COLOR SURPRISED!

Normally, I do not watch any of the late shows. I consider it a waste of time. Given how little my time is worth, that is saying something. The thing is, there was only one political joke, which was good.

Most of the jokes were about the Super Bowl and were truly funny. I guess it shows what the writers can do when their minds are not fogged over with obsessions of communist ways. Normally, I quickly change the channel after the news, fearing that my TV will quickly list to the hard left.

I must give Jimmy Fallon credit. When he truly wants to be funny, he is good at it. On the other hand, when he decides to be communist, he is good at that too.

Memphis TV 5 reported instructions on avoiding arrest by ICE at the top of the 10 o’clock news. While it may not be illegal, it is concerning. At the very least, the station should receive a written warning from the FCC. If the behavior is repeated, they should be fined. If it occurs a third time, their license should be revoked.

It is not just wrong, but it sets a bad example. If a fine is paid, then individuals will realize the laws are real and have real teeth.

There was a time when a license to transmit was treasured and respected. Now, not so much. Making transmissions to help people break the law is not in the public’s interest. It is also, at least, bordering on being illegal.

In reference to the previous post, I just thought of something. It is purely conjecture, but I must admit, it is remotely conceivable.

I wonder if there are any folks out there working two remote federal gigs. Can you imagine someone kicking back at home, raking in two paychecks while they’ve got their feet up on the desk? (With a couple of government-issued $5,000 computers, each hooked up to its own government-provided internet line, no less.)

It’s a valid question to wonder whether we have the necessary systems in place to detect and address such issues. Exploring this further could help identify any gaps or areas for improvement in our system.

It would seem that Trump’s financial watchdogs are causing some discomfort among the rank and file of those drawing government checks while working from home.

Well, perhaps I need to be careful how I use the term “work.” It would seem that maybe there is a significant number that, while supposedly working at home for taxpayers, they are busy working elsewhere, doing who knows what.

Working two jobs at once is not new. I even know people who worked three jobs. Nothing wrong with that. Even admirable. However, working for someone else while on the federal clock is wrong, and hopefully is illegal. In the vernacular, it’s not cool.

And so it is that Elon and his crew appear to be making it uncomfortable for those working nine-to-five for Uncle Sam while also working for someone else during the same time.

After considering it for a while, it does make me wonder. I might have been able to make some money if I served as a security guard and custodian for, let’s say, the same.school. It sounds good, but I don’t think I could get away with it.

Why should we let the federal employees get away with this? I mean, as a custodian and security guard, at least I’d have to be there, though in a dual role. I couldn’t wear two hats simultaneously, but I could juggle them both with the dexterity of a circus performer.

“(Same title as Petula Clark’s hit. By the way, I still like to listen to the old song. The woman could sing.)”

If I have heard the question asked once, I have heard it a hundred times. “Why can’t we get people to come to our wonderful downtown area?”

Well, I’ll answer for myself, and I’d guess it will be something of a representation.

1. It’s too hard to get there. I’m talking over an hour of frustrating traffic.
2. I can never find a place to park. If I do, it costs a fiver to plant my vehicle for a few hours. Oh, and by the way, I still walk another mile, maybe more. Then of course I must return to my car while already exhausted.
3. It’s dangerous, you know. It’s dangerous getting there, while there, and dangerous coming back. I am starting to feel more concerned about my safety in Memphis than when I was in Da Nang. Who wants to bring a family or date into an environment like that?
4. Then there is the big reason. Nothing there worth the effort.

Having said this, obviously, my opinion does not represent everyone. I don’t know if it is courage or lack of common sense. I mean I’m hardly the only one who prefers staying clear of the area.

Most folks know it but some don’t. If Pres. Trump had not issued the order that men can’t participate in women’s sports, women’s sports would have faded to gone.

Then too, it might have gone on as nothing but men playing dress-up, and not very convincingly at that. They simply lack the necessary equipment for the task.

I was having a slight nightmare. It wasn’t scary, just frustrating. I was back at work, repairing something electronic. I was starting to zero in on a loose wire.

The frustrating part was that my supervisors kept coming in and asking questions, causing me a loss of focus. Worse, they turned off the high-intensity lights. So, again I had to leave my position to turn the two lights back on.

In my nightmarish world, I never fixed the wire. Just as well, maybe. The truth is that I didn’t have a clue what I was working on.

As I stirred from my slumber, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks – it’s like living in a communist utopia, but without the gulag and bread lines.

For those few unaware, it’s a filmmaker’s term for where the image on film or video gradually goes dark. In my case, my reference is the TV stations, seemingly.

I have been sitting here watching one news clip after the next on my 10-inch Fire. The screen is much smaller than my fifty-inch TV. Yet, I am able to see eyelashes and irises clearly. I think I’ll give up TV and watch news on the Fire. I’ll skip the sports and weather and concentrate on real news. The side benefit is fewer ads, and they are less abrasive.

I would love to liberate the TV from its captivity, but alas, my better half still finds joy in its flickering glow. Tossing it to the curb would only lead to marital discord, and that’s a battle I’m not quite ready to wage.

Well, I’d hold off until after the big game – wouldn’t want to miss those commercials, now would we?

Or anywhere?

If you don’t, it’s too late. It’s already been done under the so-called leadership of Old Joe. We can’t do anything about it. We will not get any of the money back.

It was a clever ruse, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, where the funds ostensibly meant to alleviate hunger were diverted to more nefarious ends. A veritable shell game, where the starving were left to fend for themselves while the perpetrators lined their pockets.

However, it does make me wonder. How many tumbleweeds attended? Did it make a profit? My suspicion is that it played to a house so empty, the crickets had to pay admission. Those folks down there have work to do – like farming.