Five Things Friday Vol. 29

Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

Did you hear that crazy story this week where David Keene, a former NRA president and current board member, and John Lott, an author and gun rights activist, were invited to give remarks to a fake high school graduating class? Unbeknownst to them, the two men gave their speeches to thousands of empty chairs set up to represent the estimated 3,044 kids who should have graduated high school this year and instead were killed by gun violence. Change the Ref, an organization founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, organized the stunt and called it “The Lost Class” of students. Genius.

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Are you watching the European Football Championship (UEFA Euro 2020)? It should have been held last year but was postponed because of Covid. I almost forgot that it started on June, 11 but I have been watching the (German) live games as much as the time difference has allowed, and I am thrilled that they have made it to the knock-out stage (albeit with a bit of a struggle). Hopefully, they’ll go forward with a bit of a more compelling performance.

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Here’s your PSA of the day: trying to guilt-trip someone into spending time with you never works. It usually has the opposite effect. Just sayin’. 

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It is peculiar to me that my FSA (Flexible Spending Account) will reimburse expenses for OTC drugs, but not natural supplements (you need a doctor’s note for that) when they’re supposed to help with the same symptoms. 

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One of the few perks working for the government is that I get “in-lieu-of”-holidays. When a holiday falls on a weekend, I get the preceding or the following day off. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, but Friday is my regular day off (I work a 4/10 schedule, as you might recall), I get the preceding Thursday off. It’s a pretty neat arrangement if you ask me, and I am not mad about it. 

TGIF! Have a great weekend!