So, chimps more rational than humans in their mimicking of behavior? Well, one cheer for evolution.
Perhaps more school children should be sent on field trips to the local zoo to spend a little time in the primate section, instead of spending so much time in the zoos of pop culture and social media.
Speaking of *field* trips, apparently the DHHS in my home state has decided to ban the term "*field* worker" in its agency's communications, due to the term's "implications for the descendants of Black and Brown enslaved individuals."
Though "...the widespread use of this term is not intended to be harmful, we cannot ignore the impact its use has on our employees." Apparently,"...staff and stakeholders have raised concerns" about the term's connotations, which are supposedly racist in the opinion of some.
Ditto USC's School of Social Work, removing the term from its curriculum to help "reject white supremacy". Its Field Education Department is now the Practicum Education Department. "We have decided to remove the world 'field' from our curriculum and practice and replace it with 'practicum'."
Now, I'm all in on the rejection of white supremacy. However...
Said the new PED: "Language is powerful, and phrases such as 'going into the field' or field work may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigration workers that are not benign."
So, field trips for the kids are probably out. But practicum excursions, maybe.
As a practical matter, I agree that language is a powerful thing. As long as it's expressed in words that allow one to know exactly what the hell is being talked about. And as another practical matter, it may be there are more than a few adults in need of a trip to the zoo, if they can find the time to decamp the ones they work and live in for a little while.
This, from a guy who spent no small amount of time sweating in the tobacco and hay fields of his youth, never in his wildest dreams imaging the people whom he sometimes broke sweat with and who didn't look like him would be in danger of being 'triggered' by the words 'field' or 'work'. Work didn't scare them any more than it did him. And the work to be done was in the fields. That was it, and that was all, for all of us.
Of course, that may be because it's only been of late that he's known the word trigger to refer to anything much more than something one squeezed when aiming at a squirrel. Or the name of a horse. Which he's watching rip the bed covers off of Bob Hope as he types this, just for a little needed comic relief. For any unfamiliar, he'd be happy to say the name of that old movie. But it might trigger something untoward.
In USC Speak, that would be sub-optimally intelligent, relatively.
Trigger was smarter than some of these folks. And knew better tricks than silly word games.
(I actually was watching Son of Paleface. Know it's dated and not everyone's cup of comedic tea. I guess being a 'horse person' might have some bearing, but honestly, I don't know how they ever got that movie in the can, since for the life of me I can't figure out how some of those guys could do what they had to do while keeping a straight face, be they actors or crew members.)
Happy Friday the 13th. A friend posted on my wall a meme with a picture of a coffee cup and the words: It is Friday the 13th, and I haven't had my coffee yet...Be Scared. Very Scared. lol
As it turns out, though I mentioned this two days ago, and he has yet to get some or let me order it...we were out of coffee and I couldn't get any till my boss rolled in around 9:30...
It is cold and it was raining till a little while ago, when the temps dropped and right now we are getting tiny balls of snow, somewhere between actual snowflakes and hail...lol....mostly the snow belt will get hit with snow, but wind chills in the teens due to the wind coming off Lake Erie...brrrrr
I have a three day week end, most of which will be spent going through all the stuff stored in my crawl space to organize and decide if I need to give away and what to decorate the house with, now that all the Christmas is done and the books and DVD's are back on their shelves...
For whatever reason, I am not much of an imitator ( at least partly I suppose due to my fierce , this is who I am stance...lol)...there are celebrities I like , but, I have never emulated them...though I couldn't if I wanted to fashion wise...both money and body shape prohibited ...lol...
I read the full post by Henderson and although I thought he was getting a too repetitive towards the end with the "you should copy people just ahead of you not the ones at the top" career advice, I totally agreed with this:
"Young children are more likely to imitate a person that adults regard as being higher status. If you have any kind of prominence, you unavoidably become a model that others, including children, are more likely to emulate.
This, by the way, is why it has always struck me as dishonest when celebrities and others in media say kids shouldn’t imitate their behaviors."
Although it occurs to me that Henderson's own advice is trying to counter this aspect of human nature. But maybe he knows it too and that's why he spent so much time arguing that ordinary people shouldn't emulate the high status ones.
Good morning. No TSAF today. The choir has a funeral this morning for one of our members, and the science team is meeting on top of that, and then we're singing at the homeless mission tonight. And the van is in the shop. Good thing I have all these extraneous young gentlemen with drivers licenses and time on their hands.
The funeral was a success: the family was very happy with the music, and the choir did not melt down, but only experienced scattered outbreaks of sniffles.
"Family was happy with the music" is no small thing. At my mom's memorial years ago, I remember the organist playing "For the Beauty of the Earth," which was one of my favorites, though I didn't even know that organist and we hadn't specified what to play. She made a really good pick that helped express gratitude for life and for my family--either that or maybe the pastor, who knew us well, suggested it--and it just stayed with me.
Thanks for the update. Condolences to you and the choir. I hope all goes well with the service and repairs and that you don't get called in on your day off!
Yes, the young drivers can be trusted to get from here to there on time and in one piece.
The van was doing a weird wobbling thing, which triggered my panic attack on Tuesday, and the one mechanic guy said it wasn't dangerous, and also it wouldn't do it for him, but Son F was with me, and he said yeah, it was really doing it. So yesterday our regular mechanic said the tie bar ends(?) or something like that, are worn out, so yeah, the wheels are definitely wobbly, it's not just me having a tizzy.
This is a relief, even though it's going to cost several hundred dollars to fix it. Going loo-loo while driving is not something I have time for!
Tie rod ends hold other pieces together. If you imagine something tying your calf and thigh together with a piece (we call them knees) and getting worn out, the joint can become wobbly. Think of this as knee replacement for less money and without the rehab. I'm not suggesting that when your van is fixed it will be easier to squat or get up from a low chair.
Every so often I watch Instagram videos, and recently there was one of a woman driving down a four lane highway with the front right tire completely gone! She was going pretty fast, too, and seemed totally unaware.
I worry about anything that sounds or feels strange when I’m driving in a car, and I’m not talking about me, personally!
Tomorrow should (famous last words) be an actual day off.
I've got another church situation going on that probably won't have any development over the weekend. I've been writing about it to one of my friends under the heading, "The Stewardship Committee Murders," but now it has a spin-off, "Revolt of the Parish Council."
As the sage Jimmy Buffett says, "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."
Second what Anne said. If you ever arrange one of your prison vacations, please write at least one short story or novella involving an amateur detective in that scenario.
I’ve told my best friend about you because you have our sense of humor/similar opinions. She once said to me that there were times when moving to a cabin somewhere in the northern woods had a lot of appeal.
I hate drama, especially when there’s too much of it. I finally ended a friendship because she was exhausting me. Don’t get me wrong, I like being a good friend, I don’t mind listening, I’m happy to lend a hand, provide some comfort, help out, etc. But this person was endlessly needy, especially for attention. We all have problems, but we don’t turn every little thing into “I can’t believe this is happening to me!”
She really drained me, and quite frankly, not having her in my life anymore has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a long time.
I’m not trying to give you advice, just saying, “I get it!”
I’ve read two of “The Thursday Murder Club” book series, which is what I immediately thought of when Cynthia posted her church. She could easily write something like that. The first is about group of people in their mid 70s who investigate some local crimes, including one that involves a cemetery attached to a convent. The writing is so clever, with the best endings!
You’d think church would be the last place you’d have to worry about. However, I remember some pretty crazy stuff happening in my mom’s little church. She could have written a book, actually. (You would be a wonderful book writer!)
How times change - it used to be jeans were already in the wardrobe and shopping was for professional office clothes (whatever they are at this point).
I made some comment about how lazy we’ve all become in how we dress. I still can’t believe some of the things I see at Walmart. Then I got chastised (TMD) because maybe these people didn’t have money, and I’m sure that’s true for some of them. But, you can’t tell me everyone only has PJs and bedroom slippers. I especially see a lot of bedroom slippers, although that doesn’t bother me nearly as much as seeing butt cracks (men AND women).
It will all come out fine, I’m sure. Deep breaths. People are just as wrapped up in their own worlds to wonder whether you’re doing it right, doing it well, or know what you’re doing at any given point in time. You’re sweating it out, and they’re looking at you, thinking, “Did I lock the door when I left the house? Is Junior gonna burn the house down while I’m here? Does the dog need to go to the vet?” And so on.
It's not that either the funeral attendees or the homeless people are an audience of critics. Rather, my concern is that, if even one of the ladies starts crying, the whole batch of us will just stand there and wail. Performers have to be machines.
Most personal advice is imagining yourself in another’s position and then talking to yourself, for what it’s worth.
The choir won’t break down (probably) because they’ll be focused on what they’re doing and playing off each other. If anyone in the choir does break down, the other mourners will simply understand the moment as all the more moving and profound.
Machines break down, too, sometimes. Unlike machines, you won’t be returned to Home Depot or Universal Tool Rental—you’ll just pull yourselves together and go on, relieved somewhat at the release, I’m sure.
That reminds of the time I was singing while holding the infant Son F. All of a sudden, he got a wild look in his eye, leaned over, and bit me on the arm.
"Aaa - leee - loo - YAAAAAAAAAH!" right into the microphone. I had a distinct row of tooth marks on my arm for a month. We called him "los dientes malditos," the cursed teeth.
Talk about copying: This latest on George Santos is amazing. Summary: Not just the sleazy campaign, not just the weird expenses on which the campaign spent money, not just the lies. One person who gave him money is a well-known Holocaust artist. She met him and they talked and he talked about being Catholic, and she talked about being the daughter of survivors. Next time she heard him speak, he was talking about how his grandparents were survivors.
This is what worries me about our electorate: too many vote based on what they think they’re going to get. Never do they consider that politicians can claim anything, and never do they consider that nothing is “free.”
It occurs to me that in the civic arena we have lost, or have yet to acquire, what in the business world would be called institutional memory. People just need to remember to be on the alert for bullies, and skeptical of a bill of goods someone's trying to sell them. You'd think someone would have clued them in already.
I’m guessing people have always fallen for this kind of thing. Unfortunately, the reach of these politicians has lengthened and strengthened thanks to social media and those awful right-wing “news” sources.
And, based on listening to my youngest brother, it’s not that they aren’t necessarily skeptical; they’re skeptical in a very biased way. They refuse to listen to anything that doesn’t confirm what they think, and it doesn’t seem to matter how crazy that is.
Reminds me of a pathological liar I knew once. The guy could not refrain from making up elaborate lies about everything. They were highly detailed—and convincing! It was not even for any obvious personal gain, either, in his case.
I often wondered if he hadn’t simply stolen someone else’s stories at times, and put himself in them as the main character.
Real compulsive liars aren't even aware they are lying...they believe it at the time, and it is basically a defense mechanism...I know a couple
Then there are the jokers, my one sister has insisted since we were young that she was born into the wrong family, or switched at birth and she is really a princess...lol
I think you’re right about compulsive liars. I’m not sure if they believe it or not, but lying certainly comes easily to them. Did you ever follow the Casey Anthony case—what a liar!!!!
Also, my aunt was the only brunette of her 3 siblings. She told me something similar when I asked her why that was. (She was a wonderful person!)
I have encountered that, and I think you are correct---they insert themselves into someone else's story. Its kinda like when I created the Comment Section Liberation Front...
Trump is a former POTUS. Who can tell him he did it wrong? His behavior worked for him so there is good sense in emulating it. Now, that doesn't mean every Santos can pull it off, but he is now a Congressman and how many people can say that? Despicable (always think of Daffy Duck when I see that word) as these behaviors are, there is some logic to Trump's actions and Santos' me-too act. The same is true for Putin and every other bully. If their behavior is getting results, and they are not stopped, why not continue? Santos, and he will not be the last, is part of the Trump legacy. We allowed it to work so others will surely try to copy because they saw it work. This is why it is important to prosecute Trump to the fullest extent possible and no presidential pardon should be given. We need to try to deter others. Of course, there may be a Santos who makes a fully rational choice to give it a shot because being disgraced later might be worth it to him, but try we must to deter. They should both face the law and any other consequences. If McCarthy were a leader with any sense of moral conviction, he'd throw Santos out by whatever means he has at his disposal, as would the party. However, as in all things politics now, principle is hard to find; power is all that matters. Ugh.
But doesn't Santos appear to be a cautionary tale? Seriously, there was more than one Republican carpetbagger Congressional candidate in NYS after redistricting. I say they should all have extra special scrutiny, esp. after the Santos ordeal. I would submit that it should not be limited to Republican candidates but to all (Democrat, Green, Independent, Conservative, Working Party and Libertarian political parties-- even "The Rent is Too Damn High" Party) We should demand more from our local substandard corporately owned new organizations. If they refuse the job, we should support local upstart journalism that will and crowd them out of business. Back in the early days and probably a good 30 years ago... of this nation we had a thriving journalism network-- many different broadsheets, newsletters and papers being distributed on the streets and this lasted for decades. It wasn't until Web 2.0 that we lost so much d/t it all being available freely on the WWW and lost advertisers who kept the ink in the black. Now we have a plethora of internet journalism for a fee (I for one, have had to cut back as I cannot afford so many subscriptions-- I have kept my local paper and the NYT, kept 3 Substacks subs and 2 magazines - the NYer and Atlantic but that is my limit and I am ever seeking to reduce for any reason (for instance, noticing I am deleting a newsletter d/t no time to read it).
I only subscribe to TMD and that may not be the case a year from now. Ideally, the media would be careful watchdogs but that is not their job. Their primary responsibility is to earn a profit for their shareholders, just like any other business and we should always keep that in mind. That said, we should expect some sort of disclosure statements from politicians and then the media can make money by researching them and trying to make headlines/money out of exposing fraud.
The ironic thing is that the Web was supposed to "democratize" journalism and support the growth of "independent" journalists who would get the stories that the legacy outlets refused to cover because of their corrupt corporate connections, or something. But the eventual result was the closure of many local papers that used to actually break such stories. The best reporting on the Epstein scandal came not from the NYT or WaPo, but a local Florida paper.
Now we have "independent" journalists like Taibbi basically becoming PR drones for one of the richest men in the world. Very ironic.
Monkey see, monkey do. Politics especially seems to reward undesirable behavior.
I’m with you in thinking Trump should be locked up—despite the many arguments against. For one, it makes us look like a banana republic in which previous leaders are always jailed by their successors. For another, it is a certainty that the other party will seek revenge once they’ve got the chance by trying to jail the last president from the other team.
The arguments against are political, or about political processes. The argument for is principled and practical. A basic principle of American law is that no one is above it. The practical argument is deterrence. Congress should prosecute Santos, however that can be done. Censure him and, if possible, throw him out. It would be good for the institution, not that any members are thinking along those lines.
Could not agree more, really. The presidency shouldn’t make anyone immune to prosecution for breaking the law. And that’s despite the potential trajectory, frankly. If we have to go down the route of banana-republican tit-for-tat, then that’s what we’ll have to deal with.
Sadly, when I try to imagine that course, I fear the lessons learned by striving politicians will *not* be to be truthful, but to be better liars…
The main barrier to prosecuting a sitting President (at least at the federal level) is that the President supervises all Executive branch officials, including prosecutors.
The independent counsel statute was supposed to fix that, but that is widely seen to be unconstitutional.
The Founders no doubt intended the Congressional impeachment process to address a misbehaving President. But that has succumbed to partisan pressures.
As with most everything... it is probably important to limit the mimicry to the legality. For example... faking till you make it should stop prior to the actual fraud. (See SBF. "George Santos" (if that is actually his name), Bernie Madoff, Enron executives..., Donald Trump). When people tell you their truths, believe them, they are telling you who they are and they do have tells (See Leona Helmsley, Elizabeth Holmes, Anna Sorokin)--even if those tells are credit card refusals. No need to be deferential when Visa tells you they are effing liars and cheats.
Henderson had a few other examples that were more mundane. One is the average middle-class American striver who tries the method of copying a successful person’s daily routines, such as getting up early and having, say, yoghurt for breakfast before hitting the gym. It’s the sort of thing that’s been around in fan-like behavior.
What comes to my mind is the attempted emulation of Steve Jobs among the tech crowd. The corporate talks given in jeans and turtlenecks became the standard. Some of that behavior gets close to cargo-cult territory.
You remind me that Adam Carolla (stand-up comedian and podcast producer) likes to talk about his daily swim in his 45 degree swimming pool. Then, I listened to him talking with Dr. Drew, who was trying to take a cold shower on a daily basis (I’ve heard of this one before). Both made positive claims for this practice. Uh, no thanks, but I’m guessing there are some people who heard that, and thought it was a good idea.
I read somewhere that, as women entered the corporate workforce in greater numbers, they would lower the pitch of their voices, and now women everywhere talk lower than women would have, a century ago.
I have always had a low voice for a woman to begin with...like my mom and grandmother did...to the point that on the phone I am often mistaken for a man...sigh, or my roommate ( our own families often think we are the other person...lol...)...I have to correct them and say: I know I sound like a man, but I am actually a woman...and they can't tell by my first name because it is so unusual...
Believe it’s Jessie Johnson. UK poet.
So, chimps more rational than humans in their mimicking of behavior? Well, one cheer for evolution.
Perhaps more school children should be sent on field trips to the local zoo to spend a little time in the primate section, instead of spending so much time in the zoos of pop culture and social media.
Speaking of *field* trips, apparently the DHHS in my home state has decided to ban the term "*field* worker" in its agency's communications, due to the term's "implications for the descendants of Black and Brown enslaved individuals."
Though "...the widespread use of this term is not intended to be harmful, we cannot ignore the impact its use has on our employees." Apparently,"...staff and stakeholders have raised concerns" about the term's connotations, which are supposedly racist in the opinion of some.
Ditto USC's School of Social Work, removing the term from its curriculum to help "reject white supremacy". Its Field Education Department is now the Practicum Education Department. "We have decided to remove the world 'field' from our curriculum and practice and replace it with 'practicum'."
Now, I'm all in on the rejection of white supremacy. However...
Said the new PED: "Language is powerful, and phrases such as 'going into the field' or field work may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigration workers that are not benign."
So, field trips for the kids are probably out. But practicum excursions, maybe.
As a practical matter, I agree that language is a powerful thing. As long as it's expressed in words that allow one to know exactly what the hell is being talked about. And as another practical matter, it may be there are more than a few adults in need of a trip to the zoo, if they can find the time to decamp the ones they work and live in for a little while.
This, from a guy who spent no small amount of time sweating in the tobacco and hay fields of his youth, never in his wildest dreams imaging the people whom he sometimes broke sweat with and who didn't look like him would be in danger of being 'triggered' by the words 'field' or 'work'. Work didn't scare them any more than it did him. And the work to be done was in the fields. That was it, and that was all, for all of us.
Of course, that may be because it's only been of late that he's known the word trigger to refer to anything much more than something one squeezed when aiming at a squirrel. Or the name of a horse. Which he's watching rip the bed covers off of Bob Hope as he types this, just for a little needed comic relief. For any unfamiliar, he'd be happy to say the name of that old movie. But it might trigger something untoward.
Honestly. The times are truly stupid.
In USC Speak, that would be sub-optimally intelligent, relatively.
Trigger was smarter than some of these folks. And knew better tricks than silly word games.
(I actually was watching Son of Paleface. Know it's dated and not everyone's cup of comedic tea. I guess being a 'horse person' might have some bearing, but honestly, I don't know how they ever got that movie in the can, since for the life of me I can't figure out how some of those guys could do what they had to do while keeping a straight face, be they actors or crew members.)
Happy Friday the 13th. A friend posted on my wall a meme with a picture of a coffee cup and the words: It is Friday the 13th, and I haven't had my coffee yet...Be Scared. Very Scared. lol
As it turns out, though I mentioned this two days ago, and he has yet to get some or let me order it...we were out of coffee and I couldn't get any till my boss rolled in around 9:30...
It is cold and it was raining till a little while ago, when the temps dropped and right now we are getting tiny balls of snow, somewhere between actual snowflakes and hail...lol....mostly the snow belt will get hit with snow, but wind chills in the teens due to the wind coming off Lake Erie...brrrrr
I have a three day week end, most of which will be spent going through all the stuff stored in my crawl space to organize and decide if I need to give away and what to decorate the house with, now that all the Christmas is done and the books and DVD's are back on their shelves...
For whatever reason, I am not much of an imitator ( at least partly I suppose due to my fierce , this is who I am stance...lol)...there are celebrities I like , but, I have never emulated them...though I couldn't if I wanted to fashion wise...both money and body shape prohibited ...lol...
I read the full post by Henderson and although I thought he was getting a too repetitive towards the end with the "you should copy people just ahead of you not the ones at the top" career advice, I totally agreed with this:
"Young children are more likely to imitate a person that adults regard as being higher status. If you have any kind of prominence, you unavoidably become a model that others, including children, are more likely to emulate.
This, by the way, is why it has always struck me as dishonest when celebrities and others in media say kids shouldn’t imitate their behaviors."
Although it occurs to me that Henderson's own advice is trying to counter this aspect of human nature. But maybe he knows it too and that's why he spent so much time arguing that ordinary people shouldn't emulate the high status ones.
Good morning. No TSAF today. The choir has a funeral this morning for one of our members, and the science team is meeting on top of that, and then we're singing at the homeless mission tonight. And the van is in the shop. Good thing I have all these extraneous young gentlemen with drivers licenses and time on their hands.
Condolences to you all, Cynthia.
Make the alphabet crew earn their keep!
Once in a while, they justify the cost of their auto insurance.
Once upon a time my mother said the same about me.
:D
The funeral was a success: the family was very happy with the music, and the choir did not melt down, but only experienced scattered outbreaks of sniffles.
And the van is back.
"Family was happy with the music" is no small thing. At my mom's memorial years ago, I remember the organist playing "For the Beauty of the Earth," which was one of my favorites, though I didn't even know that organist and we hadn't specified what to play. She made a really good pick that helped express gratitude for life and for my family--either that or maybe the pastor, who knew us well, suggested it--and it just stayed with me.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
<sniff> excuse me . . .
That's a favorite of mine. Also, "Come, you sinners, poor and needy."
As Phil said, condolences to you and the other choir members.
Thanks for the update. Condolences to you and the choir. I hope all goes well with the service and repairs and that you don't get called in on your day off!
Someone asked about TSAF in the TMD comments this morning. I said I knew you were busy, but hadn’t seen this yet. Hope you are feeling better.
Ah, well, the building of popular demand is not such a bad thing.
Condoleneces for yoru fellow choir member.
Do you trust the driving skills of your "extraneous young gentlemen"? 🙂
(At least, with no TSAF today, there is less material for punning, and *maybe* I can take a day off).
This sounds a bit like a lament, just hoping you can get us going. I hope we don't disappoint you. Oh, Good morning, Phil!
Taking a day off? That's off-ful!
Go, Jack!
Do NOT encourage him!!! 🧐😉
I'd be happy to exchange puns with Jack. Would that make him a Jack of all trades?
And a Jack-ster of none.
I have to admit that one is kind of clever, but I still am not into puns! 😘
You really need to be watched! 🧐
Are you saying time is on Jack's side?
I’m not sure what I’m going to do about you, mister!
And that was truly off-ful. 🚪
-2. You lose points for reusing a pun. Come on, Phil, you can do this.
What you call "reusing a pun" I call "turning a pun back on its creator". 🙂
Don't pun-t on this.
I call explaining it puntification.
Admit it -you know you would have been in an off-foul mood with out at least one door today!
Unless, of course, you keep poultry.
Yay LucyT!! It's good to hear another voice jump in.
Lucy, as a first-time punster, you have some "'splainin" to do. 🚪
😂 You never let me down, Phil!
Thank you.
Oh you really snuck that one in!!! 🧐 🤭
🤭
Yes, the young drivers can be trusted to get from here to there on time and in one piece.
The van was doing a weird wobbling thing, which triggered my panic attack on Tuesday, and the one mechanic guy said it wasn't dangerous, and also it wouldn't do it for him, but Son F was with me, and he said yeah, it was really doing it. So yesterday our regular mechanic said the tie bar ends(?) or something like that, are worn out, so yeah, the wheels are definitely wobbly, it's not just me having a tizzy.
This is a relief, even though it's going to cost several hundred dollars to fix it. Going loo-loo while driving is not something I have time for!
Tie rod ends hold other pieces together. If you imagine something tying your calf and thigh together with a piece (we call them knees) and getting worn out, the joint can become wobbly. Think of this as knee replacement for less money and without the rehab. I'm not suggesting that when your van is fixed it will be easier to squat or get up from a low chair.
“ I'm not suggesting that when your van is fixed it will be easier to squat or get up from a low chair.”
Certainly not without a fair amount of PT!
Every so often I watch Instagram videos, and recently there was one of a woman driving down a four lane highway with the front right tire completely gone! She was going pretty fast, too, and seemed totally unaware.
I worry about anything that sounds or feels strange when I’m driving in a car, and I’m not talking about me, personally!
Thanks for the heads up. Hope things calm down a bit over the weekend.
Tomorrow should (famous last words) be an actual day off.
I've got another church situation going on that probably won't have any development over the weekend. I've been writing about it to one of my friends under the heading, "The Stewardship Committee Murders," but now it has a spin-off, "Revolt of the Parish Council."
As the sage Jimmy Buffett says, "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."
We Irish call it Black Humor.
Second what Anne said. If you ever arrange one of your prison vacations, please write at least one short story or novella involving an amateur detective in that scenario.
I'll have to change all the names.
After this week, a few years in an Ikea cubicle in a quiet, Norwegian jail sounds really nice.
I’ve told my best friend about you because you have our sense of humor/similar opinions. She once said to me that there were times when moving to a cabin somewhere in the northern woods had a lot of appeal.
I hate drama, especially when there’s too much of it. I finally ended a friendship because she was exhausting me. Don’t get me wrong, I like being a good friend, I don’t mind listening, I’m happy to lend a hand, provide some comfort, help out, etc. But this person was endlessly needy, especially for attention. We all have problems, but we don’t turn every little thing into “I can’t believe this is happening to me!”
She really drained me, and quite frankly, not having her in my life anymore has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a long time.
I’m not trying to give you advice, just saying, “I get it!”
I understand. I plan to have a restful day tomorrow.
With an IKEA book (also known as Scrabble tiles).
Some kind of book(s)!
I’ve read two of “The Thursday Murder Club” book series, which is what I immediately thought of when Cynthia posted her church. She could easily write something like that. The first is about group of people in their mid 70s who investigate some local crimes, including one that involves a cemetery attached to a convent. The writing is so clever, with the best endings!
You’d think church would be the last place you’d have to worry about. However, I remember some pretty crazy stuff happening in my mom’s little church. She could have written a book, actually. (You would be a wonderful book writer!)
Anything involving people is going to have murders, literal or metaphorical.
Anything involving people is messy in some way, which is exactly why there are so many good books about them, murder or otherwise.
Has Geoengineering son started the new job yet?
And condolences to you and your choir.
He starts work on January 23. He has filled out his paperwork and done his drug test. He still needs some clothes, though.
Thank you. Our friend was over 80 and lasted just a few weeks after a cancer diagnosis. She was at home with her family to the end.
I think we'd all like to be with family.
Good news and sad news. Life sure is a roller coaster.
Wait! His job requires that he be clothed? I sense a unionization drive coming...
😂
Lol! He needs jeans or heavy work pants for construction site visits.
How times change - it used to be jeans were already in the wardrobe and shopping was for professional office clothes (whatever they are at this point).
Geo-engineering seems to be an outdoor endeavor.
I made some comment about how lazy we’ve all become in how we dress. I still can’t believe some of the things I see at Walmart. Then I got chastised (TMD) because maybe these people didn’t have money, and I’m sure that’s true for some of them. But, you can’t tell me everyone only has PJs and bedroom slippers. I especially see a lot of bedroom slippers, although that doesn’t bother me nearly as much as seeing butt cracks (men AND women).
That’s what I like, clothing requirements that are easy to fulfill!
OMG! Where would you find those things?
Probably Walmart. The schlub has been wearing gym shorts or his pajamas for most of the last year.
Sounds like discrimination against nudists! Quick, file an EEOC complaint! 🤣
I’m crossing my fingers as you clench your teeth.
It will all come out fine, I’m sure. Deep breaths. People are just as wrapped up in their own worlds to wonder whether you’re doing it right, doing it well, or know what you’re doing at any given point in time. You’re sweating it out, and they’re looking at you, thinking, “Did I lock the door when I left the house? Is Junior gonna burn the house down while I’m here? Does the dog need to go to the vet?” And so on.
It's not that either the funeral attendees or the homeless people are an audience of critics. Rather, my concern is that, if even one of the ladies starts crying, the whole batch of us will just stand there and wail. Performers have to be machines.
Most personal advice is imagining yourself in another’s position and then talking to yourself, for what it’s worth.
The choir won’t break down (probably) because they’ll be focused on what they’re doing and playing off each other. If anyone in the choir does break down, the other mourners will simply understand the moment as all the more moving and profound.
Machines break down, too, sometimes. Unlike machines, you won’t be returned to Home Depot or Universal Tool Rental—you’ll just pull yourselves together and go on, relieved somewhat at the release, I’m sure.
As long as you wail on key...
That reminds of the time I was singing while holding the infant Son F. All of a sudden, he got a wild look in his eye, leaned over, and bit me on the arm.
"Aaa - leee - loo - YAAAAAAAAAH!" right into the microphone. I had a distinct row of tooth marks on my arm for a month. We called him "los dientes malditos," the cursed teeth.
Did you have to look that up when you coined the name?
Nope.
Los dientes malditos would be a FABULOUS name for a punk metal mariachi band!
I agree. Have you heard "Metalachi"? That's not nearly as good a name as Los Dientes Malditos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku_m0ePN2eY
Talk about copying: This latest on George Santos is amazing. Summary: Not just the sleazy campaign, not just the weird expenses on which the campaign spent money, not just the lies. One person who gave him money is a well-known Holocaust artist. She met him and they talked and he talked about being Catholic, and she talked about being the daughter of survivors. Next time she heard him speak, he was talking about how his grandparents were survivors.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/muckraker/inside-george-santos-madcap-campaign-things-were-not-on-the-up-and-up
This is what worries me about our electorate: too many vote based on what they think they’re going to get. Never do they consider that politicians can claim anything, and never do they consider that nothing is “free.”
It occurs to me that in the civic arena we have lost, or have yet to acquire, what in the business world would be called institutional memory. People just need to remember to be on the alert for bullies, and skeptical of a bill of goods someone's trying to sell them. You'd think someone would have clued them in already.
I’m guessing people have always fallen for this kind of thing. Unfortunately, the reach of these politicians has lengthened and strengthened thanks to social media and those awful right-wing “news” sources.
And, based on listening to my youngest brother, it’s not that they aren’t necessarily skeptical; they’re skeptical in a very biased way. They refuse to listen to anything that doesn’t confirm what they think, and it doesn’t seem to matter how crazy that is.
Reminds me of a pathological liar I knew once. The guy could not refrain from making up elaborate lies about everything. They were highly detailed—and convincing! It was not even for any obvious personal gain, either, in his case.
I often wondered if he hadn’t simply stolen someone else’s stories at times, and put himself in them as the main character.
I’ve met those people, and I’m grateful that lying is not something I’m good at or even want to do in the first place.
Real compulsive liars aren't even aware they are lying...they believe it at the time, and it is basically a defense mechanism...I know a couple
Then there are the jokers, my one sister has insisted since we were young that she was born into the wrong family, or switched at birth and she is really a princess...lol
I think you’re right about compulsive liars. I’m not sure if they believe it or not, but lying certainly comes easily to them. Did you ever follow the Casey Anthony case—what a liar!!!!
Also, my aunt was the only brunette of her 3 siblings. She told me something similar when I asked her why that was. (She was a wonderful person!)
Well, I am the brunette with three blonde sisters...but, I never thought of that...lol...I usually just tole them the truth, different fathers...
Good of you, but I kind of like the “princess” story.
I have encountered that, and I think you are correct---they insert themselves into someone else's story. Its kinda like when I created the Comment Section Liberation Front...
This is likely a fib. I think Phil did that. Probably so he could have a job with flexible hours.
This made me smile...and it was unexpected
Trump is a former POTUS. Who can tell him he did it wrong? His behavior worked for him so there is good sense in emulating it. Now, that doesn't mean every Santos can pull it off, but he is now a Congressman and how many people can say that? Despicable (always think of Daffy Duck when I see that word) as these behaviors are, there is some logic to Trump's actions and Santos' me-too act. The same is true for Putin and every other bully. If their behavior is getting results, and they are not stopped, why not continue? Santos, and he will not be the last, is part of the Trump legacy. We allowed it to work so others will surely try to copy because they saw it work. This is why it is important to prosecute Trump to the fullest extent possible and no presidential pardon should be given. We need to try to deter others. Of course, there may be a Santos who makes a fully rational choice to give it a shot because being disgraced later might be worth it to him, but try we must to deter. They should both face the law and any other consequences. If McCarthy were a leader with any sense of moral conviction, he'd throw Santos out by whatever means he has at his disposal, as would the party. However, as in all things politics now, principle is hard to find; power is all that matters. Ugh.
McCarthy would need a spine before trying to throw anything
But doesn't Santos appear to be a cautionary tale? Seriously, there was more than one Republican carpetbagger Congressional candidate in NYS after redistricting. I say they should all have extra special scrutiny, esp. after the Santos ordeal. I would submit that it should not be limited to Republican candidates but to all (Democrat, Green, Independent, Conservative, Working Party and Libertarian political parties-- even "The Rent is Too Damn High" Party) We should demand more from our local substandard corporately owned new organizations. If they refuse the job, we should support local upstart journalism that will and crowd them out of business. Back in the early days and probably a good 30 years ago... of this nation we had a thriving journalism network-- many different broadsheets, newsletters and papers being distributed on the streets and this lasted for decades. It wasn't until Web 2.0 that we lost so much d/t it all being available freely on the WWW and lost advertisers who kept the ink in the black. Now we have a plethora of internet journalism for a fee (I for one, have had to cut back as I cannot afford so many subscriptions-- I have kept my local paper and the NYT, kept 3 Substacks subs and 2 magazines - the NYer and Atlantic but that is my limit and I am ever seeking to reduce for any reason (for instance, noticing I am deleting a newsletter d/t no time to read it).
I only subscribe to TMD and that may not be the case a year from now. Ideally, the media would be careful watchdogs but that is not their job. Their primary responsibility is to earn a profit for their shareholders, just like any other business and we should always keep that in mind. That said, we should expect some sort of disclosure statements from politicians and then the media can make money by researching them and trying to make headlines/money out of exposing fraud.
The ironic thing is that the Web was supposed to "democratize" journalism and support the growth of "independent" journalists who would get the stories that the legacy outlets refused to cover because of their corrupt corporate connections, or something. But the eventual result was the closure of many local papers that used to actually break such stories. The best reporting on the Epstein scandal came not from the NYT or WaPo, but a local Florida paper.
Now we have "independent" journalists like Taibbi basically becoming PR drones for one of the richest men in the world. Very ironic.
Monkey see, monkey do. Politics especially seems to reward undesirable behavior.
I’m with you in thinking Trump should be locked up—despite the many arguments against. For one, it makes us look like a banana republic in which previous leaders are always jailed by their successors. For another, it is a certainty that the other party will seek revenge once they’ve got the chance by trying to jail the last president from the other team.
The arguments against are political, or about political processes. The argument for is principled and practical. A basic principle of American law is that no one is above it. The practical argument is deterrence. Congress should prosecute Santos, however that can be done. Censure him and, if possible, throw him out. It would be good for the institution, not that any members are thinking along those lines.
Could not agree more, really. The presidency shouldn’t make anyone immune to prosecution for breaking the law. And that’s despite the potential trajectory, frankly. If we have to go down the route of banana-republican tit-for-tat, then that’s what we’ll have to deal with.
Sadly, when I try to imagine that course, I fear the lessons learned by striving politicians will *not* be to be truthful, but to be better liars…
The main barrier to prosecuting a sitting President (at least at the federal level) is that the President supervises all Executive branch officials, including prosecutors.
The independent counsel statute was supposed to fix that, but that is widely seen to be unconstitutional.
The Founders no doubt intended the Congressional impeachment process to address a misbehaving President. But that has succumbed to partisan pressures.
Oh, come on. You can't agree even a little bit more? :)
As with most everything... it is probably important to limit the mimicry to the legality. For example... faking till you make it should stop prior to the actual fraud. (See SBF. "George Santos" (if that is actually his name), Bernie Madoff, Enron executives..., Donald Trump). When people tell you their truths, believe them, they are telling you who they are and they do have tells (See Leona Helmsley, Elizabeth Holmes, Anna Sorokin)--even if those tells are credit card refusals. No need to be deferential when Visa tells you they are effing liars and cheats.
Henderson had a few other examples that were more mundane. One is the average middle-class American striver who tries the method of copying a successful person’s daily routines, such as getting up early and having, say, yoghurt for breakfast before hitting the gym. It’s the sort of thing that’s been around in fan-like behavior.
What comes to my mind is the attempted emulation of Steve Jobs among the tech crowd. The corporate talks given in jeans and turtlenecks became the standard. Some of that behavior gets close to cargo-cult territory.
You remind me that Adam Carolla (stand-up comedian and podcast producer) likes to talk about his daily swim in his 45 degree swimming pool. Then, I listened to him talking with Dr. Drew, who was trying to take a cold shower on a daily basis (I’ve heard of this one before). Both made positive claims for this practice. Uh, no thanks, but I’m guessing there are some people who heard that, and thought it was a good idea.
Elizabeth Holmes not only dressing like Jobs, but actually talking in a lower register.
I read somewhere that, as women entered the corporate workforce in greater numbers, they would lower the pitch of their voices, and now women everywhere talk lower than women would have, a century ago.
One doesn't want to be perceived as being excitable.
I have always had a low voice for a woman to begin with...like my mom and grandmother did...to the point that on the phone I am often mistaken for a man...sigh, or my roommate ( our own families often think we are the other person...lol...)...I have to correct them and say: I know I sound like a man, but I am actually a woman...and they can't tell by my first name because it is so unusual...