Leckband Cornhusker State Blog

UNO

At least I gave Bentley some competition yesterday. Once again, I decisively won the first hand. Then Bentley won the next two. Then I won the next one, tying the score at 2-2. Alas, he clocked me the next hand for a 3-2 victory, after which he proclaimed, "I am the UNO master!" [Where did he learn to be so mouthy, Rachel?] I was reminded of the UNO games we used to play with my grandparents. Granpa pronounced it YOU-KNOW.

MOVIES

Last night I watched a double-feature. First, I watched "The Long Riders," 1980 movie about the James-Younger gang, & starring the Keach, Carradine, & Quaid brothers. What it lacked in historical accuracy it made up for in bloody shoot-outs. Then I watched "The Big Lebowski," a 1998 movie by the Coen brothers. As you can imagine, it was pretty quirky.

ABORTION

Abortion hurts women and kills children . . . To read the brief from Fitch is to face facts. She points out that the Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act points out some brutal realities: “The United States is one of few countries that permit elective abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation. After 12 weeks’ gestation, 75% of all nations ‘do not permit abortion’ ‘except (in most instances) to save the life and to preserve the physical health of the mother.’” In the brief, Fitch explains further reason for the law: “At 5–6 weeks’ gestation, ‘an unborn human being’s heart begins beating.’” At about eight weeks, the developing baby begins to move about in the womb. At nine weeks, “all basic physiological functions are present,” as are “teeth, eyes, and external genitalia.” At ten weeks, “vital organs begin to function” and “hair, fingernails, and toenails . . . begin to form.” At eleven weeks, there may be hiccupping as the diaphragm forms. At twelve weeks, there can be “sucking motions” and the opening and closing of fingers, while the baby “senses stimulation from the world outside the womb.” At that point, the child “has taken on the human form in all relevant respects.” In short, it’s a description of what a mother and father who are welcoming their unborn baby see in ultrasounds." Kathryn Lopez, National Review Online, 7/26

BOURBON

"In 2021, American alcohol laws remain needlessly complex and archaic. It’s time to move toward a freer and more commonsense system. Which means it is time to allow bourbon in your mailbox." C. Jarrett Dieterle, National Review Online, 7/26

THE DRAFT

"If you wonder what Republicans are accomplishing in Washington, look no further than the Senate Armed Services Committee, where a majority of them voted to create the predicate for drafting women into the military. Astonishingly, only five of the committee’s 13 GOP members voted against an amendment requiring women to begin to register for the Selective Service. It’s unclear why this is a pressing national need, or why anyone believes that it would help during a major war. Perversely, though, it’s considered a blow for gender equity, and, of course, that overwhelms all other considerations for Democrats and Republicans alike." Rich Lowry, NRO

NEW WORDS

"Dictionary.com has added more than 300 words. They include a series of race- & virus-related terms, such as 'Black Code' & 'long hauler,' as well as increasingly common expressions like 'yeet' & 'oof,' the online lexicon has revealed." Omaha World Herald, 7/27

COVID

"Pastor threatens to remove people with face masks from church." Drudge Report

"To defeat Delta variant, experts recommend doing all the things that didn't work the first time." Babylon Bee

"Grin (or grimace) & bear your vaccine. If a needle jab makes you wince, that might actually be a good thing. American participants in a study were asked to make variou facial expressions while getting injected. Those who wore either a grimace or a genuine smile involving both the mouth & eyes reported about 40% less pain than those who maintained a stoic poker face." Reader's Digest, June 2021

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* Compliments of Reader's Digest, June 2021

"A golfer standing on a tee box overlooking a river sees a couple of fishermen & says to his partner, 'Take a look at those two idiots fishing in the rain!'"

"I just found out that I'm color-blind. This came right out of the purple."

GUNS

"Top 10 reasons you should just turn your guns over to the government TODAY

> The government is very trustworthy & would never hurt anyone: Also, they have nukes. Resistance is futile.

> The government will donate your guns to a noble cause: Like drug cartels & insurgents in the Middle East.

> You can rest assured knowing that criminals will turn in their guns too. Babylon Bee