On a Memorial Salute

Greetings on this holiday Monday in the USA!

Given the 3-day holiday weekend, I’ve developed this post ahead of schedule. If all goes as planned, our weekend will include two ballroom events, visiting the Cincinnati Museum Center for at least one (maybe two) Omnimax films, a bit of work around the condo, a long walk to town  (and back) for lunch, work, and hopefully some infrequent down time at home. What did you do this weekend?

Meals: The Musical returns this week. I wanted “Seafood” as a theme, but after researching the topic, I’m not convinced about the availability of songs. Therefore, Ingredients is the theme. Think flavors as herbs, spices, extracts, and other common ingredients that aren’t dishes themselves … however, no fruits or vegetables (a previous act) and no chocolate (reserved for later). There is a lot of leeway here, so chose judiciously.

Celebrations For Your Week

• (Week) Week of Solidarity with the People of Non-Self-Governing Territories, Hurricane Preparedness Week, Frozen Yogurt Week, American Beer Week, Emergency Services Week
• (Mon) Something Day, Wine Day, Tap Dance Day, Brown Bag-It Day, Missing Children’s Day. Nerd/Geek Pride Day, Cookie Monster Day, Towel Day
• (Tues) Lindy Hop Day, Blueberry Cheesecake Day, Sally Ride Day, Cheery Dessert Day
• (Wed) Cellophane Tape Day, Popsicle Day, Senior Health & Fitness Day, Sun Screen Day, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day
• (Thurs) Brisket Day, Hamburger Day, Slugs Return from Capistrano Day, Whooping Crane Day

Monday is Memorial Day in the US, so I’m passing on the normal Monday frivolity for one of my favorite military tributes. Have a good week.

Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 221

On Politics
For those you think the Tea Party is dead because of its unsuccessful showing in Tuesday’s primary, think again because if nothing else, it has shifted the party to the right.

As Washington examines issues at the Veterans Administration (VA), comments by members of Congress demonstrate to me that they are more interested in political gain than solving the problem.

Speaker Boehner’s (R-OH) new conference came on the radio as I was listening today, and I changed the channel. Later, I returned to find Minority Leader Pelosi’s (D-CA) new conference, so I changed the channel again.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

• Congress reluctant to cut funding for tank that just spins around and self destructs
• Revealing spring attire reminds man he’s nothing more than weak, hormonal ogre
• High school student, teacher applying for same summer waitressing job
• Paleontologists unearth earliest known dinosaur stickers
• Experts recommend breaking down crushing defeats into smaller, more manageable failures
• Ohio replaces lethal injection with human new head-ripping-off machine

Interesting Reads
Leadership lessons from Dancing with the Stars
Columnist Ruth Marcus on politics and money
Interesting interactive sorting state (US) data
Learn to love your doppelgänger
The real Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Interesting infographic on man-made structures
Nutella in America

On Potpourri
Meryl and Maks were very deserving champions of Dancing with the Stars. Although some complained about co-host Erin Andrews in her debut season, but I say bring her back.

Taken April 22, 2014

I took this picture about a month ago after getting some gas.

Thanks for the wonderful music in Act 4 of Life: The Musical. I love getting different genres of music!

With Monday being a national holiday (Memorial Day) in the USA, I will not have a Saturday Morning Cartoon Classic post this weekend. I know … this pattern is too frequent, but I’m still digging out of my hole from the move.

Your weekend celebrations

• (Weekend) Mudbug Madness, Polka Weekend, Old-Time Player Piano Weekend
• (Fri) Taffy Day, Wig Out Day, Turtle Day, Don’t Fry Day, Crohn’s Disease and Colitis Day, Heat Awareness Day, Polka Day, Lucky Penny Day
• (Sat) Military Appreciation Day, Brother’s Day, Jazz Day, Morse Code Day, Escargot Day, Scavenger Hunt Day, Mary had a Little Lamb Day
• (Sun) Cookie Monster’s Birthday, Something Day, Wine Day, Tap Dance Day, Towel Day, Nerd Pride-Geek Pride Day

With Saturday being Lucky Penny Day, here’s a question to answer. If you see a penny on the ground with the tails side up, do you pick it up?

To send you into the weekend, let’s celebrate Morse Code Day (Saturday) with this hit from 1967 … Western Union by the Five Americans. (The song starts 1 minute in.) Have a safe weekend and in the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.