Moon Landing!

50 years ago. It was a Sunday. I was going to summer camp the next day, unless I made the Little League All Star team. The practice was hard, the tryout was hard. I knew I was on the bubble of making it or being an alternate. My Dad was watching. When the practice ended and we all sat on the ground and the coaches conferred, I had a feeling. Everytime I see Master Chef and they confer with 3 people standing there dreading life I flash back. Yeah it was me who got cut, rather became an alternate. My Dad took off. I felt shitty. I rode my bike back up the hill fighting tears towards home. I felt like I'd let my Dad down. I walked in the door and the first thing Dad said to me was "Its tough isnt it?" Yeah Dad. He then told me it was ok. I felt better, a lot better.

That night, I packed up my stuff to go to summer camp. Fuck that alternate shit. What were the chances another kid would not play in the State Tournament? Zero.

Then I went downstairs where Dad. Mom and my brother were gathered. The Moon Landing was on. Shit, really? The Moon Landing paled in comparison to my obvious blatant screw job I'd just endured. Right?

Then it came on TV. Wow! What baseball team? What summer camp?

The Moon Landing in 1969 was such an event as Neil Armstrong said for mankind. I remember Cronkite (my Dad never watched anybody but Uncle Walter and later Dan Rather) taking off his glasses and exclaiming a joy and pride in his nation. So similar a gesture as it was in 1963 when he took off his glasses to fight back tears.

It is one of the childhood memories of being with my family and witnessing history I cherish. Later I became a cynical teenager who felt every dollar spent on this program took food out of the mouths of starving babies. But that night in 1969 was precious to me.

I hope we go back under a different leader and a new generation can gather around their phones or whatevers and experience it again. Ah hell, they wouldnt be impressed at all. They do more amazing shit everyday on video games. But they should be thankful, Their video games came about in part because of that night in 1969.

Game Over.

Send Her Back!!

It was infuriating. I have felt a lot of things in my life when it comes to politics but THIS, this was as disgraceful a moment as I have ever seen. Its embarrassing that we as a country have sunk this low. I cant even describe the combination of emotions that came over me when I first saw the clip. To see a arena full of white people chanting to Send Her Back while their cult leader thrust out his jaw, took it all in, and then continued to attack Rep Omar made me realize what Nuremberg must have been like. Holy shit. What in the fuck is wrong with us?

After the detestable display in North Carolina I fully expected, as I have so many times before, for Republicans to FINALLY say enough is enough. But as usual I was wrong. Instead we got Republican after Republican standing with the Klansman in Chief. Backing him up. Attacking the "Squad". The 4 uppity women of color, or as as most of the polite people at the rally would say, colored women, who dare express their beliefs out loud cannot be tolerated. It was cowardice once again at the highest level. Even those that did have the balls to express some sort of concern backed off soon after Trump claimed he didnt like the chant (which he absolutely did) and went back to attacking Omar as some sort of terrorist suicide bomber.

Look I am not old enough to remember much about the 1960's civil rights fight. I came of age late in the 60's when this sort of behavior was looked down upon. Archie Bunker was a dumbbell to be laughed at. Archie's ignorance was so out there, it was funny. Well today, in the Age of Trump, its not looked down upon. In fact, being stupid is normal. Racism is simply non existent to these idiots. Whites whitesplain what is racist and what is not to people of color. Whites whitesplain what is tolerance is intolerance. Of Them. Of their sincerely held religious beliefs that Jesus was a blonde white man who would have been a registered Republican, would have disdained gays, told women to stay in their place, hated taxes, been a social Darwinist, in other words, an asshole.

So here we are. Back where I thought we'd left. Love it or Leave It motherfuckers! As long as I am in charge of course.

This nightmare cannot end fast enough.

Monster!

He is a fucking monster. Face it. He's the one human being on the Earth I didnt think existed. A human being without an ounce of redeeming value. Donald Trump is beyond hope. The only thing those of us who understand this can do is wait. Wait for either the Democrats to grow a spine and impeach this motherfucker or wait to work our asses off to send this maniac to the sidelines where he can be arrested and thrown in jail where he belongs. There is no indication that Nancy Pelosi is going to do a goddamned thing about this traitorous prick. She for some reason thinks somebody might get angry at her and then she wouldnt be able to go to the parties any longer. The press refuses to do its job. Oh my, some mouth breathing Trumper might get mad and call us Fake News. And finally, Americans are too fucking lazy to do anything because they think if they just do nothing everything will work out.

So this is the way it is. The Racist in Chief has picked his side. He will now count on his racist base and the scared independents who think if they get rid of him the economy will tank. Not to mention the whites who are not inherently racist, but enjoy their white privilege and really dont want that threatened. Trump is counting on whites to bring him home again. And with voter suppression and Russian interference and who knows what else, it may work. Only decent Americans getting out to vote and putting this disgusting administration into the trash heap of history will get this done. The fucking Democratic leadership lacks the guts to do what needs to be done, so its up to us.

The man is a racist, a rapist, a traitor, a cheat, a deadbeat and a vile demonic devil. He has embraced it knowing there is a rabid base of American fascists willing to hurt themselves to get back at the browns, the blacks, the broads, the gays, the libs they so disdain due to the propaganda network they watch . This network speaks to them on their simple minded level selling them gold and reverse mortgages and telling them none of their failures are their fault. Millionaires preach to them about economics telling them whats best for them. Funny how that works. Millionaires embolden themselves by getting the peasants to do their work for them. It really is amzing.

We have to do this ourselves. Trump doesnt give a flying fuck if he offends you. He counts on it. Seeing you angry makes his day. Owning the libs so entertains his fascist fans its really quite remarkable. We fall for it.

I have no intention of stopping fighting to throw this monster out of office. I have no intention of ever not being offended by the very existence of this villainous evil doer. I just have to work harder to defeat this indecent snake. And I will.

Its just the crying about being offended has to stop. Fuck this guy and fuck his fans. Fight fire with fire . He's never going to shut his tiny mouth and he's never going to stop saying horrible things. Stop expecting him to apologize.

This is not a civil time. The Republican indifference and outright support of this small minded lunkhead's words says it all. They are willing to do whatever it takes to win. We need to understand this. These Republicans are beyond hope. The sides are picked.

Its a war. It really is.

Bob Gibson!

When I was a kid in the 1960's I could pick up baseball games on the transistor radio late at night (which to a kid and to an old guy about 9pm)and the 3 teams I could listen to were the Kansas City A's, the Minnesota Twins and on occasion when the wind was blowing just right, the St Louis Cardinals. When Bob Gibson pitched, that transistor took a beating as I rolled the little wheel around trying so hard to find Harry Carey's growling voice. Gibby was THE man. He was from Omaha, he lived in Omaha and he was one of my heroes.

Goddamned cancer has picked a fight with Bob Gibson as it has with so many. Cancer dont care who it attempts to destroy. It takes so many people every day and somebody somewhere is devastated either by a diagnosis of a loved one or a diagnosis to themselves. God it sucks.

Bob Gibson got that bad news a few weeks ago and per reports will begin chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer this week. Its devastating to see all this happen to childhood heroes of mine.

I am a fan of so many things. But baseball is my jam. I love its history, I love its stories, its movies, its legend, its stadiums and its players. My heroes, like Harmon Killebrew, Willie Mays, Catfish Hunter, Roberto Clemente, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, and Bob Gibson. Most of those are gone now (hang in there Willie and Hank) but Bob Gibson is special to me in so many ways others cannot be. Besides being from my hometown, Gibby was a pitcher as was I. He owned the mound as did I. He taught me how to pitch by watching him and reading his book. Now my abilities and his are far different but when I was on that mound, I let him into my mind. I emulated his style by falling off the mound towards first base at times when I needed that extra ooomph. I told catchers to leave me alone when they came out to calm my emotions. But I couldnt be him because I didnt have the talent and I also didnt have the experience of growing up in the Omaha ghetto.

Bob Gibson is an angry man. He always has been. His first book, From Ghetto To Glory was an angry book for 1968. Most sports bios were sweet and inspirational and sugary. Bob Gibsons bio was angry and resentful and not flattering to his hometown, my hometown. He spoke of segregation and racism and riots and other things nobody from here wanted to hear about. I loved it. It taught this white suburban kid a thing or two about something other than throwing a baseball. I remember my Mom thinking I shouldnt be reading it for some reason. Too bitter. Too angry. But she let me read it anyway. In fact she bought it for me cuz I was a little kid with no money.

So in this cancer fight I am rooting for Bob Gibson. Yeah. he is still not the warmest man or even a nice man. They put a statue of him up at the local minor league ballpark and he looked like he'd rather be anyplace else. I get that, I hate attention also. So lets leave him alone in this fight.

Bob Gibson, a man who should knock any batter on his ass for any kind of slight. A man who once told catcher Tim McCarver to get the fuck off HIS mound when he came out to unrattle Gibby. A guy who pitched like he was double parked per Vin Scully. A guy who umpire Doug Harvey said would have put a pitch in Barry Bonds ear if he'd hit a home run and admired it.

And lastly an athlete who said he didnt want to be a role model for YOUR kids when that was YOUR job.

Fight on Bob. I'm with ya. And I'll stop there. Its YOUR mound man.

USWNT !

When Megan Rapinoe offered an off the cuff truism that she wasn't going to the fucking White House it caused conservative America to hem and haw and blow their offense meter up and openly root against the USWNT in favor of much more right wing nations like oh, Holland or England or France? I watch soccer every couple of years when the World Cup happens whether it be men or women. I pick a team oh lets say the United States in Womens World Cup and say oh Germany or anybody else in Mens World Cup because the United States Mens team just plain sucks.

Rapinoe has always been the US soccer player you notice first, you follow on the pitch, and dominates. The short hair, the pixie like presence, the grit and determination , the tough as a gas station steak personality. She suffers no fools and doesnt give a rats ass what you think of her. She's the AOC of soccer. For that I admire her.

The equal pay argument? It is a matter for free markets and revenue production and television ratings to decide. Nahhhhhhh Im just blowing smoke up your goal. The sport is run by old white crooks who would just as soon have the women play in lingerie and pat them on the head as they shove a dollar into their soccer shorts. These men dont care about womens soccer. Unfortunately for them, a helluva lot of people do. The inspiration to young girls everywhere is worth everything. If these young girls, who finally have heroes, who finally can say I wanna be just like Megan Rapinoe, can solidify a movement, can maintain that inspiration, this issue will be resolved in a positive way. The women, who have dominated international soccer for years, can overcome the sexist assholes and gender traitors of Fox News not to mention the criminal in the White House, they will get the pay they deserve. In fact, they may get more. And they should. Look, WINNING pays off. At least in sports. You win, you get money. These women deserve whatever they can grab.

Grab it now. Before everyone forgets about this World Cup and moves on to the Mens World Cup where Americans can watch Brazil and Germany and Russia and Argentina and Spain and everybody EXCEPT The United States, who couldnt even beat Trinidad-Tabago to qualify. Take ALL the money, USWNT. You deserve it.