out before her nomination, continued a short time after the nomination, and committee senators proclaiming their position before the hearing, one thing is confirmed – the pathetic nature of senators acting in accordance to their special interests.

On Abortion
Abortion is always a hot topic and there’s nothing like a Supreme Court opening to stimulate the emotions; so here’s something to consider. Regardless if Roe v Wade remains or is overturned; regardless of the national or state legislation, mandating morality through either the courts or legislation doesn’t make people more moral.

On a Second Stimulus Bill
Some politicians and economists are considering a second stimulus bill. Even though the economy continues to struggle and unemployment continues to rise, it’s time to chime in. The second would actually be the third; that is if one recalls President Bush’s last one late in his term. Since Congress didn’t come close to my suggestions on the last stimulus, odds of my support would be slim.

On Krathhammer
I enjoy a range of columnists, but I’ve been wondering if Washington Post columnist Charles Krathhammer is sleeping well. Since the election he seems in continual misery with President Obama. Since he’s more of a partisan than a voice of reason, I’ve scratched him from my preferred columnist list.

On Healthcare Reform
What a mess! Unfortunately, there’s probably a decent compromise bill that would work that neither party will support.

On Religion and Evolution
My personal growth on this topic continues. Although I’ve also studied position statements and articles, I’m currently reading Can You Believe in God and Evolution?: A Guide for the Perplexed by Ted Peters and Martinez Hewlett. The bibliography on this journey is well onto a second page.