Freaky Friday

Well, the world hasn't ended yet, but there's significant evidence that - culturally - we're doing our best to facilitate its demise.

• I probably won't comment on the McKinney situation.  Doing so seems to have the unfortunate result of costing people jobs or friendships.  (Update:  Per the evening local news, there's a protest/counter-protest march planned from McKPDHQ to the County Courthouse.  Good grief!)
• OK, one tidbit: I inquired of my date the other evening, over dinner, what 'we' thought of McKinney.
• She: "Oh, it's another example of the militarization of the police."
• Gently, I asked: "Really?  Have you seen the video?"
• "I don't need to.  I know what it's about."
• "Well, I saw it.  Let me give you a few details."
• My takeaway from the resulting conversation is that we humans are our own worst enemies, and I was reminded of the fable of the blind men and an elephant.  
• Of course, in the fable, comprehension was impeded by the blindness.  But there is none so deaf as those that will not hear; none so blind as those that will not see¹.  
• Particularly puzzling to me as she is my age, with advanced degrees, and probably ten times as smart.
• It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so².
• Even though I am a man, I resisted the temptation to use either of those quotes, or to advance the conversation thread beyond explaining what was actually on the video.  Because I am not a stoopid man.  One does not argue with the female of the species.
• Prior, we went to see Love & Mercy, the Brian Wilson biopic starring John Cusack.  I was initially surprised that it was in fairly limited release in the area, but realized after that even though it's a great film, most moviegoers under 45 just wouldn't get it.
• Without spoiling anything, a few random thoughts from the movie, or at least Cusack.  There is a scene where he (as the 1980s Brian Wilson, is showing his girlfriend the constellations at an observatory - seemed to me to continue a motif established in The Sure Thing and Serendipity (both of which referenced Cassiopeia).  On their first date, he arrives at her apartment complex, but forgets the apartment number, so he's calling out for her from the lawn/courtyard below.  The scene framing was evocative of Say Anything, sans boombox.  In another part of the film, Cusack's depiction of Wilson's psychosis suggested he could be a great candidate to reprise Hoffman's Rain Man character.
• I'm chapped that I can't find my CD of Wilson's 1998 release, Imagination.  Edit: Disc found, case still AWOL.
• Two musical geniuses:

• The third movement, Allegro, of this song reminds me of psychedelic bluegrass.
• Last weekend, we went to the UTA planetarium to see the Pink Floyd lightshow.  It was pretty cool.  
• Would've been better if the chairs reclined more.  And if you could have a glass or two of wine.
• The music was from Dark Side of the Moon, of course, but I really wish it had included Comfortably Numb.
• I was unaware that The Rolling Stones were playing AT&T Stadium that night, so it took almost an hour to get through traffic from UTA to a restaurant on the north side of Arlington.
• Cabela's now sells drones.  We live in interesting times.
• Odd realization today - it's the 33rd anniversary of my first wedding (not to the kids' mom). Wow.
• After a Noahic month of May, we're dry again. I'm actually hoping for a few raindrops this weekend.
• The kids' grandmother called oldest son to dispatch a snake from the shrubs at their house last night.  Daughter went with him to help in its apprehension.  All though I'm fairly ambivalent when it comes to the legless ones, I was proud that they asked if no one had any objections, they'd take the live serpent and release it elsewhere.
• It now resides somewhere on or near the Circle T Ranch.

¹ Matthew Henry

² S. L. Clemens