Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 253

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Interesting how much Governor Mike Pence (R-IN) danced around answering questions about recent religious freedom legislation in his state, then changed his dance. Answering questions with direct truth must be against a politician’s credo … and the Republicans don’t have a corner on that market.

In this speech announcing his candidacy for the 2016, Republican presidential nomination, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) stated, “It is the time for truth” – and in that spirit, here’s a fact-check of his speech.

The Naked Cowboy is one of New York City’s multitude of personalities. Did you know he is from Cincinnati and a University of Cincinnati graduate? Here he is.

We booked a future vacation with Vacations To Go. A tip-of-the-cap to them for discovering a mistake at their end AND correcting it beyond our satisfaction.

Monday is Opening Day in Cincinnati, which means baseball season starts. If the weather is nice, I hope to spend a few hours in the city among the many dressed in red. As of now, the weather is iffy.

My time for reading your wonderful blogs continues to be small. Yuk!

Thursday was our 38th anniversary, thus a tribute to 38 is about ready. Because I know the throngs outside the aFa Theater for the Performing Arts were getting restless, I chose to debut the musical on our anniversary instead of next week. Nonetheless, we had a wonderful dinner at this local restaurant.

Opening Night for Meals: The Musical provided quiet the variety of songs, so we are off and running. To my surprise, you provided more songs that I didn’t know. 🙂 I believe Act 2 will be easier than Act 1, but you will have to wait for the theme.

My selection of Frank Zappa opening Meals: The Musical surprised some. Here’s an interesting explanation of the musicality behind St. Alfonzo’s Pancake House.

Last week’s Explore took us to the Iguazu Falls along the Argentina-Brazil border. It turns out the a visitor here posted about her visit, which brings a personal touch to this wonder. Thanks, Madhu!

Prepare yourself for a journey on the Explore series this weekend.

To lead you into The Onion, here’s their take on paying college athletes.

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This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
Siblings quietly relieved oldest brother setting bar so low
Cost-cutting measures force company to start hiring more female employees
Man who baked banana bread spends entire party anxiously watching it go uneaten
Senior citizen keeps mind active by contemplating death
Man thinks going to Vegas for things other than gambling somehow less sad

Interesting Reads
Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech that mentions my birthplace
The grand piano in Gaza
Studying the DNA of a nation
From National Geographic: Why Do Many Reasonable People Doubt Science?
Urine-based recharging of phones
A Nazi hangout in Argentina?
Technology improving sex

Your Weekend Celebrations

• (Fri) Chocolate Mousse Day, Walk to Work Day, Hot Cross Buns Day, World Party Day, Workplace Napping Day, Sow the Seeds of Greatness Day, Don’t Go to Work Unless It’s Fun Day, Tweed Day, Pony Express Day, Find a Rainbow Day
• (Sat) Walk Around Things Day, Vitamin C Day, Hug a Newsperson Day, Chicken Cordon Bleu Day, Tangible Karma Day, Rat Day, Birding Day, Victims of Violence Day, Tell a Lie Day, Square Root Day, Kids Kick Butts Day (anti-tobacco), Pillow Fight Day, Every Day is a Tag Day, Chocolate Milk Powder Day, Mine Awareness Day
• (Sun) Lava Lamp Day, Bell Bottoms Day, Deep Dish Pizza Day, Plum Pudding Day, Go for Broke Day, Caramel Day, Read a Roadmap Day, Raisin & Spice Day, Dandelion Day, Stories Day, Check Your Batteries Day, Baked Ham & Pineapple Day, Accelerate ACL Awareness Among Young Women Day

Here’s a 2-fer to send you into the weekend. First is a leftover from Act 1, while the second has a fitting title for the 2-fer. Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

(Double Vision, Foreigner)

On Dirty-Dancing Monday

Another weekend has gone. Hopefully, the last blast of cold weather has left us. How was your weekend? Come on … inquiring minds want to know!

Surprise, surprise – ours was full with my work, a night of ballroom (where we struggled as both of us were very tired), a trip to IKEA (I’ve never seen so many people in any store at one time), dinner at a friend’s house, and Quickstep formation practice.

Considering that this week is the opening for Meals: The Musical, the start of a new month, our wedding anniversary, and the Easter weekend, this could be a week of posts that are out of the routine – in other words, time will tell how it unfolds. Meanwhile, I have my share of work to catch up on visiting.

A reminder that Opening Night for Meals: The Musical is Wednesday, 9:30 pm (Eastern US). Songs for Act 1 must include any of the following words in the title: Meal(s), Breakfast, Lunch, Lunchtime, Brunch, Dinner, Dinnertime, Supper, Snack, Snacktime, or Food(s).

Thanks to those providing corrections regarding the rollover information in the sidebar featuring other blogs.

Celebrations for Your Week

• (Week) Nano Day, Week of the Ocean – (Starting Wed) Publicity Stunt Week, Be Kind to Spiders Week, Popper Scooper Week, Golden Rule Week, Laugh at Work Week, Medication Safety Week, Testicular Cancer Awareness Week
• (Mon) Turkey Neck Soup Day, Hot Dog Day, Pencil with an Eraser Day, Egg Incubator Day, Double-Deck Bridge Day, Alaska Purchase Day, Bi-Polar Day, Take a Walk in the Park Day, Van Gogh Day, I Am in Control Day, No Homework Day, Doctors Day, Grass is Always Browner on the Other Side of the Fence
• (Tues) Coloring Crayon Day, Bunsen Burner Day, Sleep Apnea Day, Hug a Medielvalist Day, Eiffel Tower Day, Tater Day, Clams on the Half-shell Day, Orange & Lemons Day
• (Wed) April Fools Day, Fun Day, Boomer Bonus Days, Tatting Day, Library Snap Shot Day, Myles Day, Day of Hope, Fun at Work Day, Walking Day, Poetry & the Creative Mind Day, Reading is Funny Day, Whole Grain Sampling Day, Sourdough Bread Day, Check Your Batteries Day, Sliced Bread Day, One Cent Day, Lupus Alert Day, Dollar Sign Day, Apple Computer Day, Dishwasher Day, Belerusian Day
• (Thurs) Ferret Day, Autism Awareness Day, Reconciliation Day, Peanut Butter & Jelly Day, Love Your Produce Manager Day, Children’s Book Day, Yo-Yo Day, Youth & Teen Hockey Day

Here’s another relatively new commercial to start your week, which I happened to see shortly after selecting last week’s Monday video. Have you seen this one?  (There is a short version.) Have a good rest of the week.

 

On the First Week of March

Hello from Breakville. No … I’m not back in the swing yet … nor lucky enough to be somewhere warm … thus just a temporary lifting of the Pause button. The relatively minor redesign of the pages here has gone slower than anticipated, so returning to anything resembling my regular routine remains at least a week away.

As I endure the cold wind and a tad of new snow, my wife has left the premises for a week cruising the Caribbean. Why didn’t I go? Hello … I wasn’t invited because I don’t qualify because this is a girls’ trip .. which means solo trips to the dance hall for me this week.

This week’s celebrations for your calendar

(Week) Procrastination Week, Chocolate Chip Cookie Week (don’t procrastinate), Autograph Collecting Week, Maple Syrup Week, Ghostwriters Week, Cheerleading Week, Write a Letter of Appreciation Week, Universal Human Beings Week, Celebrate Your Name Week (now there’s a frank thought), Consumer Protection Week, Pet Sitters Week, Schools Social Work Week, Severe Storm Preparedness Week, Sleep Awareness Week (anyone out there not aware of sleep?), Words Matter Week, Read an e-Book Week, Return Borrowed Books Week, Save Your Vision Week, Telecommuter Appreciation Week, Women in Construction Week, Share a Story – Shape the Future Week, School Breakfast Week, Newspaper in Education Week, Women of Aviation Week, Camp Week, Bike Week, Human Resources Week, Pancake Week, Drug & Alcohol Awareness Week, Volunteers Week, Agriculture Week, Foreign Language Week (Hola!)

(Sun 1st) Compliment Day, Daughters & Sons Day, Black Women in Jazz & the Arts Day, Wear Yellow Day (Endometriosis Day), Go Bowling Day, Horse Protection Day, Fruit Compote Day, Peanut Lovers Day, Pig Day, Plan a Solo Vacation Day, Refired not Retired Day, Seals Day, Self-Injury Awareness Day, Share a Smile Day, Zero Discrimination Day, Namesake Day (mine is after my Dad’s Army buddy from SF – we met sometime in the 1990s)

(Mon 2nd) Dr. Seuss Day, Old Stuff Day, Read Across the World Day, Banana Cream Pie Day, Pyramid Day, Book Day, Cat in the Hat Day, Silly Putty Day, Babysitter Safety Day, Elmer Fudd Day, Porky Pig Day, Time magazine Day Fun Facts About Names Day (I’m not a Franklin or a Francis)

(Tues 3rd) Mulled Wine Day, Cold Cuts Day, Ear Care Day, I Want You to be Happy Day, Peace Corps Day, World Wildlife Day, US National Anthem Day, Princess Day. Peach Blossom Day, If Pets had a Thumb Day, 33 Ice Cream Flavors Day, Unique Names Day (my middle name isn’t Stanislaus)

(Wed 4th) Dance the Waltz Day, Cadbury Chocolates Day, March for Yourself Day, Courageous Follower Day, Holy Experiment Day, iHop Pancake Day, Scapbooking Industry Day, Math Day, March Forth-Do Something Day, Stop Bad Service Day, Grammar Day, Pound Cake Day, Toy Soldier Day, Hug a GI Day, Discover What You Name Means Day (mine is honest)

(Thurs 5th) Nametag Day, Cheese Doodle Day, 8-hr Day, Dr. Dolittle Day, Mother-in-Law Day, Healing from the Inside Out Day, Multiple Personality Day

(Fri 6th) Day of the Dude, Oreo Cookie Day, Employee Appreciation Day, White Chocolate Cheesecake Day, Day of Unplugging, Dentist Day, Read Aloud Day, Michelangelo Day, Chocolate Cheesecake Day, Toronto Day, Fun Facts about Names Day (I don’t know anyone named Stanislaus), the start of Festival of Owls Weekend, Middle Name Pride Day (mine’s Paul)

(Sat 7th) Cereal Day (Raisin Nut Bran in my favorite), Be Heard Day, Telephone Day, Frozen Food Day, Sock Monkey Day, Crown Roast of Pork Day, Monopoly Game Day, Unique Names Day (Do you know anyone named Stanislaus?)

(Sun 8th) Proofing Reading Day, Working Women’s Day, Girl Scout Sunday, Geneology Day, Check Your Batteries Day, Be Nasty Day, Peanut Cluster Day, Plant a Flower Day (sure, dig the snow first), Day of Women’s Rights & International Peace, Learn What Your Last Name Means (other than personal identification, I have no clue)

Avere una buona settimana. Gerai savaitę. On hyvä viikko. Heb een goede week.

On a Curly Monday

Another weekend down, actually our next to the last in this home. How was your weekend?

Ours was a mix of packing and events to get me away from the task at hand, so I did get some fun in as the wonderful wine tasting event and dinner at the home of friends – plus it was a handbell Sunday (of which we played well). The wine event is an annual fundraiser in which attendees as given a glass  and put into a room with 700+ wines for 2 1/2 hours. No … we don’t try to sample all!!!

A special thanks to all who visit and comment during my absence!

This coming week is a big one on for us as it includes

• the bank’s appraisal and inspection of our next home (as the results could delay the closing
• our inspection of the new location
• the closing of our current home

Celebrations for you week (10-16)

• (Week) Save Your Vision Week, Camp Week, Pancake Week, Celebrate Your Name Week, Return Borrowed Books Week, Chocolate Chip Cookie Week, Procrastinators Week, Brain Awareness Week, Bubble Gum Week, Music in Schools Week
• (Mon) Fill Our Staplers Day, Middle Name Pride Day (I’m a Paul), Day of Awesomeness, Mario Day, Land-Line Telephone Day, Napping Day, Blueberry Popovers Day
• (Tues) Dream Day, Oatmeal-Nut Waffles Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, Plumbing Day, Home Office Day
• (Wed) Dennis the Menace Day, Baked Scallops Day
• (Thurs) Donald Duck Day, Earmuffs Day, Good Samaritan Involvement Day, Coconut Torte Day, K-9 Veterans Day, Mothering Day, Open an Umbrella Indoors Day, Smart & Sexy Day, Kidney Day
• (Fri) Ask a Question Day, MOTH-ER Day, Potato Chip Day, Scientists Day, Organize Your Home Office Day, Check Your Batteries Day, Save a Spider Day, Sleep Day, Learn About Butterflies Day, Pi Day (here’s a place to celebrate)
• (Sat) Buzzard Day (one of my favorite days, so here’s the history), Brutus Day, Ides of March, Quilting Day, Corn Dog Day, True Confessions Day
• (Sun) Artichoke Hearts Day, Curfew Day, Lips Appreciation Day, Vitamin C Day, Quilt Day, Everything You Do is Right Day

Last week I showed the first Monday Morning Entertainment, so in that spirit, here’s the second. Have a good week.

On Looking Ahead with a Look Back

Yes – This is me live-and-in person, thus not a timed post. How was your weekend? This weekend gave me the following:

• Dancing one evening as it was a good getaway from the key task at hand
• My beloved Graeter’s announced a new flavor – Salted Caramel Fudge Brownie Ice Cream (What do you think?)
• My wife safely returned late Saturday from her cruise (ahead of the snow & ice)
• Sunday brought ice and snow, so we stayed in and did some moving related odds and ends

March provides quite the eclectic list of month-long celebrations:  Awareness for Brain Injury, Colorectal Cancer, Endometriosis, Chronic Fatigue, Caffeine, Ethics, Eye Donors, Workplace Eye Wellness, Kidneys, Collisions, and Dolphins

Deaf History, Music in Schools, Athletic Training, Credit Education,  Cheerleader Safety, Play a Recorder, Youth Art

Bell Peppers & Broccoli, Berries & Cherries, Peanuts, Maple Sugar, Frozen Food, Sauce, Flour, Noodles, Hamburgers & Pickles, and Exotic Winter Fruits Leaks & Green Onions.

Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig, Cabin Fever Supply Management, Employee Spirit, , Humorists are Artists,  Expect Success, Craft, Color Therapy, Umbrellas, Kites, On-Hold, Optimism, Furniture Refinishing, and Supply Management

This Week’s Celebrations

(Week) Women in Construction, Telecommuter Appreciation, Severe Weather Preparedness, Save Your Vision, Sleep Awareness, Pet Sitters, Invasive Species, Return Borrowed Books, Words Matter, Consumer Protection, Pancakes, Ghostwriters, Write a Letter of Appreciation, Celebrate Your Name, and Human Beings Week

(Mon) Fun Facts About Names Day, i Want you to be Happy Day, Mulled Wine Day, Princess Day, Peach Blossom Day, Wildlife Day, and What if Cats and Dogs had Opposable Thumbs? Day

(Tues) Pancake Day, Pound Cake Day, Courageous Follower Day, Stop Bad Service Day, Scrapbooking Industry Day, March Forth-Do Something Day, Math Day, Toy Soldier Day, Cadbury Chocolates Day, Unique Names Day, Dance the Waltz Day

(Wed) Discover What Your Name Means Day, Namesake Day, Sports Car Racing Day, Cheese Doodle Day, Dr. Dolittle Day, Mother-in-Law Day, Healing from the Inside Day

(Thurs) Day of the Dude, Nametag Day, Oreo Cookie Day, Frozen Food Day, Fun Facts about Names Day, Chocolate Cheesecake Day

(Fri) Cereal Day, Middle Name Pride Day, Dress in Blue Day, Be Heard Day, Doodle Day, Day of Unplugging, Crown Roast of Pork Day, Unique Names Day

(Sat) Genealogy Day, Fanny Pack Day, Women’s Day, Proofreading Day, Peanut Clusters Day, Learn What Your Name Means Day, Aunt’s Day, Plant a Flower Day

(Sun) Get Over It Day, Panic Day, Bang-Clang Day, Name Tag Day, Check Your Batteries Day, Crabmeat Day, Barbie Day

Probably nobody has ever wonder about the video that appeared in the very first Monday Morning Entertainment, but in case in ever comes up as a Jeopardy question, here it is. Have a good week.