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Bruce’s Ten Hot Takes for September 28, 2023

hot takes

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick needs to move on. While racism may have played a part in his inability to get a gig six years ago, today that is no longer the case. Kaepernick is thirty-five and hasn’t played in six years. He will be of no help to the New York Jets.

The United States has an immigration problem. Democrat denial of this fact only makes the border crisis worse.

If you harass someone just so you can record a clip for your YouTube channel and end up getting shot, I don’t feel sorry for you. Personal space, Dude. I may not shoot you, but I will club you with my cane.

Ohio 2023. A high school football coach ran a play called “Nazi” against their predominantly Jewish opponent. He has since resigned, but I do wonder how he (and his players) thought this was a good idea. Heil Hitler!

My best “hot” take for today is my partner Polly. She’s still hot in my eyes.

Republicans seem hyper-focused on President Biden’s age, yet ignore Trump’s age. Why is that? I’m for term and age limits. Neither of them should be running for office. But, here we are, so if Biden is the candidate in the general election, I’m voting for him.

MSNBC has become the official campaign organ for President Joe Biden. In their eyes, Grandpa Joe is a spry, sharp-as-a-tack old man. His age, cognitive ability, and physical wellness are issues of importance. Not the most important, but must be considered when voting in 2024.

Most opiate-related deaths are due to Fentanyl and other illegal street drugs. Yet, the FDA, doctors, and pharmacists continue to wage war against legal prescription narcotics users. Once again, a pharmacist refused to fill my prescription, even though I tried to fill it on the day my doctor wrote on the script. Nope. I had to wait five days. This time, I drove to Michigan and bought some cannabis to tide me over. Thanks, pharmacist, I am now a drug addict. 🙂

Everything I eat, drink, or breathe is bad for me. So bad, in fact, that I should have died before I was born.

My mom killed herself 30+ years ago. I still miss her. In moments of deep reflection, I think of how much Mom would have enjoyed our grandchildren; that she would have been thrilled that most of them are avid readers. Suicide leaves a scar that never totally heals. So much is lost the moment a loved one says “No Mas.”

Bonus: The Cincinnati Reds will not make it to the playoffs this year. Coming off a hundred-loss season last year, the Reds have played well above their pay grade. Last night’s win guarantees a winning season — far above my expectations. Next year is THE year. Of course, I’ve been saying this for over forty years. Hope springs eternal. 🙂

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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11 Comments

  1. Avatar
    ObstacleChick

    That football coach who thought it was a good idea to run a “Nazi” play against a team is exhibit #1 why teaching history is important.

  2. Avatar
    Troy

    Yes, there is a border crisis (and it hurts Democrat) and the solution isn’t difficult but it would be expensive. The turnaround time for those seeking asylum can’t be 5 years, more like 5 days. Crossing through another country that could have taken their asylum claim is automatic expulsion. It won’t take long before those returned will tell two friends, and they’ll tell two friends and then the deluge will stop. That said it is important to not forget their humanity, they are people not vermin.

    Football has Cowboys vs. Indians so why not Jews vs. Nazis? I’ll be rooting for the Jews.

    It is too bad about Kaepernick. It seems like he really wants to play. Ideally, anthems and flags should really just be removed from sporting events (except the Olympics where your team is your country). And for those that disagree with that I’d ask, when you’re home alone do you stand for the national anthem?

    Grandpa Joe IS a spry, sharp-as-a-tack old man. Guy still rides a bike at 80 even uses those clipydo pedals. Interesting to me as a guy in his mid 50s, I’ve done everything that Grampa Joe has done, including tripping over something in my path and falling off a bicycle when getting off of it. Fox news has sold us a bill of goods about Biden that he’s an old infirm man and his lieutenants are running everything. This b.s. is so ubiquitous, everyone believes it. It would be something if he’s really putting in 13 hour days and running the show… can’t be that though isn’t Fox news right about everything (oops!)

    • Avatar
      Bruce Gerencser

      “Grandpa Joe IS a spry, sharp-as-a-tack old man. Guy still rides a bike at 80 even uses those clipydo pedals. Interesting to me as a guy in his mid 50s, I’ve done everything that Grampa Joe has done, including tripping over something in my path and falling off a bicycle when getting off of it. Fox news has sold us a bill of goods about Biden that he’s an old infirm man and his lieutenants are running everything. This b.s. is so ubiquitous, everyone believes it. It would be something if he’s really putting in 13 hour days and running the show.”

      I don’t watch Fox News. I have eyes. My conclusions are based on what I see.

      • Avatar
        Troy

        @Bruce
        You don’t need to watch FOX news to be affected by it. It leaks out like leaky toxic waste drums. But true enough, the Biden that debated Sarah Palin and Paul Ryan isn’t noticeably the Biden that sits in the oval office… so maybe sharp as a stone in your shoe?

  3. Avatar
    BJW

    I can get Tramadol from my rheumatologist and I don’t like it. I have to take a pretty large dose to even notice it working. Bob and I foresee a drive up to Camden on some nice fall day soon. Apparently everybody in this part of the state is doing it.

    Regarding our immigration problems: did you know that the number of people coming up from South America has increased by a factor of over 10 times in the last several years. Those are the people who are desperate with different economies collapsing and the increase of authoritarianism. But they have to cross the Darien Gap, which is considered the most dangerous jungle on the planet. The Pan-American Highway was never able to be connected through the approximately 60 miles of dense jungles, rivers, and mountains. Plus the drug armies and paramilitary groups are rampant, and raze the indigenous people’s homes too.

    All this is to say that there are countries so bad that people are willing to cross the Darien Gap, and tens of thousands die on the way. So many of those people are refugees, but the Trump administration effectively erased the difference between people who were political refugees, as opposed to illegal immigrants, who are economic refugees.

    So YES we need immigration reform. But with the broken American political system? I don’t see it happening. The Democrats are defensive and pretending things are okay, while the GOP would be happy to have everyone shot crossing the border…men, women and children. There is no reconciling these attitudes.

    • Avatar
      TheDutchGuy

      BJW: FYI caution with tramadol. I took it after a surgery years ago. It worked and I took itn for many weeks. Then I looked it up in the PDR and discovered it was supposed to be taken for a very brief time (forgot how long, a couple weeks I think) due to liver damage. By that time I had taken it for a couple months. The Doc, who prescribed it, like most of them I believe, did not do his homework. To cut the story short, I caught it before it damaged my liver. Go get some gummies. Cannabis is way safer than nasty stuff like tramadol. Product quality varies and your personal dosage you’ll have to sort out. It’s still illegal on federal level and it’s been demonized so long that research has been lacking so the science on it is immature. Safety is not a concern, certainly not in comparison to presciption alternatives.

  4. Avatar
    Barbara L. Jackson

    Yes, this super control of prescriptions is a problem. One of my anti-seizure drugs is not as controlled as narcotics but still not liked by somebody in the DEA. What will happen to me is I get “caught” for having some in my purse where I keep mini ziplocs of all the morning and evening doses I need for 5 days?

    The immigration problem is 2 things. Overpopulation in countries which cannot support their existing populations. Over reliance on “the economy” to support everyone.

  5. Avatar
    MJ Lisbeth

    Donald Trump–and any other Republican–has to be kept out of the White House in 2024. It is our only hope for anything, whether it has to do with drugs (prescription or otherwise), immigration, climate or war and peace. Biden or any other Democrat won’t be a panacea, but at least any Democrat not named Joe Manchin will do less damage than any Republican.

    Nazis vs Jews, Cowboys vs Indians…How about men vs women? I think of the times when, as I reservist, I castigated men in my unit by calling them “ladies” when they didn’t do something well. Oh, if they could see me now!

    • Avatar
      Troy

      @MJ
      Clearly a nonconsecutive 2nd Trump term would be an unmitigated disaster. First off all those who would baby sit him have either been fired in the 45 term and won’t be coming back because of mutual hatred. Trump now knows where all the buttons and levers are. He also will fill his cabinet with lackeys and loyalists. The first thing to look for would be an attack on Mexico itself.
      Any other Republican wouldn’t be as bad, not even DeSantimonious

  6. Avatar
    John

    Oh, and the coach that ran the play against a predominately Jewish opponent, what the fuck?!?! Not only who thought this would be a good idea, but did he really think he could do that with no consequences? Hopefully his coaching career is over.

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