South Of Someplace

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Random Thoughts - 20250507

My name is Daniel. I’m 185 centimeters tall. I’m one of the people who graduated from my high school. My zodiac sign is among my twelve favorites, but I’m guessing that yours is, too.

I prefer the Jim Phelps version of Mission: Impossible to the Ethan Hunt version. Stunts don’t add to the story.

The Naked Gun is one of my favorite comedies despite the fact that no one gets naked, and despite one glaring casting issue.

I like to travel, but I’ve never been to Morocco. I have nothing against Morocco; a trip there just hasn’t risen to the top of my to do list.

“Walking In Memphis” is one of my favorite songs. I haven’t been to Memphis either. Occasionally, I imagine walking there and writing a song about it.

I didn’t care for broccoli or lima beans when I was a kid, but I’ll eat them now. I like most vegetables, but I’m not vegan. If you are, I’d prefer not to discuss it.

I watch lots of news, but I don’t spend time thinking about the price of eggs. I can’t remember the last time I bought one. It’s difficult to imagine needing twelve of them.

I once saw a UFO while driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I was driving. The UFO was flying off to my right, heading in the same direction but faster. It was daylight, but no one seemed to notice. Noticing things is a lost art.

I’m fairly open-minded, but I believe that authoritarianism is universally awful. I doubt that anyone would be able to convince me otherwise.

Good people die too soon. Bad people have a long shelf life. I don’t know why that is, but it complicates history.

The Chinese zodiac is also based on the number 12. That strikes me as an unlikely coincidence.

Monday, February 3, 2025

Lies

The pat exaggerations

That shape the way we live

The blame and accusations

We’re oft prepared to give

Convenient excuses

We store on private shelves

The most corrosive lies

Are the ones we tell ourselves

Sunday, January 19, 2025

The Era Of Political Corruption

What bothers me most is not that our government is about to be led by a convicted criminal, a corrupt and vengeful authoritarian who threatens to abuse power and prosecute political rivals. Dangerous scoundrels have been involved in politics since the dawn of mankind.

What bothers me most is not that a plurality of the electorate voted for this scoundrel. People are routinely convinced to vote against their own best interest. The propaganda that makes this possible is more prevalent today than ever before.

What bothers me most is that all of the controls that were meant to prevent corruption and the rise of authoritarianism have failed.

Impeachment is neutered by partisan loyalty.

The rights afforded to protect criminal defendants have been exploited to further criminal gains.

The justice system was hog tied by an endless stream of appeals and delays.

The Fourteenth Amendment and the Emoluments Clause have been deemed unenforcible.

The judicial branch, corrupted by deep pocketed interests and a lack of ethical accountability, made a series of absurd and unprecedented judgments for the sole purpose to render one criminal defendant in particular above the law. It’s as though they wrote an extra article of the constitution to protect him and he alone.

The rule of law has been reduced to a quaint slogan.

This is what bothers me most, because it’s difficult to imagine how we can undo the damage. The precedents that have been set in recent years are highly toxic to a healthy and thriving democracy. It’s going to require a groundswell of political will and a complete recalibration of the principles of political ethics and criminal justice.

In the meantime, brace for an onslaught of damage to rights and political norms as self-serving oligarchs and right-wing zealots take control of the reins of power.

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Snowflakes

The 2025 presidential inauguration will usher in a new era of masculinity in U.S. politics, an era of bold, manly men who run inside and hide when the weather gets cold. Some might call them snowflakes.

Sunday, December 29, 2024

Deportation Fraud

Trump: We will have the largest deportation in history!

Trump voters: That’s what we want! Mass deportation!

Musk: But I need foreign workers in my businesses.

Ramaswamy: Me, too! Americans are too stupid to work at my company.

Trump: That’s great, guys! We’ll keep the H1-B visas so you can hire cheap labor and drive down wages for American workers at the same time. Win-win!

Monday, December 23, 2024

I Long For Free Time

I long for free time

Calm and

Unstructured

Fertile

Uninterrupted

Time to think

Reflect and dream

Time to feel

And breathe and heal

Time for good books

Good food and good friends

Time to dabble

With no clear ends

Time to create

To shape and to form

Time to imagine

Things out of the norm

Time to discover

And prioritize

To look at the World

With a fresh set of eyes

When I find

Such time

When it’s free

And it’s mine

I savor it

Treasure it

Indulge

The pleasure it

Promises

So generously

I dive in

Right away

Like I’m eating

Two-thirds

Of a fresh-baked

Rhubarb pie

With scoops

Of sweet ice cream

Dripping slowly

Down

The rough-cut sides

Of its deliriously

Delicious slices

The Mockingbird

I had a chance to see ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ at a local cinema last month. I know the story, having read the book, and I’ve seen the movie on television, but viewing a film on a large screen leaves an outsized impression.

The child actors gave marvelous performances. We see the story unfold through the eyes of children, a viewpoint that makes the attitudes and behavior of adults seem particularly gruff and puzzling.

The story is bitterly tragic. It doesn’t shy from depicting gross inequities and despicable attitudes. It must have made a powerful impact when it was released at the height of the civil rights movement.

A haunting conclusion is that a system of justice is only as just as the people who administer and participate in it. Despite high ideals and heroic acts, some people are systematically oppressed while others get away with grotesque behavior. This remains as true today as it was during the Great Depression.

When elusive justice is finally served, it comes in unexpected ways. The tide finally turns against those who once got away with everything.

Finally, never discount the good will of neighbors, even those who seem strange and distant. We’re all in this together. In the darkest moments, people you never knew you could count on will rise to meet the challenge.

Wait! Wait! Wait!

The flight landed on schedule, but a plane was parked at our assigned gate.

Wait! Wait! Wait!

Okay, we’re moving. Oops! A plane is blocking our path.

Wait! Wait! Wait!

Okay, we’re at the gate. Oops! There’s no operator for the jetway.

Wait! Wait! Wait!

Okay, the door is open now. Oops! They need to bring a wheelchair before we can leave.

Wait! Wait! Wait!

We’ve been standing for twenty minutes. They had enough time to get that wheelchair ready.

Okay, let’s go pick up the luggage on Carousel C.

Wait! Wait! Wait!

Oh, I think I see my suitcase on Carousel D. I’m not surprised. This happens frequently at Laguardia.

Okay, let’s catch the bus!

Wait! Wait! Wait! Twenty-five minutes in the cold!

Oh, the bus is crowded. Screw it. I’m 90 minutes late already. I’ll splurge for a cab.

The Value Of Things

I read recently about a young lady (age 20) who was working a minimum wage job in 2023. She began posting photos on OF - her sister was also an OF model - and made $43 million in a year.

No judgments. The human body is to be appreciated, and capitalism is a wonderful invention. If I could make 40 million bucks posting photos of my bum, I’d get out the camera and upgrade my retirement plans.

What makes me wonder is, where does the money come from? Assuming that OF takes a cut, that suggests that 500,000 people spent an average of $100 over the past year to access this lady’s content.

Who are these people? How many OF contributors do they follow? I assume that one is not enough. If someone subscribes to multiple OF artists, they could be paying hundreds or thousands of dollars a year for type type of entertainment.

Are these the people who voted for Trump because they thought that groceries were too expensive? Do they drive around in expensive pickup trucks? I can see how it would be tough to afford food if you’re dropping large sums on salacious subscriptions.

The best things in life are free.

The Ghost Of Christmas

I rewatched ‘The Ghost Of Christmas’, an episode from the second season of the BBC series Ghosts. There is a US version of Ghosts on CBS, but this episode is from the British series.

I’m not sure why, but the last scene moves me to tears. It’s not a sad or tragic scene; it just hits me in a powerful way. I was trying to describe the storyline to someone, and I couldn’t make it through the conversation. I was overwhelmed with emotion.