Friday Funday: A Lucky Day

For those of you who are a bit superstitious, today may have a bit of extra meaning, as it’s Friday the Thirteenth. Or as the cousin of one of our staff members calls it, her birthday.

For us, we’re thinking of it as a bit of a lucky day. Temps are a bit cooler than they have been lately, in all three of our locations, even with the massive drought conditions affecting the U.S. right now. We’re all home safe, and gainfully employed. And there’s plenty of work to be had.

In fact, there’s still a massive pile of very serious topics waiting to tackle. For example, the most recent revelations about Mitt Romney’s past aren’t small potatoes. He was either lying to the SEC when he said he wasn’t employed at Bain Capitol after December of 1999 - which is a felony -  or he’s been lying about not being involved in the companies connected to Bain Capitol that outsourced thousands of American jobs. As Wall Street expert Henry Blodget says, you can’t be Chairman, CEO, and President of a company, and not be responsible for what it does.

Many of you also seem more interested than ever in the details of the Affordable Care Act. What’s it mean for you? What about the folks who don’t have insurance? How’s this whole thing work, where Republican governors are turning away millions in Federal funds that are supposed to help the poor and uninsured?

We assure you - we’re not setting you adrift to fend for yourselves on these issues. Make sure that you sign up for the Daily Felltoon e-mail edition, and you’ll get all the links to the stories we work from every day, when tackling tough issues like the ACA and Mr. Romney’s past with Bain Capital.

The simple fact is, there is SO much more to life than just politics.

For example, our friends at the UNL Dairy Store in Lincoln are having another day of P.O. Pears “Burger Madness” today - which we always love.

We also love the fact that the Dairy Store has begun to bring more of the flavor of the old P.O. Pears to their events with live music. Today, it’s not just any band that will play some great sounds while you’re eating some great food.

This one's a group called “The Upstairs Blues Band” made up of high school aged kids, who’ve been tutored by some of Lincoln’s finest musicians, including some of the great folks associated with the legendary Zoo Bar.

Teaching the next generation to master and appreciate any worthwhile talent - from music and cartooning, to writing and design skills, to mechanical skills or sportsmanship - is something that makes us smile almost every time we hear about it being done well. Apparently, a friend of ours in Lincoln, with a great ear for blues says these kids have a sound that even people who don’t think they like blues will enjoy.

Which means these kids apparently have learned not only to love to play music. They’ve also apparently learned how to take their musical education and make it work for them outside the classroom.

For us, even with all the serious issues to cover, that ability to learn and grow is music to not just our ears, but also our hearts.

Of course, the prospect of great food to go with that music doesn’t hurt either.

Whatever you’ve got planned for this weekend, remember to take some time for good food, good music, good friends - and remembering those things which are truly important.

Think of it as our prescription for a lucky day, every day.