ABBREVIATIONS

Back in late 1991, we were ending 4+ years living in Mexico and moving back to the U.S.

Specifically to Austin, Texas.

We had picked Austin because once, on an earlier trip to visit the BRD in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we had stopped in Austin to see if we could buy a Sunday New York Times (NYT) anywhere.

Much to my amazement, they were sold from a dedicated box on the street!

I said to Judy, "If we ever move back to the States, we're moving to Austin where you can buy the New York Times from a newspaper box."

And so a couple of years later the time had come.

We had friends we had made in our Mexican sojourn living in Austin then and I called them for directions on how to get to their place.

Jordy (an abbreviation for his given name of Jordan) told me, "Come up I-35 and get off at the M.L.K."

"The WHAT?"

Jordy chuckled and said to exit at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and added "that's what everyone calls it, the M.L.K."

Well time moves on along.

Jordy is gone now and we long ago moved away from Austin and back to our beloved Arizona.

I get the Sunday New York Times delivered to my driveway now.

And I've become used to hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called M.L.K.

It's his day today.

DISTRESS OR PROTEST?

I stepped out of my garage this morning and was looking around the neighborhood when I spotted something strange.

One of my neighbors has a flagpole on his upper deck from which he flies our flag.

But today it appeared different.

In this somewhat fuzzy zoom-in you can see that the flag is being flown upside down.

That is a sign of distress.

But everything else about his home appeared normal so I began to wonder if he was flying it as a sign of distress or as a protest.

Considering that the federal government has been shut down for 4 weeks now it could be both.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Alright, already, Gentle Readers, I'm just going to forget all the bad things in the news for a brief respite from the darkness because today is . . .

And you know what that means.

It's time for The Friday Funnies!

Okay, had enough?

Oh, you haven't?

Well, maybe just one more then.

Or two.

That's it.

I can't be amusing you folks all day, can I?

Now listen up.

I'm anticipating that all of you ambidextrous automotons will apply antiperspirant and amble in an accelerated manner, putting aside the astonishment of apoplectic assistants, and have an adventure of a weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oooooohhhh, so grouchy)

Mencken Wisdom

"The only way a reporter should look at a politician is down."

H.L. Mencken

"The Sage of Baltimore"

1880 - 1956

SO LONG, DOLLY

Carol Channing

January 31, 1921 - January 15, 2019

IT'S A NEW WORLD

How many times have you heard this?

"I never worked for the Russian government."

Spoken by a sitting President of the United States of America.

SUNDAY MORNING - BLEAK