What We Did Forget

 

"Never Forget" has long been a battle cry in the United States and after September 11, 2001 it became cemented in our minds. After the 9/11 attacks Americans and even our politicians set differences aside. We all came together in support of first responders, New Yorkers, the people lost at The Pentagon, the families of those lost on Flight 93. We ( us non-New Yorkers) didn't hate the Yankees that year. Most of the country could cheer for the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl. The U.S. flag was flying everywhere you turned. We cared a little more about our neighbors. 

We were willing to let the government take away a little bit of our freedom in the name of fighting terrorism. We sent care packages to troops who were sent off to fight "the war on terror." We gave donations for any fundraiser in the name of first responders. Through the horrible events of 9/11, as the dust cleared we learned of amazing stories of bravery, sacrifice, compassion. Strangers helping strangers. Strangers rallying together on hijacked plane, to not let what happened three times already, happen a fourth time. Evil arrived and it brought out the best in us.

But it didn't last. Yes, every year on 9/11 we post pics and write "Never Forget," but our every day actions show the rest of the year show differently. 

As time went on we all drifted back to a regular day to day. We and our politicians dug back into our political trenches. First in ways like withholding military funding and money for the First Responders Survivors Fund, as a way of grandstanding and playing politics with people's lives. Then, as we were struck with another test of our resiliency and humanity, a large portion of our country, who have pumped full of lies from Trump, Republican politicians, Fox News, Alex Jones and and other right wing media outlets, refused to come together to fight off COVID. They were willing to give up freedoms with "The Patriot Act" but wearing a mask is a bridge too far. They want Trump's name on the COVID Vaccine, but they refuse to get the vaccine.

"Never forget! Never forget! NEVER FORGET!"

Yet 650,000 Americans have died in the last couple years since COVID hit, with more every day and most people forgot them seconds after they passed. The number of COVID deaths is equal to 9/11 happening 217 times. Why is it so easy to forget the lives lost from COVID?

Americans yelled "Never Forget" after the Sandy Hook school shooting, but nothing legitimate was done by our leaders to prevent it from happening again. School shootings and mass shooting continue and many forgot all about the young children from Sandy Hook who would have been starting high school this year.

Americans seem to have no problem forgetting. Forgetting loss, forgetting facts, forgetting science, forgetting history. What we forgot most was our decency, compassion, humanity, our togetherness.

So when you post your yearly "Never Forget" bullshit, think about how much you really have forgotten.

America Fought the British, Just to Dream About Being British

 

  This map shows the territories that were or are under British rule at one time. The Royal family made it's fortune stealing from people. Rape, Pillage and Plunder was their business. Before the New York Yankees, the British Monarchy was the Evil Empire. They built their power and wealth through oppression and theft, racism and violence. The problems of places like India, Pakistan, Scotland and Ireland, just to name a few can be laid directly at the feet of England and it's beloved Royal Family. So after the big Oprah interview with "Meghan and Harry," all the pearl clutching going on in the media rings hollow. And all the triggered outrage on social media makes it seem like a whole lot of you haven't read a fucking History book!

  America was built on getting away from the British Monarchy. We won the Revolutionary, took our Independence and yet so many Americans, including the media are still licking the Crown's balls. I don't get this fascination with "The Royal Family." This is a bloodline of awful human beings. Why the hell are you shocked they would be assholes to an American woman of color who married into their incest is best, whites only family. 

WHY THE FUCK DO YOU CARE!?! Seriously America, why do so many of you fucktards care about this awful fucking family that has brought nothing good to this world?

Ten years ago I put this video clip into a blog right before a "Royal Wedding," because Americans, especially the media were getting all wet over the event. Here we are ten years later, nothing has changed apparently, and the clip still holds up.

The lovely and talented singer/songwriter, Lorde famously sang, "we'll never be Royals!"  

And we shouldn't want to be!

#WakeUpAmerica

America: I Am Sickened

 

Now some asshole will see this and tweet at me, "then leave"...Or 'murica, love it or leave it'....Well, first off you redneck-fucktard, IT'S AMERICA...You people make me sick with you're ignorant ass, speak...Repeat, it's AMERICA....Second, if I wanted to leave, I couldn't, because no other country in the world is accepting AMERICANS these days...That's because we lead the league in COVID stupidity...In case you stopped counting, we past over 180,000 deaths in the AMERICA...But the brainwashed fools are okay with Trump's feelings on that topic of, "It is what it is"....That's just the first reason I am sickened...

I'm not just saying this for some literary effect...Since seeing the video of the attempted murder of Jacob Blake by police the other night on Instagram, I have felt Physically ill...Then I see the avalanche of lies being spewed at the RNC and I get pissed and anxious...Then I see them breaking laws at the RNC and this countries lawmakers are just letting it happen...I want to puke...The system is broken and all of this emboldens Trump to just do whatever he wants...

Then last night, I was laying in bed, having trouble sleeping...I put on the scanner app on my phone and listened to Kenosha...Someone opened fire on protesters...There were multiple wounded...On the scanner it was clear one was dead...and 3 were wounded...Eventually a call came through of another wounded person walking into the ER and was looking to give police a description of the shooter...The description was the same as the one that came over the radio earlier...Now I was wide awake, angry, anxious and after one officer description I felt nauseous....after the description was given it was said "Militia guy overreacted"....

Minutes later there was video on twitter...Victim shot in the head...People trying to save him...He still looked alive and they were wrapping a shirt around his head...But it wasn't for long...

As the night moved on, the prick got away...Then still photos and video clips came out...There was a video of a guy walking up to police describing the guy and then he gave an independent journalist the description...The journalist, said "I saw him, I have video of him"...

Then morning came and we had tons of video...Video that was sickening...Video of him shooting the protester in the head and at others...He stood over the man, pulled out his cell phone, did something with it and then ran as other protesters came to try and save the man...A number of protesters chased him, as others seeing what he had done and that he's fully armed with his assault rifle, ran away from him...Someone tried to stop him...hit him, knocked him down, he sat up and started shooting at everyone near him...He got to his feet aimed his gun down the block and fired off more shots...Sirens from police cars and ambulances can be heard...he turns and runs then walks towards the oncoming police...He turns a corner near a gas station...He points down the street where he was just shooting and then walks away...The police let him walk away...

Are you sick yet? I know I am and it gets worse...

More angles are posted...Then there is the video that made me want to puke all day long...I saw it just after the Sheriff of Kenosha who has a past of saying some racist ass shit....

That is from the Kenosha News in 2018...But he stood there today blasting the idea these militia guys had when the offered to be deputized, and he blasted them for what happened...Although it wasn't nearly as tough as it should have been...Especially as the video I eluded to was making it's way through social media...

Video of heavily armed Kenosha police in armored vehicles thanking the White Supremacist Militia boys for being there..."We appreciate you being here"..."We got a few bottle of water for ya"...One of the people they handed a bottle of water to was Kyle Rittenhouse, strolling the streets of Kenosha with his AR-15 and backpack of supplies...Kyle Rittenhouse is 17...Kyle Rittenhouse came from Illinois...Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire on Black Lives Matter Protesters, killing two and wounding others...The police let Kyle Rittenhouse walk away...He was arrested this afternoon after he had gotten back to Illinois...

I am physically sickened...Sickened that a 17 year old asshole felt it was his right to shoot protesters...Why is the opening pic of this post linking him to those St. Louis dolts...Because the RNC put those two on stage to speak when their only claim to fame or politics is that they pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters...So shit, why wouldn't this little fucktard think it's ok? The Republican party is selling hate fear and way too many people are buying it...This White Power kid bought it long ago if he's rolling into other cities and states to scare protesters with his gun...FUCK! Sooner or later he's gonna use it...

And yes, fuckwads on the right have defended him..."He was defending businesses"...Yeah, right...He hates black people...Pasty fucker hates tan people...He hates people who support Black Lives Matter...But there was Tucker Carlson Ann Coulter and Alex Jones and far too many dolts on twitter defending him....

I'm sick...I hate feeling this way...I fought with myself all day about writing this...I want to delete all my social media...I want to not watch and read the news...I want to not know that the world is a fucked up place...I don't want to know that politicians don't give a fuck about us...I wish I didn't know that police forces all over this country have numerous white supremacists in their ranks...I want to turn it all off because it's got my stomach in knots...But I can't...How can I fight against it...how can I teach my kids the right way if I ignore it...I can't...So I'll go puke and jump back in...

This isn't what I was taught America was suppose to be...I chose to load my college education up with history classes, and I learned so much of the bad and the good about this country...This isn't what we are suppose to be...This country was built on protest...now the government tries to crush protests like some evil dictatorship we use to scream against...Except if the protesters are white and doing the bidding of the party that is in power...Those violent and threatening protesters are "Very good people"....I am sickened at what this country is...I feel like we are going backwards...But maybe we never went as forward as we thought or were taught...

How broken is this? No offense to Doc Rivers...I love him dearly...But he's a basketball coach and we, not his player but citizen of the United States of AMERICA, shouldn't have to look to him for guidance and leadership...It shouldn't take basketball players, not playing playoff games to get people to realize the problems going on here...But since none of our so-called leaders can do it, I guess we have to go with Doc....

......

What Should the Cleveland Indians Do?

In 1915 Cleveland's American League Baseball team needed a new name...They had been known as 'The Naps" in honor of their player-manager, Napoleon Lajoie...Look him up, he was a helluva ballplayer...There was a contest and the winning submission "Indians" was sent in by a fan that said it was in honor of former Cleveland Spiders player, Louis Sockalexis...Sockalexis was a Penobscot Indian, born in Maine on a Penobscot Resevation...For the Spiders Sockalexis played 66 games in 1897, batting .338...He became an alcoholic and in 1898 only appeared in 21 games, batting .224...His career ended after only playing in 7 games in 1899...He spent the rest of his days as a drifter and died in Maine...

That's the history lesson of the name...

Last week after more pressure was put on the Washington Redskins to change their logo and name...The Cleveland Indians ownership jumped forward and said they were actively looking at a name change...In recent years, they have pushed out the classic Chief Wahoo logo and have locked onto the very boring and lame "Block C"....

 As an outsider, who doesn't give a fuck about the Washington Redskins and who's a white guy, I would think the name "Redskins" is much more offensive then the logo...I always thought the logo was solid...Unlike the Indians, smiling, red-faced cartoon character...But if the name goes, obviously the logo goes...

I get Redskins being offensive...And for a long time I fought against the idea of Indians as a term and a team name as being offensive...And I wasn't alone...I did a few polls on Twitter, asking if The Indians, The Braves and The Blackhawks team names were offensive....

But I looked up some shit, did a little studying and well, it's not cool...Now back in 1915 it was a common term...People didn't no all the details of treaties broken by the U.S. government and well, it was a pretty racist world...Yes, even more racist then the one we are living in now...So, while I have so many memories wrapped up in the Cleveland Indians, I won't fight the change...I'm in...Now...Don't fuck the change up!

Ideas so far have sucked...Naps...No, did that all ready and it was dumb then too...Fellers...STOP! How lame and unoriginal is Cleveland...Stop naming after people...The Browns are already named after Paul Brown, and it's stupid name...Yes, Bob Feller was a Great Indians pitcher and War hero...But no...

The Rockers...No...The Cleveland WNBA team did that...Cleveland is obsessed with promoting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the city's History with music..But it's corny and lame...

Blues is also suggested...It was the name of the Cleveland National League baseball team from 1879-1884...

Blue Sox...Jesus like MLB needs another franchise named for a color of socks...Holy fucking stupid!

Buckeyes...This was the name of the Cleveland Negro League team from 1942-1950...I don't like the name Buckeyes but the history is a nice touch...But then you have to worry about Trademark and Licensing issues with Ohio State...

Cuyahogas...Ugh...Cuyahoga County is the county Cleveland is in and is named for the Cuyahoga River...It's a Iroquoian word, meaning "crooked river"...The Cuyahoga River world famous for catching fire twice, thanks to pollution! No, no, no, God no!

Spiders...This is a very popular one...Many fans are onboard with this...Reaching way back into Cleveland's Baseball History...The Spiders was Cleveland's professional baseball team name from 1887-1899...There are a shitload of logos and uniforms mocked up already.... 

......

Buzzards...One of Cleveland's biggest radio stations was WMMS, "Home of the Buzzard!" Clevelanders love their pride and history and Rock and Roll and this reaching for that again...Seems like there would be serious legal wrangling's for this one... 


Crows...This one surprised me...There are plenty of Crows throughout Northeast Ohio...There is an ominous feel with crows...Then you have the movie "The Crow"...Dead dude taking out his vengeance on people...






Honestly, right now Crows is my frontrunner...Maybe because I'm in a dark mood and want to watch an old movie with a dead guy killing a bunch of evil mother fuckers from Detroit....


Whatever The Cleveland Indians do...Don't fuck up this decision!

Guilty Pleasures (vol. 2)

"American Pickers"....No, she's not one of them, but better looking then the two stars...And her tits aren't covered in tats like the chick on the show...

I have always hated "Reality TV" and refuse to watch...Yes, I've watched things like Chopped...I did a couple of seasons of Hell's Kitchen, but come on, that one is so scripted it's unreal...But otherwise, no way...And I have had countless rants about how annoying I find it that The History Channel has "Reality Shows" about pawn shops and building motorcycles and whatever else...I love History...I loved the History Channel...My Dad always called it the "Hitler Channel," because in the early days it was all WWII and Hitler stuff...

Then a few years ago, I was picking the kids up from my parents house...They were having a snack and glued to the TV...They just ignored me...My dad walked me into the kitchen and told me how they love this show, and he was explaining it to me...I thought it was really weird that kids were enthralled by a couple of guys, Mike Wolfe from Iowa, and Frank Fritz from Illinois, rummaging through people's junk...And really that's how I was viewing it as I caught glimpses of the show...It seemed odd that this is something that would catch my father's eye, let alone, my kids wanting to sit calmly and watch it...

I blew it off...Where is my Hitler coverage...Show me some footage of  U.S. ships shooting down Japanese Zeros...

So one day I'm sitting in my chair, relaxing, flipping around the tube with the remote...My son walks in..."Wait, stop, I love this show!"  It was American Pickers on The History Channel...So, as I often do, I give in to what the kids want to watch, unless Hockey is on!  Then My daughter comes down stairs..."Oh, I love this one!"

What!?!   How often did they watch this at my folks?

So, I sat there and watched this show...I had to see what it was all about...So these guys are dealing with hoarders, and collectors, and digging through junk...And they are buying things that I would never think to buy...Haggling over prices that I would never pay...But then, they would cut in with little tidbits about these items...Giving the history of them...What they were used for, where they were made, when they started disappearing...

As the show went on, they're buying old bike, motorcycle, and car parts...Buying old cars...Buying old Texaco signs...Old school Coke machines my kids never saw, and I only saw in movies...Old toys...My kids love when they came across vintage toys from the 60, 50's, 40's, 30's, 20's...What!  It's amazing the condition some of these things are in...

After a little while, I was hooked...Why? Because as they say in their tag line, "We make a living telling the history of America...one piece at a time."


The show really does fill you in with a ton of History...And these guys are serious Motorcycle and Car guys...I'm so far from that it's unreal...But I have found myself learning about the little details about why this company did this, and why that company  did that...Why they stopped making this thing...And so much of the stuff, the old signs, and the old odd pieces here and there that were in some long lost Soda Fountain, or General Store...It takes you back to a different time...I think a better time...

I've got going to Memphis and Nashville, both great music cities, on my bucket list...When I get to Nashville, I'll be making a stop at Mike's second store, to checkout some overpriced junk, from our country's great past...

I also, out of nowhere, all because of this show, really want a 40's era Knucklehead with a sidecar...

Stay tuned for the next guilty pleasure....

I'm Not Sure I Like Tim Thomas Anymore

The Boston Bruins went to the White House to meet the President, as all Championship teams do...But Tim Thomas decided to decline the invite saying...

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers [ sic ] vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.”

Umm, maybe Tim Thomas needs to go back to the University of Vermont and take a History class...People love to use The Constitution and The Founding Fathers as their reason for their beliefs...Let's take a look back at those Founding Fathers and their out-dated Constitution...They were all, un-elected, land owning, (raped the Native Americans of their land...Happy Thanksgiving! ) slave owning, white guys, who didn't allow women to vote...Didn't allow Indians to vote...Didn't allow Blacks to vote...Their Constitution considered Blacks to be three-fifths of a man...So right out of the gate Tim Thomas, using the Founding Fathers line makes you look like a dolt!

And the Founding Fathers' original vision, I would venture to say didn't include, roads, bridges, and railroads all over the entire country, going over, around, and through mountains...Crossing major bodies of water, and rivers...Or keeping up with the ever growing population, and their waste...And educating that population as well...

But I shouldn't be surprised...Often when people come into money, they become more anti-government, and anti-taxes...As Thomas has not been making his millions for very long...Hell, I'm broke, and I'm not a fan of the government, or taxes, but I understand they have a role, and that taxes are needed to take care of things...Thomas seems like one of those dopes that said, "Keep your damn hands off my medicare!" Never mind that medicare is funded by our taxes !

How about this then...Take your own trash to the dump...Plow your streets yourself...Repave those roads and fix those bridges yourself...Teach your own kids how to read and write and count...Just start with that, Mr. INDIVIDUAL, and tell me if you don't want government around...

Yes, Tim Thomas has every right not to attend...He said this was not about politics as he made it about politics...But the classy thing would have been showing a bit of respect for the Office of the President...No matter who is in there, that's the classy thing to do...

And in case you missed my point, The Founding Fathers were assholes!

Later, The Beeze.

I'm Really Getting Sick of People

This is going to be one of those angry posts...I had the day off to take the baby to the doctor's office...Shot day sucks! Then the Little Beeze had to see an allergist because the spring/summer has got his eczema going crazy...Telling a 6 year old boy he is allergic to grass sucks...And getting him to not dive for ground balls is out of the question...He wouldn't listen if I told him not to dive in the grass...

But that's not what this is about...Those things just helped me stay in a crabby mood about some other things that have been in the news the last week...

First off, Roger Ebert...You stupid, drooling asshole...I'm all for cracking jokes, and busting balls, but could you at least wait a couple days before you make jokes about a dead guy who was on "Jackass" Ebert tweeted "Friends don't let jackasses drive drunk" shortly after the death of Ryan Dunn...Roger, maybe wait for the toxicology report to come out...Besides, it just wasn't cool...I know you have trouble speaking, you drooling mess, so you love pounding your keys, but fuck dude! Hold back for at least a day...Ebert is a egotistical gas-bag, and besides being wrong tweeting that shit hours after Dunn's death, most of his stupid movie reviews are wrong too...Why the fuck did the doctors save you!?!

Too harsh? Too bad!

Next, Tracy Morgan...Tracy, please stop apologizing to everyone, for doing your job...For those who don't know, a gay man was offended while sitting in a comedy club, watching Tracy Morgan, because Morgan did a bit saying, 'If his son was gay he would stab him'...Now I wasn't there, so I didn't hear the full context but, It's a comedy show...It's Tracy Morgan, who is all about shock comedy...He's always done "Edgy" stuff...He's always crossed lines...That's why people go to see him...I saw his last special on HBO and I thought it sucked...But I knew what kind of stuff he was going to do...It's Tracy Morgan...

So for over a week the Gay rights groups have been up his ass, and have him constantly apologizing for hurting people with his words...FUCK THAT! He was doing his job...It's not his fault you have thin skin...Why is Lisa Lampanelli allowed to say whatever she wants about Gays, Blacks, Hispanics, Asian, and Jews, but Tracy Morgan can't joke about stabbing a gay son...And just so you know, I'd be fine if the Little Beeze turned out to be gay, but guess what? Me and every father on this Earth, all hope that our sons are straight...That's just the way it is...And that's probably why some people laughed at the bit...

Next, all of you Jesus freaks who were upset that NBC excluded "under God" from their Pledge of Allegiance montage...First so you know, it was written by a socialist, minister, named Francis Bellamy in 1892...It read,

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

In 1923 this slight change was made...

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

It wasn't until 1954 when "under God" was added during our fear of the Communists...But most fucking dummies don't know that! Bellamy's daughter objected to this change, and we all should...The Pilgrims came here to be free of Religious persecution...The founders of this country made it clear that there should be Freedom of/from Religion, and there should be separation of Church and State...I'm all in with them on this...

I don't want the State telling the Church what to do, and I don't want the Church telling the State what to do...And the way they both have been acting, I don't want either telling me what to do...If you believe in God, that's great, but just because you believe, doesn't mean the entire Nation does...Back the fuck up!

That's enough ranting for now...

Later, The Beeze.