South Of Someplace

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Trump Convention Speech

A couple of times during Trump's speech tonight, I had this vision of Darth Vader walking on stage and standing beside him.

(mechanical breathing noises)

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

A Fresh Perspective On Plagiarism

Ok, I'll admit it. Over the years, I have plagiarized a number of sexual positions. Some of them I first saw in movies. Others, I learned about from books and magazines.

I knew all along that this was copyrighted material. Nevertheless, I used that material freely and repeatedly. I didn't always disclose to my partners that the positions weren't original, although I think that some of them knew.

What can I say? Sometimes things just happen in the heat of the moment. We don't always have the benefit of hindsight - although we should enjoy hindsight whenever we get it!

I can't say that I feel badly about what I did. In fact, most of the time, it felt rather good. There were just a few times where an awkward position gave me or my partner a cramp. It's not everyone who can bend like a ballerina.

I do recognize, however, that copying without giving credit is unethical. I find this especially troubling given that some of the positions were developed by missionaries.

Monday, July 18, 2016

No Time To Watch The Convention

Sorry, but I don't have time to watch the entire Republican convention. Could someone please let me know when Clint Eastwood talks to the chair?

The Logic of Election Year Politics

Yesterday, Trump's campaign manager blamed the Dallas and Baton Rouge ambush shootings of law enforcement personnel on "a lack of leadership in the White House."

Next time I have diarrhea, I'm going to blame it on a lack of soccer balls in Trump Tower. Because that makes about as much sense. Zero.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

The Clinton Email Saga

Colin Powell and Condoleza Rice both used private email servers. Both of them sent classified messages via those servers. Where was THEIR Al Capone moment? Where were their months of hearings by a congress that can't pass a bill because it spends all of its time on politically-motivate witch hunts? The Bush Administration deleted over 5,000 critical emails. If you don't believe me, look it up. Some lefties in the press cried "foul," but it was never investigated. This looks a lot less like dismantling the organized crime empire of Al Capone and a lot more like a former Congress's attempt to smear Mrs. Clinton's husband over a blowjob. Except, to my knowledge, Mrs. Clinton never got a blowjob from her email server.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Where Are The Protests?

When a child walking to school or playing in a park is shot and killed by a gang member, why don't we see protests raging in the streets of major cities? Why aren't people angrily denouncing gang violence in front of the news cameras? Maybe if we protested gang violence with the intensity that we protest police brutality, communities would become less violent over time, and the need for a heavily armed police presence in those communities would decrease.

Dallas Sniper Shootings

The Dallas sniper shootings have me feeling stunned, a brazen, coordinated, pre-meditated attack on society and those brave men and women who help us hold it all together. I am anxious to learn more about the attackers, their motives, and their funding. This seems more like a mini 9/11 than the work of some angry nut. Deeply disturbing.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

IRS Scam Alert

I received a call today from someone claiming to work with the IRS. She gave me her name, but unfortunately I didn't note. I did write down the originating telephone number.

The lady asked me if I realized that the IRS was taking legal action against me. I replied that the IRS usually sends email rather than phoning people. She said that they had tried to send mail but that I hadn't responded.

i asked for the address where they had sent the mail. I told her that it was an old address that I hadn't used for years. She asked whether I filled out some (probably bogus) form when I moved. I said that I didn't recall.

The lady gave me a Case ID number and said that she would like to talk to me abou the case. She asked me if I could get a pen and paper. She then reiterated that I was charges from "the IRS and Homeland Security." This made me suspicious. It would probably be one or the other, but not both.

The lady claimed that the call was being recorded and that attorneys were "listening in." I asked it one of the attorneys would say something. She said that they wouldn't do that. I asked why there were no audible beeps on the line if the call was being recorded. She said that that doesn't always happen.

At this point, I said that this call sounded suspicious. She said, "That's okay, sir. If you think that the call sounds suspicious and you don't want to talk to me, the officers will just arrest you." I thought, "Good luck with that! They don't even have the right address!"

I hung up and did some research. IRS scam calls have risen sharply. If you receive such a call, -

- record the person's name and the number from which they are calling

- ask for their badge number

- hang up immediately

- go to www.tipta.gov and click on the red button for reporting scams.

Do not get frightened - the scammers are counting on this.

Do not provide or confirm any information - personal data is what they are after.

Never, under ANY circumstances, should you give them a credit card number or any information on your bank accounts (even the name of your bank).

Protect yourself.

Eid al-Fitr

Happy Eid al-Fitr to my Muslim friends and colleagues! May you dine well after your long month of fasting! :-)

Friday, July 1, 2016

A Fond Farewell

Yesterday, as I walked into the coffee shop near my office, the manager was standing near the entrance. She asked if I would be working tomorrow. I said, "No, today is my last day."

She interpreted that to mean that I would be away for the holiday weekend. I clarified, "No, this really is my last day. I'm going to be working in a different office starting next week."

Her face conveyed a look of genuine shock. "I didn't know!"

"Yeah, I mentioned it to a couple of the other folks."

She leaned toward me and opened her arms. We embraced each other in a strong, heartfelt, ten-second hug. "I'm gonna miss you!" she said.

I told her that she had a really good crew and that I enjoyed very much stopping by each day and chatting with the employees. "I'll miss you guys, too!"

It was such a nice, genuine moment, such a fond farewell! I'll never forget it.