Random Thoughts November 2025

Ted Reads Random Thoughts

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My body is like an old car that has been in the family a LONG time.  Relatively reliable for driving around town, but not so much anymore for embarking on a cross-country trip, probably should stay in the garage if it is going to rain, etc. 

One of the books I am reading (White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War Then Rewrote Its History) helped me figure out who I am.  I would have been a “scalawag” back in the day, and a proud one.

What’s with the word, “Shebang.” As in “the whole shebang.”  Is there a ¾, or half, or a 10% shebang, or only a whole?

How and why, I was wondering, did the rodeo-ers come up with the 8 second bull ride?  Why not 7 or 10?

I was reading a research piece that suggested that encounters that cause us to experience things like awe, wonder, and delight can significantly enhance prosocial behaviors as well as feed optimism.  Having the effect of benefitting others and ourselves.  Kindness, generosity, compassion, decency.  That’s been my experience also.  In workshops I lead I ask each of the participants to share a delight, or a moment of awe that they experienced that day.  Within a few days, it becomes difficult for them to pick just one.  I consider that a good problem.

I was talking with a devout Christian friend when I heard myself ask him, “What if good people are simply good people and don’t need the nonsense that is palmed off as Christianity today.  Christianity that is practiced and promoted by our country’s leader, supported and endorsed by his minions?”  He responded that he would be in favor of the Sufi’s taking over, at least they dance.  I like the visuals that come to mind.  

So, the ‘thing’ these days are car door handles that disappear.  I am wondering the effect on people in the cars when they are involved in an accident and people are trying to help them exit the car.

People in my life have inferred, pejoratively, that being a human do-er is inferior to being a human being.  Tell me when a human being is not doing something.  I understand what they are trying to say, but……

Jock Strap Memories – I was 12 years old, 7^th grade.  Instead of recess, we now had gym class.  Mandatory.  What else was mandatory was a “jock strap.”  Whatever that was.  I was clueless, but I was aware that I needed one or the gym teacher proclaimed he would “clean my clock.”  Whatever that meant.  I didn’t know, but I had a hunch that would not be a good thing. I went home and told my mom, hoping that she knew what that meant.  She did.  She said, “That’s what you wear to protect down there,” as she pointed at my groin.  

“Go down to the drug store and tell them what you need, and they’ll take care of it.”  I went down to the drug store and was directed to ‘go see the pharmacist.’

I waited until everyone else was out of earshot and said, “I need a jock, for gym class.”

He looked at me, peering over the top of his glasses, but said nothing.  I was feeling more and more self-conscious as he stared at me.  Eventually he said, “what size?” 

I didn’t know how to answer that question.  Where did I stack up size-wise, compared to the other boys?  If I said ‘small,’ would he laugh at me?  Is he asking me to tell him the size of my genitalia?  Should I say, “extra-large?” Would the whole town then know what size I was?

I stood motionless.

Gratefully, he must have seen my uncomfortableness, or maybe he had just been playing with me to get a good laugh he could share with his wife, but he chuckled and said, “Waist size.” “Oh,” I said, “extra small.”  

WARNING: Political Content to Follow

At the beginning of the current edition of this regime, I was expressing concern to a long-time, Trump supporting Republican friend of mine for all the things THEY said they were going to do.  He told me not to worry because he trusted the “balance of power” in our constitution to keep us safe.  I haven’t heard anything from him regarding this lately.  Wonder what that means?

Once upon a time, when presidents of the United States were caught lying, it was a big deal.  Now, it isn’t.  It seems that lying is only an issue if our current president doesn’t like someone.  Then their lying becomes THE issue.  And we let him get away with it all.

DT suggests that the Smithsonian needs to revise its displays.  Because of the ‘history’ it messages.   Though he was effusive in his praise of the mission of the Civil Rights museum a few years back, he has learned that it is to his advantage to dance to the tune of a different piper. 

Same with the Epstein affair.  It was an issue until he discovered it all was a fraud. 

I’m wondering if anyone else noticed DT wobble down the red carpet in Alaska. I felt a wave of sadness for him.  I know where that wobble comes from.  A compromised brain.  And it isn’t alcohol. It is the brain and body malfunctioning.  I’ve got one of those. 

Who needs the telescopes turned on?  Weather reporting?  Who needs to know that the planet is burning up?  Let’s stop all the potential bad news that scientific resources reveal and just be ignorantly happy?  (This is my sarcastic self-speaking.)  

I hope you, or a loved one doesn’t have a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew who has or will get brain cancer.  Funding for research has been cut; thus, research has been stopped in the name of……...?

Pull fire fighters from the line to check their immigration status?  Sounds like a reasonable idea to me.  (I’m being sarcastic) 

Require a medical emergency victim identify themselves as an American before they can be treated, OR BEFORE THE FIRST RESPONDER IS ALLOWED TO HELP?  (I’m being sarcastic) 

These and the other things that are happening now, that resemble the Stalinesque purges, and Hitleresque strategies, IF one dares to look them.  Borrowing a phrase from right-wings martyrs, “Prove me wrong.”