Benghazi

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Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 220

On Politics
Is there a difference between a politician rebranding, repositioning, or evolving for personal gain and lying?

As the Benghazi beat goes on, I ponder this question: White House spin and Republican conspiracy theories? After all, both ways produce misinformation.

The kidnapping of the Nigerian girls is sad and pathetic. However, the conservative spin doctors have amazingly determined the real cause of Boko Haram’s actions – Hillary Clinton! Read it for yourself here. It’s probably safe to say that if she wasn’t a strong potential 2016 candidate for the Democrats, she wouldn’t have been blamed.

With many political pundits focusing on former Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL) as a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2016, I found this article interesting.

When it comes to caring for veterans, both parties are woefully inadequate.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

  • Stone-hearted ice witch forgoes exclamation point
  • Study: Seeing Jesus in toast is perfectly normal
  • Pharmaceutical industry reeling as more mom’s making vaccines at home
  • Opposing team terrified after seeing home fans all wearing same color t-shirt
  • Budget woes force Heaven to reduce eternal life to 500 billion years
  • Report: Growing number of Americans forced to make ends meet by collaborating on song with Pitbull

Bonus Tips from The Onion

Interesting Reads

On Potpourri
The coal mining accident in Turkey is horrible. Peace and strength to all involved and affected.

Multiple US cities are hosting the Great American Beer Run, in which participates get a pint of craft beer every half mile (800 meters). The event’s FAQ page is a good one.

Running events are common fundraisers. In Cincinnati last weekend one charity effort involved running .05K …. that’s 164 feet (50 meters).

Wow – the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial Museum was quite moving.

The current season of Dancing with the Stars is nearing an end. Overall, the dancing has been very good. As in past years, viewer voting did something stupid. How and the heck could Charlie White get the lowest number of votes?

Life: The Musical returns next week, so I will announce the Act 4 theme on the next edition of Monday Morning Entertainment.

Time has worked against me this week, so no Saturday Morning Cartoon Classic post this weekend.

Your weekend celebrations

  • (Fri) Bats Day, Biographer’s Day, Endangered Species Day, Virtual Assistants Day, O. Henry Pun-Off Day, NASCAR Day, Bike to Work Day, Pizza Party Day, Spaghetti-Os Day, Sea Monkey Day, Pickle Day, Piercing Day, Coquilles St. Jacques Day
  • (Sat) Mike: the Headless Chicken Day, Armed Forces Day, Morel Mushroom Day, Merry-Go-Round Day, Rat Pack Day, Hypertension Day, Turn Beauty Inside Out Day, Information Society Day, Telecommunications Day, Neurofibromatosis Day, Cherry Cobbler Day
  • (Sun) I Love Reeses Day, Museum Day, HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, Mother Whistler Day, Neighbor Day, Visit Your Relatives Day, Cheese Souffle Day, No Dirty Dishes Day

To send you into the weekend, let’s travel back to 1965 when. Dominigo Zamudio had the first Billboard Number One Record of the Year that never made it to #1 on any week – a feat that stood alone for 35 years. Dominigo Zamudio? Yep – he’s also known as Sam. Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

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Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 208

On Politics
In today’s polarized political atmosphere, I imagine one’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction with government is highly correlated with one’s political party and the party in power. Here’s a recent Gallup poll about Americans satisfaction with government.

Some like to complain about spending by the Department of Defense (DoD). As with any government agency, the DoD is subject to inefficiency. However, as it continues to trim its budget, the lawmakers inflate DoD spending by appropriating for equipment that the DoD doesn’t want. Here’s an interesting article.

In a response to what I wrote in last week’s OITS about Gov. Christie’s (R-NJ) situation, I appreciate this comment from Cayman (@Drinks Well With Others): “As much as I like the guy, the Governor cannot claim the buck stops here on the one hand and then play this off as someone else’s doing on the other. Not when these geniuses were hand-picked by him, he can’t.”

Politicians love pointing the finger elsewhere, thus one reason why I enjoyed this column about accountability by columnist Ruth Marcus. 

The warped nature of political philosophy continues to creep into daily life as the other day I heard a radio ad for Conservative Tours dot com. Sounds like the perfect tour for someone needing to be told what they want to hear.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
Inclement weather prevents liar from getting to work
Report: Lake ice grows safer to venture out on with each beer consumed
Hundreds feared dead in Coors Light Party Train crash
Sports media unsure how to fit Super Bowl coverage into two weeks
Beauty industry announces new initiative to make women self-conscious about their palms

Interesting Reads
Columnist David Ignatius on Benghazi
For the investors, here’s an interesting chart about the performance of different assets
Deaths and antibody resistance
Leadership and infrastructure
An interview by Forbes with the writer of the Evolution Basics series (I love the Forbes title)

On Potpourri
The curtain closed on the successful run of Time: The Musical. After the regimented nature of the previous acts, it seems my wide-open closing requirement surprised some readers – so the producer will be receiving a medical evaluation. I hope to unveil the next musical right here in the OITS: Vol. 209.

Except for a few minor notes, our home did well with the buyer’s inspector, thus things continue to progress in a positive direction. Meanwhile, it’s time for the bitter cold to get out-of-town!

Sorry, but because of time demands, Saturday Morning Cartoons continues its hiatus until further notice.

From the Who-Cares file, is anyone surprised about the trouble finding Justin Bieber? Why are Jon and Kate Gosselin still in the news?

Here are your weekend celebrations

  • (Fri) Beer Can Appreciation Day, Compliment Day, Peanut Butter Day, Eskimo Pie Day, Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day, Speak Up and Succeed Day
  • (Sat) Irish Coffee Day, Seed Swap day, Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day
  • (Sun) Peanut Brittle Day, Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement, Australia Day, India Day

Let’s use a dose of my high school days to send everyone into the weekend. It’s one of my all-time favorite songs, so cheers to The Stampeders from Canada with Sweet City Woman. Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

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On Parties and the Partisans

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissention, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders & miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security & repose in the absolute power of an Individual: and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.” — George Washington, September 19, 1796, Farewell Address

As we watch the current uproar regarding the event of Benghazi, sadly and shamefully, this is the way Washington works. Regardless who occupies the White House, regardless who controls Congress, our elected officials are primarily about spin – spin to protect an ideology, advancing a political point of view, and setting the course for the next election.  With spin favoring manipulating facts, or even worse, lying, truth and integrity are two of the casualties. With many, if not the majority, of Americans aligning themselves with a preferential political party and relying on biased perspectives, who are the real winners and losers?

The recent IRS news is another example. Congress is jumping into the fray with various committee hearings, which are actually prime opportunities for predictable political grandstanding. Besides taking advantage of diversions to avoid critical issues, the committees probably will not address this key question: Do political groups fit the definition for 501-C4 tax exemption as an organization organized for profit but operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare.

The answer: Absolutely, because they act in the welfare of most (if not every) elected official in Washington!

FYI: I wrote the above before reading these two good reads: a column by Ruth Marcus and this commentary from Roll Call.