Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 385

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The final act of Pronouns 2: The Musical is this weekend featuring songs Self in the title. Acceptable words are Self, Itself, Herself, Himself, Myself, Ourselves, Yourselves, Themselves, and the original theme – Its (but not It’s). Curtain time is Saturday, 1 AM (Eastern US).

FYI: There will be a very important music announcement before introducing the opening act!

Given the way the holidays fall and my posting plans, this is the final OITS for 2018. Plans are to return the first Thursday/Friday in January.

Cheers! – Although limited, my wife returned to the dance floor last weekend. Simply some dancers are easier on the feet than others. For the other dances, I search for partners.

Friday is the Winter Solstice for those of us in the northern hemisphere. To those that embrace the day, a beautiful video for you.

As reported here, we cut the television cord this past July. At this point, neither of us regret the decision.

Cheers to Cincinnati for its high rating as a city for beer lovers. Here’s the list: Ranking the best US cities for beer drinkers

I must put in a plug for one of my favorite television special shows of the year is on December 26th – the Kennedy Center Honors. For me, this is a can’t miss event. It’s on CBS, so check your local listings.

Hooray for me! Only one more post to get in the queue, and then the rest of 2018 is ready to go. So yes, I’ll be posting – but nothing heavy. Looking forward to 2019!

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It appears President Trump is not going to sign the spending bill, which will lead to a government shutdown – a shutdown he is willing to own. Then again, saying he is willing to own it, admitting he said it, and taking ownership are similar to being on different planets.

As we know, President Trump loves to take responsibility for something good, but skirts responsibility or blames others for bad news. He used to boast about the rising stock market. For some odd reason, he hasn’t said much this year. Our portfolio is moderately conservative. Since our high in late January 2018, our value is down 7.7%.

I think of four governors: Christie (NJ), Brownback (KS), Walker (WI), and Bevin (KY). All were ushered in with a wave of populous conservatism. All eventually suffered high negative ratings – and only popular with the uber conservatives.

Upon hearing the news about the Texas judge declaring The Affordable Care Act (ACA, Obamacare) unconstitutional, my contrarian ways quickly had two thoughts. 1) This puts giddy Republicans in a bind, and 2) because the Act withstood two constitutional challenges at the Supreme Court level, that means the law passed by Republicans that changed the ACA should be reinstated until Congress enacts a replacement.

I close 2018 with my latest thoughts about 2020.

• 99.9% chance of Republicans re-nominating President Trump (down from 100%)
• 65% chance of President Trump being re-elected (down from 80%)
• 0% chance of President Trump getting my vote
• 25% chance of Democrats nominating a candidate that gets my attention

In the spirit of Christmas, this is the perfect gift for President Trump because I know he doesn’t have one.

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To lead you into this week’s dose of satirical headlines and 2019, here’s a double feature. The Onion made me laugh with this reminder of anniversary involving President George W. Bush; plus, important information regarding the 8 most notorious criminals in US history

Weekly Headlines from The Onion (combos welcome)

Everything reminds man of her
Petco employee stocks gerbils by register for impulse buyers
Mortician always keeps hammer at tableside just in case one comes back to life
Scientists still decades away from deciphering wireless bill
Optometrist Sets Pressure Of Air Puff Test Way Higher For Asshole Patients
Excited shopper decides to wear new butt plug out of store

Interesting Reads

A brief history of politics and the papacy
Rome’s vestal virgins
Ancestors drilling holes in our heads
(Graphic) 40 years of the music industry
(Photos) Abundance
(Graphic) The global economy in one chart
(Photos) Tis’ the season around the world (this is enjoyable for the holiday spirit)
(Video) Watch the creation of beautiful art at the World Street Painting Festival

To send you into the weekend and toward 2019, enjoy Perfect with an unexpected duet. The looks on the faces are genuine and priceless! In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

On a Visual of Local History

King Gambrinus is European folk hero and beer aficionado – and traveled to Cincinnati on this mural … but who is he toasting?

Many consider one of the cities leading ladies to be the Roebling Suspension Bridge (the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge)

Cincinnati’s own Genius of Water is the one toasting King Gambrinus while she is leaning against the bridge – but they are actually toasting the city’s beer making tradition.

By 1850, Cincinnati’s population was over 20% German.

The wave of German immigrants into Cincinnati have given this area numerous traditions: such as Oktoberfest Zinzinnati (one of the Oktoberfests outside of Munich), Music Hall (an outstanding venue), and beer.

“Cincinnati is one of the great brewing centers of the continent…. The Cincinnati brewers fear no competition, because the excellence and fame of their brews create a demand for them even in cities whose brewers have a greater aggregate capital invested.” (Over the Rhine Historic Brewery District)

Fertile farmland, excellent transportation options, and the German heritage fueled Cincinnati’s brewing industry.

The first brewery started in 1812, and grew to almost 40. By 1890, Cincinnati brewers production of 1.115 million barrels was the 3rd largest (per capita) in the country.

That’s 40 gallons (151.4 liters) per year for each person resident – including children.

Cincinnati’s breweries and associated activities such as shipping, cooperage, malting, farming, and of course drinking; at one time was one of the largest industries in the city.

Beer gardens became social centers.

Prohibition (11919) drove the brewers and the associated companies out of business. Although many of the buildings still stand today, outside of local craft brewers, Sam Adams is the only active brewer in this part of the city. On a wall outside the Adam’s facility  at 1625 Central Parkway, “Cheers to Cincy, Past and Present” celebrates Cincinnati’s brewery heritage.

Image from ArtWorks site, which is better than mine

PS: Another ArtWorks mural dedicated to beer in Cincinnati is about 10 blocks away.

Additional Information

• This mural is an another project by ArtWorks Cincinnati.
• The ArtWorks page to this mural
• A toast to Resa who inspires me to look at public murals

On a Sugary Monday

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Cincinnati has been warmer than normal this past week. Fortunately, some cooler (and more normal) weather is on the way for the upcoming week … but the warm temperatures didn’t stop us from enjoying our weekend. How did you spend you weekend?

Our weekend was full with two nights on the ballroom floor (including participating in a Quickstep formation), work, and golf. The Quickstep formation wasn’t a train wreck … a good thing, but I’m glad it’s over. Mother’s Day (Sunday in the US) wasn’t big in our house because we don’t have kids, and our mothers passed away in 1987 (mine) and 2013 (my wife’s). I thought the handbell choir did a good job with Morning Is Broken.

Meals: The Musical returns this week. Meat is the Act 4’s theme, so song titles must include meat(s) or any meat. Use a normal menu as a guideline. For instance, beef, steaks, and hamburger are acceptable, but cows are not. Sausage, ham, and pork are acceptable examples, but pigs are not. Seafood items are not acceptable. The producer is amicable to common sense. Curtain time is Wednesday, 9:30 pm (Eastern US).

Celebrations for Your Week

• (Week) Hamburger Week, Craft Beer Week, Bike Week, Saluting to Moms 35+ Week, Reading is Fun Week, Women’s Health Week, Transportation Week, Return to Work Week, Nursing Home Week, Police Week, Food Allergy Awareness Week, Family Week, Work at Home Moms Week, Bike to Work Week, Etiquette Week, Neuropathy Awareness Week, Stuttering Awareness Week
• (Mon) Eat What You Want Day, Hostess Cupcake Day, Root Canal Appreciation Day, Twilight Zone Week, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day, Jigsaw Puzzle Day, Mocha Torte Day, Women’s Check-up Day
• (Tues) Limerick Day, Odometer Day, Nurses Day, Nutty Fudge Day, Fatigue Syndrome Day
• (Wed) Blame Someone Else Day, Crouton Day, Donate a Day’s Wages to Charity Day, Third-Shift Workers Day, Receptionists Day, Apple Pie Day, Fruit Cocktail Day, Leprechaun Day, Cough Drop Day
• (Thurs) Chicken Dance Day, Buttermilk Biscuit Day, Crazy Day, Marshmallow Fluff (Creme) Day

To start your week, here’s Sugar Chile Robinson from a 1946 clip, which means Mr. Robinson is currently 76 years old. Enjoy and have a good week.

On Fun in the Sun

Greetings to everyone and I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

We danced Friday night, and then spent much of Saturday preparing to host friends for dinner. The entire evening was a success, but the next day brought me a low energy level.

Many Americans refer to our northern neighbors as Crazy Canadians. Although that may be true,  others believe that the Aussies from the Land Down Under are even more free-spirited.

Fortunately for readers here, we have several Australians who stop by, and hopefully they will share their legendary stories about this renowned event. Hope everyone has a great week.

On a Beer Symphony

VB, Victoria Bitter, has the highest market share of the beers in Australia. Personally, I’ve never heard of VB – then again I don’t claim to know much about beers. However, given a commercial like this one, I can understand why VB is a top seller. For your Monday entertainment, enjoy this beer bottle symphony. Have a good week!