A Shout-Out To Ryan Fitzpatrick

I've been following this guy for a few years and was very happy to see the appreciation he received after last week's Dolphins win over the Jaguars.  

He may be 37, a player for 8 teams, and not the best quarterback in the world, but he's having fun and sure feels like the luckiest guy in the world to be able to go outside and play football with his friends. 

I got a kick out of this description from the SunSentinel: "'Fitz is cool, calm and collected and it rubs off on us,' Dolphins right tackle Jesse Davis said. 'Third-and-long is not a big issue. How he conducts the offense really reflects on how he performs.'   That’s why Fitzpatrick’s teammates fight to see who sits next to him in team meetings and bus rides.  'I love sitting next to him and listening to him talk,' tailback Myles Gaskin said after the game."

And here's another anecdote: "Bills fans continue to love Ryan Fitzpatrick, despite playing for division rival. Earlier this month, Bills fans donated more than $15,000 to the Concussion Legacy Foundation in honor of Fitzpatrick’s mother, Lori, who died Aug. 29. They came in $14 increments, because Fitzpatrick wears No. 14."

He's a character who possesses character, is a good leader, and inspires others. How refreshing!

Dan Crenshaw for Congress!

Boy, I sure wish these Texas Republicans were from my state!  Our candidates are wishy-washy, and the attack ads on TV are so frequent and annoying I just  shut them off. This TX ad makes you sit up and take notice.  I've followed Dan Crenshaw's career since he came to Congress, and I hope he is re-elected to continue to show what a real hero, a real Republican, and a real man is like -- we need it!

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Lots 'o Links

For the latest news roundups, visit Stephen Kruiser's Morning Briefing; Larwyn's Linx; Stephen Green's Insanity Wrap #57; and Maggie's Farm.

In his Yiddish Vinkl column, Harold Ticktin discusses the word beheyme, which means a boor, an unmannered individual; an animal, especially a large one. He offers this anecdote: "(Yiddish saying) 'A beheyme hot a lange tsung un muz shvaygn/ A cow has a long tongue but has to keep quiet.' (A 'long tongue' in Yiddish, like a 'big mouth' in English, indicates that a person talks a lot; bit.ly/32hIWNr)"

This COVID Map Speaks Louder Than Words

The experts at COVID Act Now visualized the disease's spread across every state and county in America.  Click here to see the horrifying 22 second animation and read the details.

If a  tweet is easier for you to comprehend, click here.

A Strong Prescription for Anti-Maskers

If you don’t want to wear a mask, come to work with me, urges Dr. Gregory Jasani.

"To me, refusing to wear a mask is unacceptable.  By not wearing a mask in public, you are helping to transmit a deadly virus. Your actions are condemning countless people to serious illness and possibly death. You feel your freedom is being limited by wearing a mask? With freedom comes responsibility, and also consequences. If you insist on refusing to wear a mask, then at least have the courage to come see the consequences of your choices.  Please come to work with me and see things from my perspective.  Wearing a mask in public will seem a pretty small inconvenience after you do."

I like this idea and think that President Trump should be the first one to accept Dr. Jasani's invitation. But I doubt even a look at hospitalized COVID patients would make these people accept the reality.

The CDC: The Complete Disgrace Center

I did a double-take of disbelief today upon seeing this headline in the Washington Post's newsletter:

"CDC removes statement on airborne virus transmission, claiming website error. The agency had posted new guidelines suggesting the virus can transmit over a distance larger than six feet and that indoor ventilation is key to protection against its spread. This is a point that many independent experts have also been advancing, and it had appeared that the agency had come around to their point of view.
But the guidelines were removed late this morning because 'that does not reflect our current state of knowledge,' a top CDC official said."

"Website error", is it? Do they actually think anyone is buying that?

It's hard to believe that this is the same CDC that was once so trustworthy and respected. This alone is helping to destroy its reputation. How can anyone trust them again?

Lots 'o Links

There's a great deal to read this week, including Larwyn's Linx; Stephen Green's Insanity Wrap #52;  Maggie's Farm; Stephen Kruiser's Morning Briefing; and Liz Sheld's Morning Greatness. 

I like this advice at The Atlantic: wear your mask and stop talking.

You can't stop people from singing their favorite patriotic songs, though, no matter what the PC crowd thinks of them!  "'Tears in my eyes!': Viewers sing along with rousing renditions of Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia at the Prom after BBC back down over lyrics' 'imperialist ties'"

These idiots must do nothing all day but scour every word, note, and syllable uttered, written, and sung for things that somehow offend them. Even Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is now under attack as being a symbol of  "exclusion and elitism" 

I have an idea. Anything from the past 50 years can be fair game for attack, but nothing before that time. These fragile, perpetually victimized fools should go find something better, smarter, and more constructive to do with their time - if that's even possible.

A Great Day for Peace in the Middle East

From the Times of Israel: "Moving White House ceremony starts to relegitimize a precious little word: Peace.  26 years after the Israel-Jordan treaty, a whole generation of Israelis and Arabs witnesses something it had simply never seen before."

From the Algemeiner: "'Pivot of History’ in Middle East Heralded at Israel-UAE-Bahrain Signing Ceremony." 

I got to see some of the ceremony at work and felt very proud.  

And then I read this unbelievable headline: "Biden leads Trump 67-30 among Jewish voters, survey finds."

The Fish That Smiled

If you need a laugh, check out the finalists from the 2020 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards! My favorite is the smiling parrot fish, above. How can you resist that face?

COVID Apathy

This is from Elijah Wolfson at Time Magazine's Coronavirus Brief weekend edition: 

"It's the Worst Time Possible to Lose Interest in the Pandemic.  You can imagine, as the editor of TIME’s health and science coverage, how steeped I’ve been in COVID-19 for the last six months. I have no choice but to be hyper-attuned to not only what’s happening out in the world, but to what our readers appear to want and need when it comes to news and information about the pandemic. Over the past two months, I’ve keenly felt how much interest in coronavirus news has declined since early summer—despite the fact that in that same time frame, the U.S. outbreak reached new peaks, and the global pandemic worsens and worsens by the day. A report published late last week bore out my gut feelings: Using data from the social media analytics organization NewsWhip, Axios found that social media interactions have fallen 88% since March."

 I've been steeped in the coronavirus news too, subscribing to many of the available newsletters and reading everything I can to educate myself. It's been obvious to see how the TV coverage has dropped off, despite this being such a traumatic, life-altering pandemic. What's more important than this?

How The 9/11 Terror Attacks Unfolded

 

A heart-wrenching video of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks recounts the events as they unfolded on American soil 19 years ago and remind us why we vowed to never forget that tragic day in history. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) initially released the emotional tribute in 2018, which includes actual audio of first responders, air traffic controllers, dispatch personnel, airline employees, pilots and citizens.

Thinking About September 11

I'm afraid that the commemoration of the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks will receive scant mention tomorrow, what with a global pandemic, devastating wildfires, looting & rioting, and a presidential election going on in our country.

But not a day goes by, especially when I'm at my desk at work at 8:46 am, that I don't remember that traumatic day and the lives destroyed.

Let's hope that those brutal terrorists don't take advantage of our weakened condition to inflict more damage tomorrow and in the future. We're ready for them.

What a Drag it is Getting Old

Here's another reason why the reckless, uncaring behavior of so many people during this pandemic makes me so angry:

"Elderly people and coronavirus: It's the worst disaster of thepandemic. But WHO chief says our lack of concern shows 'moral bankruptcy' -CNN

WHO figures from last week show that almost 88% of all deaths in Europe were among people aged 65 and over. And almost half of all deaths linked to Covid-19 globally have taken place in care homes, according to the Long-Term Care Covid (LTCcovid) network at the London School of Economics.

But despite vast numbers of elderly people dying of coronavirus -- and a significant drop in the quality of life of many of those forced to self-isolate -- the global response to the risks they face in the era of Covid-19 has often been chilling."

Thanks a lot. I can only hope these cavallier people are treated the same way when they get old.

Lots 'o Links

It's nearing the end of the week, so it's time to enjoy a lot of entertaining, interesting, and simply infuriating posts.

One of the stories at Larwyn'x Links is titled D.C. Mayor Considers Removing Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, proving again how delusional and unreasonable the Democrats have become.  The title of Stephen Kruiser's Morning Briefing is succinct: "Nancy Pelosi 2.0 Is a Desperate, Pathetic, Lying Witch." Her attack on the salon owner reminds me of former Mayor Marion Barry: "Bitch set me up." And there's plenty of good reading at Maggie's Farm, including the news  that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is moving out of his $800K condo after rioters ransack his home. He's probably fine with that.

I'm all shook up after hearing about the sickening vandalism at Graceland. When are our national landmarks and memorials going to be guarded and protected from these vultures? I just hope security has been beefed up at placed like Arlington Cemetery.

Here's a headline you'll love: "California Ethnic Studies Curriculum Accuses Jews of 'Racial Privilege.'" I think they got us confused with the Nazis. And I'm sure that courses like this really prepare people to enter the job market and contribute to society.

Food: A Great Uniter

I greatly enjoyed Raphael Ahren's wonderful description of the visit to the United Arab Emirates and the meal that was prepared. Here's a tasty morsel:

"A kosher banquet and a paradigm change: UAE signals this will be a warm peace. In Abu Dhabi, those keeping kosher were served a kosher-certified gourmet dinner.
(For starters, there was beetroot salad, artichokes, mushroom tempura, zucchini balls with feta cheese, vegetarian spring rolls with sweet and spicy sauce. This was followed by salmon with lemon butter sauce, filled seabass fillet, sweet potato with fresh truffle and crispy microgreens and garlic baby vegetables. For dessert, there was “lava dark chocolate fondant and dehydrated wild berries.”)"