South Of Someplace

Friday, August 19, 2016

Trump Statue Removed Promptly from NYC Park

The New York City Parks Department wasted no time in removing an unflattering statue of Donald Trump from Union Square Park. When are they going to do something about the crazed addicts and indigent homeless people who have lurked and slept in our parks and on our streets for years?

Monday, August 15, 2016

Olympic Moments

There have been so many wonderful moments in these 2016 Olympic Games at Rio.

- Michael Phelps made a strong case for being considered the greatest Olympic athlete in history.

- Usain Bolt made a strong case for being the greatest athlete in history by becoming the first person in history to three-peat gold medals in the 100m run.

- Simone Biles demonstrated why she is significantly better than any gymnast in history.

- The American swim team turned in one exciting performance after another with a tremendous contribution from both male and female athletes.

- Katie Ledecky left the competition in the dust (maybe in another time zone) while smashing her own world record in the 800m freestyle swim.

- Ally Raisman put together a heartwarming comeback and defeated her nemesis to claim silver in the all-around gymnastics competition.

- The tiny nation of Fiji took the gold medal in their favorite sport of rugby.

But my favorite moment of the Rio Olympics so far was watching Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa shatter Michael Johnson's long-standing world record in the 400m run. I watched in disbelief when Johnson set that record in 1999. It was so much faster than the previous record (also set by Johnson).

Van Niekerk dropped the record from 43:18 to 43:03 while running in the outside lane, an unenviable position from which no one had ever won an Olympic medal before. History has made before our very eyes.

Next up, I am looking forward to watching David Rudisha of Kenya defend his Olympic Gold Medal in the 800 meter run.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

It's A Lie But Someone Believes It

"Hillary wants to abolish -- essentially abolish the Second Amendment." - Donald J. Trump

Okay, which is it? Abolish? Or essentially abolish (whatever that means)? Or nothing of the sort?

I can't remember any politician running at the national level in my lifetime who wanted to abolish the Second Amendment. I don't even know whether it's possible. Does anyone here think that two-thirds of the states would ratify removing an amendment from the Bill of Rights? The mere suggestion is laughable.

And yet, Trump levels this ludicrous charge against his rival. And there are well-meaning people out there who actually believe it. It makes me wonder how the human race survives. It really does.

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Coverage of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies

There are so many talented, knowledgeable, highly-entertaining sportscasters in the world. Why did NBC feel that they needed to turn coverage of the Olympic Games over to a bunch of woefully under-qualified, popular culture commentators from The Today Show?

Jim McKay of ABC Sports was always so professional during his broadcasts. He would take time to talk about the athletes from each country. And it was actual athletic commentary, like who might have a good shot at a medal.

What did we get from the airheads of NBC? "Ha ha! Her name sounds like 'shit'! Ha ha! I said 'shit' on TV! And that's no shit!"

Do these people actually get paid for this revolting embarrassment? Well, obviously, somebody's getting paid. NBC couldn't play six minutes of coverage without cutting away to several minutes of commercials.

In the future, the very NEAR future, I hope that all Olympic coverage will be streamed uninterrupted over the Internet for at most a nominal fee. Big corporate money has all but ruined the experience for the viewer.

Remember when the Olympics adhered to a strict "amateurs only" code. Well, that should be enforced for the broadcasting as well. Do it for the love of the games rather than for the extortion of every dollar that you can squeeze from an already overly commercialized system.

Finally, when you do put a microphone in someone's hand, please make certain that they know what they're talking about. The networks don't hire football coaches to comment on the dresses that women wear to the Oscars. I respectfully suggest that we don't need The Today Show to comment on sports.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Donald Trump and his Incredible Rigged System

"The system is rigged!" claims Donald Trump as he tries to make sense of his swiftly falling poll numbers.

Trump was the darling of the Republican primary. He didn't appeal to a majority of Republican voters, but his "establishment" competition cancelled each other out by splitting their vote tallies. In that environment, Trump's outrageous statements didn't harm his leading position. There are enough Republican voters out there who feel that the system has let them down. (And to some degree, I agree with them. Outsourcing of manufacturing jobs has hurt this country's economy immeasurably.)

But now, the whole country is watching. The majority of Americans do not admire Trump's stream of consciousness insults and petty sparring with people (including Republicans) who he feels have slighted him. The majority of American voters, along with an INCREASING number of Republicans, feel that these outbursts are indications of an immature, undisciplined temperament.

That's why Trump's numbers are falling. A lot of people no longer see him as a serious candidate. In fact, the current trend indicates that Trump may damage Republican positions in the House and Senate. Don't blame the system. Blame the man who keeps opening his mouth and making reprehensible statements.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

New York Minute 34 - Short Shorts

There's nothing quite like the look of a young, attractive woman in a pair of shorts cut high enough to reveal a glimpse of her perfectly shaped bottom. Yes, it almost makes you happy to be standing in line at the post office.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Thank You President Obama

President Obama, I am going to miss you. Thank you for leading with class, grace, and empathy, and for being respectful to your detractors, even when they did not return the courtesy. Your presidency has been a special chapter in American history, a testament to the true meaning of the American Dream, and I am honored to have had the chance to witness it.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Senator Cory Booker at the Democratic National Convention

"My fellow Americans, we cannot be seduced into cynicism about our politics, because cynicism is a refuge for cowards, and this nation is and must always be the home of the brave."

- Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) - 25 July 2016

Sanders Holdouts

Sanders holdouts. Think very carefully. Trump could load the Supreme Court with justices who would be eager to criminalize abortion. ALL abortions. Even in cases of rape and incest.

That same court could uphold laws that make it more difficult for millions of citizens to vote, especially citizens who have a complexion that looks different than Trump's Germanic skin.

And if Trump wins, get ready to watch your sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, and colleagues deployed into desert combat. Some of them won't come back in one piece. Many will return with severe emotional distress and will be at the mercy of a privatized, penny-pinching VA healthcare system.

There are real consequences in this election, consequences that will last a lot longer and have the potential to hurt you and your loved ones a lot more than a case of damaged pride. Think carefully. Very carefully.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

The Law and Order Candidate

Donald Trump claims to be "the law and order candidate."

His next business venture: Trump Prisons?