Grumbling, rumbling, rambling

Steven Colbert disgraced himself last week by trying to denigrate President Donald Trump after Trump had delivered a strong pro-America speech to the United Nations. I switched to his CBS late night show after watching 90 minutes of Ken Burns’ gripping Vietnam series on PBS.

I have no use for Colbert, whose endless cheap shots in front of people he knows are completely aligned with his point of views and a national television audience who feel the same, make for loud applause and earn him a ton of money. But he, Colbert, is basically a silly, cowardly little clown who loves to step on a guy’s neck because it pays him well. Watching his show, after observing the real courage of the heroes who fought in Vietnam, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Now there’s a man (Colbert) with whom I wouldn’t want to share a foxhole.”

From Sharon Waagner, of the Torrington Downtown Partners, came news last week that artist Eric Forstmann has a new show, “Still Workings” at the Eckert Fine Arts Gallery in Kent. The show opens Saturday, Oct. 14, with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m.

“The show focuses on the revitalization of downtown Torrington,” Sharon said. “I’m interested to see what it looks like through the eyes of a talented artist.”

Forstmann had his studio for several years above Five Points Gallery in the heart of Torrington.

Waagner has been with the partners since 2010 when they bought 10 buildings with the announced intention of revitalizing downtown Torrington. A transplant from New York State, she is a true believer in the city.

Today, Sunday, is the second and final day of the Northwestern Connecticut Dog Club’s All-Breed Show at the Goshen Fairgrounds. It starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. Don’t bring along your own pet canine unless he/she is entered in the show; if you do, you won’t be allowed to enter.

Here’s my favorite dog

story: A friend named Steve, who lives in sunny California, owns a sleek, pedigreed black Lab named Elvis. Every nice day, Steve takes Elvis for a run in a wide meadow – also used as a picnic area —nearby.

One recent morning, man and dog followed that routine, had a good workout running around in the park, and came home again. The rest of the day passed routinely, like all days. That night, however, Steve could not find his iphone. He searched high and low, searched again and finally was forced to face the apparent fact that he was going to have to buy a replacement.

The next day, man and dog returned to the park, but Elvis, instead of whisking about while his master jogged around, went to a spot in the high grass and stood there. When Steve called, Elvis wagged his tail rapidly but wouldn’t budge from the spot.

Steve went to him. There at his feet was the cell phone, which was found to work fine.

Elvis thought it was no big deal, but Steve and his friends disagreed and drank a beer or two to the smartest dog they ever knew. Elvis’s girlfriend, a golden retriever named Honey, who lives up the street, apparently thought it was a superior effort too, because she nuzzled up to Elvis with extra warmth that evening.