Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 409

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Last weekend concert featuring the solo careers of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young went better than I anticipated. Doobie Brothers take this stage this weekend Concert time is Saturday at 1:00 AM (Eastern US).

Because of an approaching blog break, this will be the last concert until further notice.

What does a professional football player with a degrees in mathematical economics and religion and a minor in business who is working on an MBA in finance do in this spare time? Click here to discover the answer.

The recent baseball brawl between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates was interesting. The umpire had the chance to diffuse the incident when the Pirates’ pitcher threw at the head of the Reds’ batter. Oh no – not even a warning. Interestingly, the league gave the longest suspension to the pitcher. There is no place in the game for intentionally throwing at a batter’s head.

People who use hot weather days in the summer to justify climate change are just as clueless as those who use cold days to deny climate change.

Is there any difference between Big Pharma, Big Food, and Big Heach Care?

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Of course I did NOT watch either of this week’s Democratic debates. I didn’t because I couldn’t answer this important question for me … Why? Nonetheless, from reports, I can say that the odds of me voting for Elizabeth Warren is the same as me voting for Donald Trump – Zero.

No – I did not attend the recent Trump rally in Cincinnati. For the record, I would go to hear him speak even if he spoke just to the residents in my neighborhood’s clubhouse.

Another shooting of a large crowd is another opportunity for Congress to do nothing – and that’s something I’m confident they can achieve.

Certain liberal groups want to expand the Supreme Court from 9 to 11 justices. Oh please, please start focusing on important issues. Please!

Who would have thunk that House Democrats would lead the Committee to Re-Elect the President.

A Director of National Intelligence who is a political hack without intelligence experience would seem to be the best two reasons for the Senate to approve Rep. John Radcliffe (R-TX).

President Trump can’t seem to politicize an event. At the recent signing ceremony of the 9-11 responders health benefits bill, instead of recognizing responders advocating for the bill, the responders benefitting from the bill, and the families this bill is designed to help – he threw accolades to his chief apologist – Rudy Guiliani. President Trump is a pathetic person, and even worse leader, and he brings the majority of his problems on himself..

Jeers to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) for being the only two senators to vote against the 9-11 responders bill. Thank you voters of Oregon and Kentucky for sending us clueless, partisan hacks who are loaded with double standards.

To lead you into this week’s satirical headlines, The Onion captured this unique debate moment.

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Weekly Headlines from The Onion (combos welcome)

Guy on bus really good at whatever phone game that is
Sincere email to coworker drafted, reconsidered, deleted
Four-year-old convinced father is a moron after 45th consecutive hide-and-seek victory
Insecure infant worried he’s unworthy of animatronic toy rabbit’s love
Exhilarated woman discovers last person who used jigsaw puzzle left lots of pieces stuck together

Interesting Reads

A ship’s flag
Humanity’s greatest threat?
Trust and distrust in political America
The moon landing – Fake News!
Need for humanity to know how to get better
Remembering an architect
(Graphic) World’s oldest democracies
(Photos) Wildlife

To send you into the weekend, here’s a Heat song by one who will be a Kennedy Center honoree this December. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 189

On Politics
Regardless who is president and the parties involved, the Senate politicizing presidential appoints is a prime example of the level of unnecessary, self-serving, pathetic behavior.

I cringe when hearing politicians use phrases like “Americans want.” After all, outside of the ideologues, I confident that most Americans want Washington has not be able to deliver: constructive problem solving,

An area letter to the editor caught my eye this week. After a rabid Republican mistakenly stated the majority of Americans are Republicans, the writer when on to say that “people will always go with the stronger horse.” Yep, and that’s a reason why more and more people are shying away from Republicans.

Cheers to these moderate columnists for their excellent columns about the current Republican party: Kathleen Parker and David Brooks.

Liz Cheney, daughter of former VP Dick Cheney, announced she’s seeking the US Senate seat from Wyoming. She is also famous for saying that Nincompoop is “more qualified than Obama and Biden combined.”

I haven’t said much about the Trayvon Martin case. The event was tragic and unnecessary, and reasonable doubt dominated the trial. That said, politicizing the result is not a good idea. Meanwhile, I appreciated this column by Ruth Marcus.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

  • US border patrol increases staff by hiring cheap immigrant labor
  • Republican leader pressuring wife to try new political position
  • Heat wave doesn’t bother local contrarian
  • Employee at electronics store tells customer what he has at home
  • Man who couldn’t defeat George W Bush attempting to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict
  • George Zimmerman wins Florida State Lottery

Interesting Reads
Believing science or not?
Visiting WW I battlefields in France and Belgium
13 sites for creative inspiration
A book review about The Enlightenment Period
Why mosquitoes bite some people more than others
Reviewing train travel in Italy
Tips for treating sunburn from The Onion
For National Ice Cream Month, 12 strange ice cream flavors

On Potpourri
I first encountered Angela (Mind Margins) just prior to my time away in Italy. Upon my return, I noticed she wasn’t posting, so I figured just another blogger who stopped. Now she is posting about battling ovarian cancer. For those interested, start here – but beware, she is positive and determined.

With a heat wave blasting the eastern US getting, do you realize that heat is the top weather-related caused of deaths in the US? In addition, heat-related deaths are more than deaths from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and lightning combined.

I’m hoping to get a cartoon post ready for Saturday.

Friday starts National Scrabble Week. Weekend celebrations include (Saturday) Moon Day, Space Exploration Day, National Hot Dog Day, and Toss Away the “Could Haves” and “Should Haves” Day; while National Ice Cream Day leads the way on Sunday, so that’s another chance to get some Graeter’s. (Read about it or where to buy it.)

Being in the last half of July, time is running out for celebrating Share a Sunset with a Lover Month. To send you into the weekend, here’s a song from the past for those celebrating International Blonde and Deborah Harry Month. Have a good weekend. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.