Lies and Irony

It’s ironic that Trump’s Department of Justice has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on the charge of lying to Congress. One could argue that members of Trump’s own cabinet lied during their Senate confirmation hearings.

Attorney General Pam Bondi testified that “no one will be prosecuted, investigated because they are a political opponent.” The indictment of Director Comey can’t be viewed in any context other than political retribution.

Current FBI Director Kash Patel testified that “there is no enemies list” despite having published a book that recommended prosecution of a list of Donald Trump’s political enemies. Patel also testified that no FBI agents would be fired or disciplined for investigating the January 6th riot at the Capitol. This has happened to numerous agents; some are suing for wrongful termination.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. promised Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana that he would keep the CDC’s Vaccine Advisory Board in place. Once confirmed, Kennedy, a noted vaccine skeptic, fired every member of the board and replaced them with unqualified cronies.

The three justices that Trump nominated to the Supreme all testified that Roe v. Wade was “established precedent.” Each of them deliberately ignored that precedent when they had a chance to overturn it (Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization). Whether this rises to the level of “lying to Congress” is debatable, but it clearly was a tactic to make them appear to respect legal precedents by creatively evading the truth about their actual intentions.

The final irony is that Director Comey arguably helped Trump get elected in the first place by announcing publicly just weeks before the 2016 election that the FBI had reopened its investigation of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for President. It’s not certain that this action was enough to tip the scales in Trump’s favor, but it definitely did damage to Clinton’s campaign and reputation.

Trump should have bought Jim Comey a beer. Instead, he fired him, and now he’s having him prosecuted. Loyalty, for Donald Trump, is always a one-way street.

Photography and Other Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are you from?

Western Pennsylvania. Our sandwiches are subs, not hoagies.

How tall are you?

Not as tall as I used to be.

Why do you take pictures?

The same reason everyone else takes pictures. It’s fun, and it helps us remember things.

What advice would you give to new photographers?

1. Find that gets you excited and photograph that. Passion drives creativity.

2. Hang out with people who know more than you do and prepare to look foolish. If you’re not feeling humiliated from time to time, you’re not growing.

3. Try different things and different styles. Everything you learn will help you.

How would you describe yourself?

I wouldn’t. I already know myself.

Why do you write music?

I love music and I like to create beautiful things, and because I figured out how to do it.

What’s 2 + 2?

An arithmetic expression with a binary operator.

What is the definition of a woman?

If I knew, I might have done better with them.

Do you have any advice for creatives?

Yeah, two things. First, keep it simple. Complexity will slow you down. No one has time to waste.

The second thing is to be fearless. Absolutely fearless. The whole world might think it’s a dumb idea, but you don’t answer to them. You answer to yourself. You’re the only person who’s going to be disappointed if you don’t accomplish your goals. Don’t hold back.

So, creativity is about confidence?

It’s about ignoring anyone who doesn’t appreciate your ideas.

Are you always this snarky?

Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Any other advice?

Stay humble and always be learning. The moment you think you have it all figured out, the world will run past you.

Dream 2025-09-03

Dream 2025-09-03

She was an exotic beauty in her late thirties with olive-skin, a nice body, and an air of sophistication. Her shoulder-length raven hair was dominated by a loose wave. We didn’t speak much during out time together.

Afterward, I was compelled to explain our interaction, first to her father, a short, well-dressed gentleman with an ascot, who might have been from Italy or Greece or Lebanon. Thankfully, he was good-natured. Our conversation was brief and respectful.

Next came the guy, the one who thinks she loves him even though she doesn’t give a damn, a frat boy with blond hair and a trust-fund attitude. He was aggressive verbally and physically.

“She doesn’t even like you,” I scoffed in an indignant tone as I dodged a chair that he threw at me.

Eventually, the frat brat gave up and stomped off.

I was asked to speak with a blonde woman named Kathy, someone I worked with years ago. She was upset, but not by me or my fling with the exotic brunette. Something else was bothering her. Her friends asked if I could help calm her down.

I agreed, but they said she went to her office. It wasn’t a work day, but her company was hosting an event for the employees.

I was relieved. I made amends where I could and did what I could do. The dream came to an uneventful end.