Tibet Has A Bullet Train

Tibet has a bullet train. For real. It’s in operation now. Today! Freaking Tibet!

Does California have a bullet train? No. Texas? No. Florida or Michigan or Illinois? Here’s a hint: None of the above!

The US is so far behind! SO flipping far behind! 

“Who’s going to pay for it?” our politicians squabble. “We can’t raise taxes on billionaires; that wouldn’t be fair! You wouldn’t want to raise the national debt, would you? And we dare not anger our benefactors in the oil and gas industries!”

It would be tempting to claim that country is becoming a laughing stock, but I’m afraid that it’s too late. We’re already there.

Tibet has a bullet train and the USA doesn’t. Let that sink in.

New York Minute 183 - Stroller Sightings

Central Park, late on a sunny spring afternoon, an elderly woman with extreme plastic surgery pushes a stroller with a sleeping baby.

Midnight in a quiet neighborhood, a middle-aged man walks down the sidewalk pushing a stroller while a wide-awake toddler watches the world go by.

Mid-afternoon at a busy intersection, a smiling woman wearing large sunglasses exits a grocery store with shopping bags and a stroller that carries a tiny dog.

The dog at the grocery store was the only situation that didn’t seem unusual.

© 2021 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

Simple Explanation

The explanation is simple. Accepting it is the hard part.

Intelligence

Intelligence is the ability to comprehend complexity by reducing it into simpler, more readily understandable components.

Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory - Laws, policies, and practices, whether by chance or by design, have made it more difficult for people of minority races to enjoy the full benefits of American society.

GOP - Don’t talk about that! We find it insulting. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to go pass laws to make it harder for Black people to vote.

The Arrival Of Summer

We eagerly await the start of summer, and as soon as she arrives, her light begins to dim.

MTG

I would like to commend Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene for offering a public apology for earlier remarks referencing the Holocaust. That took guts and humility. It showed character and a willingness to consider new information, qualities that we all must exhibit if we want to heal our divided nation.

New York Minute 182 - Skateboard Jump

As I was walking, I saw a ragged looking guy with a skateboard and assumed that he was practicing tricks with his friends on a stretch of smooth sidewalk. Something told me not to walk in his direction, so I paused for a moment and considered whether to a phone call. 

The guy sprinted down the sidewalk and jumped onto his board at high speed. I noticed that he was heading toward what could be described as a large flower pot in front of a commercial building. The flower pot was about a foot high, and the flowers grew up another foot or so, but it was round and made of metal, and it was at least six feet in diameter.

I suddenly realized, “He’s going to try to jump that!” I cringed at the idea of the guy crashing and getting seriously injured.

The jump was successful; the skateboarder made it look effortless. As he cleared the large flower pot, I saw a flash of light. A photographer was set up out of view behind a pillar. The jump was part of a photo shoot. The guy was probably a professional skateboarder or a highly skilled enthusiast. I was relieved that he was okay and the shoot was successful, and I felt grateful for the little voice in my head that had suggested that I not walk in that direction.

Always listen to that voice.

Copyright © 2021 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

New York Minute 181 - Moving Violations

During the course of a short walk on Saturday evening, I witnessed three moving traffic violations. Two of them were left turns at red signals, neither of which was particularly hazardous, since the streets were very quiet. To put this into context, New York City doesn’t even permit RIGHT turns on red.

The third incident was a shocker. Someone in a brand new black sedan with temporary New Jersey plates made a wrong turn and started driving north on Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue is one way southbound. The driver was going directly against traffic. This could have been quite serious except that in that moment the signals for traffic on the avenue were red. He had a few seconds to correct his mistake.

However, instead of simply making a U- or K-turn, the driver turned onto a side street which ALSO was one way in the other direction. He was now driving against traffic for the second consecutive street. Several cars were driving through this block. The errant driver somehow snaked past them without hitting anyone, and finally made his U-turn. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Copyright © 2021 Daniel R. South

All Rights Reserved

Productive Morning

I’ve had a productive morning so far. After two important meetings, I cleaned the pocket fuzz out of my iPhone.

Body Of Art

Nothing is more beautiful, no flower more endearing, no vista more enthralling, no work of art more perfect than the body of a woman.

Authoritarian Overreach

The New York Times is reporting that President Trump had the Department of Justice pull the phone records not only of prominent reporters, but also of Democrats in Congress, Representatives Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, along with staff and family members of those representatives, including a minor.

This is clearly a case of authoritarian overreach, using the vast and powerful resources of the government to spy on domestic political rivals.

To put this in perspective, imagine if President Biden asked the DOJ to subpoena the phone records of Senators Hawley and Cruz based on their roles in the events that led to the January 6th insurrection. Imagine if those subpoenas extended to the senators’ wives, children, and staffers.

How do you think Fox News would respond? I’ll bet that conservative commentators would be shouting their disgust and indignation from the rooftops if Mr. Biden had done such a thing.

I wonder if Fox is expressing similar outrage toward Mssrs. Trump, Barr, and Sessions, the people who authorized these actual investigations, not hypothetical examples. If Fox is not expressing outrage over the conduct of the former president, ask yourself why.

End Of The Week Blues

I’m so tired, it’s hard to concentrate, but I’ll be fine. It’s all in a daze work.