Lee Evans!

 Lee Evans died this past week. Who you say? Well let me tell you.

Lee Evans was a track athlete. A runner. A sprinter. An Olympic 400 meter specialist. He was a social activist willing to blow up his career for what was right. But Tommie Smith and John Carlos, two American heroes, beat him to it in 1968 in Mexico City . After the famous protest after the 200 meter sprint by Smith and Carlos, black gloved fists in the air during the National Anthem, Evans was willing to leave the Olympics , giving up a dream, to support Smith and Carlos. But they said no, run and win and win he did. He set a world record in the 400 that stood for 20 years. 

On the victory stand, Evans and his fellow Americans wore the black berets, stood in defiance of being used by a country that would never accept them as equal men. The country would use them as propaganda, then force them to the back of the bus again after crossing the border. But they didn't  do the fist thing, instead removing the berets and standing at attention during the anthem. How difficult that must have been.

Lee Evans was an American hero, he just happened to be the 3rd place guy to two others who beat him to the punch. He died in Nigeria while coaching track teams there to be their best.

Rest in Power

GOP Gaslighting!

 This entire week foreshadows the future. The Republican members of the House have no intention of getting to the truth about what happened on January 6th. The truth being of course is that a Bloated Orange Florida Man unleashed his trash upon the Congress, The Veep, and the police to save his ass from being called a LOSER. No matter that people would die, people would be injured, the Capitol would be trashed, it was all about HIM, the LOSER.

Republicans in the House are for the most part a gaggle of brain dead puppets beholden to their brain damaged voters in the first place. But instead of playing a long con, of getting rid of a LOSER and moving on, these idiots continue to do whatever the LOSER tells them and what he tells them is that the election was stolen, the scum that wiped their shit on the walls of the Capitol were just white people out for justice and he will be their Dear Leader forever.  

Thus we get the spectacle of House Republicans gaslighting everyone with their tall tales of white tourists orderly in their manner walking around gazing at the statues screaming their love of country, U-S-A as they beat Capitol Police and vandalized offices because they loved them. Had they gotten ahold of Mitt Romney, or Mike Pence, or Nancy Pelosi they would have simply posed for selfies and shaken their hands. This is what the short con is. Lie. Lie. Lie. As their LOSER Leader learned, some people are so fucking stupid they dont even believe their own eyes. The GOP is on it. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene (Gym Rat-Ga) went all stalker on her secret crush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, down the hallways of Congress screaming about terrorists, antifa and why wont you love me AOC? The woman had a tape surface from 2019 of her and a couple of meatheads banging on AOC's door and looking thru the mail slot and defacing her guest book. Remind yourselves that this butter faced kook was 45 years old as she played teenaged delinquent laughing and smirking at a camera with a couple of future insurrectionists. 

The GOP did it. They got rid of Liz Cheney (Horrible But Not a Liar-Wy) and replaced her with a T***p dick licker named Elise Stefanik ( Back Stabber-NY) making the top 4 GOP "leaders' total T***p acolytes willing to do anything to prop up a blubberous Florida blob thus ensuring their survival with the MAGA morons. If I was McCarthy (Invertebrate-Ca) or Scalise (Asshole-La) and thank the powers I am not, Stefanik is like living with an uncaged rattlesnake. Eventually she will kill your dumb ass and be smart enough to not rattle before she does it. Good luck boys. You'll need it.

Finally, Matt Gaetz (Child Molester-Fl). He's currently on a farewell tour with AOC fan girl MTG to stir up the base of violent white supremacists and retirees one last time. Oh he's going to prison. Not because he's a talentless grandstander without an ounce of sense, but because as the Florida version of Junior, he's an entitled rich prick who thinks he can rape and pillage at will. And apparently it doesnt matter what age the victim is. Because he's Matt Fucking Gaetz, mouth breathing real life Butthead. Oh the sweet signs of indictments and resignations and prison time. Lets hope he gets 17 years.

Mud Wrestling In The GOP!

 Yeah I know one looks like she just had her lips super glued together and the other one looks like her old man in a wig but this fight is not one I will avoid just because the GOP is devouring itself from within. I want to see it. But I also cannot stay out of it.

Elise Stefanik (R-NY at her parents summer home) burst onto the scene during the first impeachment hearings. You remember that one about what seems like 20 years ago where a bribery artiste, a traitorous thug, and a quid pro quo enthusiast was accused of threatening the Ukrainian President with non delivery of arms to fight off another traitorous thug unless he lied about Joe Biden.. Now you can argue that for the only time in his miserable life that the Other Guy was right about something and that something was that Joe Biden was going to kick his ass but lets digress.

Stefanik, an obscure Paul Ryan recruit who is a Harvard grad, used her parents summer home, dahling, to establish residence in New York and won a Congressional seat in 2014. She governed as a moderate Republican (they exist?) , refused to even say the name of the Other Guy as he steamrolled through the 2016 primaries, supported John Kasich even after the Orange Cheeto secured the nomination, and then voted with his disgusting bigoted agenda only 65% of the time. Yes that sucks but its respectable. She supported LGBTQ rights. opposed the Wall, opposed the kidnapping of children from their parents and voted against the tax cuts that blew up the deficit and debt. But then came impeachment and the realization that grifting MAGA rubes was so easy. Stefanik raised mucho cash by simply going on Hannity's nightly infomercial and starting a fight with MAGA villain Adam Schiff (Patriot-Ca). Money and a sudden endorsement from the Pussy Grabber Himself made Stefanik into just another con artist blinded by the power and the money pit she was staring into. During the hearings, Stefanik railed at Schiff, defended a thug and made herself a surprising MAGA trash hero. I thought these idiots hated the Ivy League.

Now its the fight with Liz Cheney (Very R-Wy) the third ranking GOP member in the House. I cannot stand Liz Cheney, she's a carpetbagging Wyoming Neanderthal who hates people, hates immigrants, thinks the poors should just stop being poor, supports killing foreigners in wars of profit, and is generally a  lousy excuse for a human being. BUT Liz Cheney doesn't need a numbskull peasant like the Other Guy to prop her up. Her name alone does that. And she doesn't much care for a fascist like the Other Guy, just fascists like her old man. She voted to impeach the son of a bitch, she voted to certify Joe Biden's huge victory and she made it known that the Other Guy was nobody she would ever support in the future if the crook runs in 2024.

So now, Stefanik is moving in to take advantage. Probably something she's done her whole life, Stefanik sees opportunity. And since the Republican Party is a cult led by a failed game show host with a huge following of slithering reptile brained lame brains with guns , Liz Cheney must go.  Led by a spineless Irish sycophant named Kevin McCarthy (Jellyfish-Ca) and a Louisiana shooting survivor who somehow became an even bigger asshole even after staring death in the face, Steve Scalise (Alliterative Asswipe-La) the party is perfectly willing to dump Cheney and install Frau Stefanik into the 3rd place seat.

This hasn't actually happened. Yet. But if it does, and it looks like it will, the two losers here are McCarthy and Scalise. Those two idiots have no idea what they are about to do. They will have promoted a blatant opportunist, one whose principles do not exist, into a place where they have their backs turned to her at all times. Once the opportunity comes, Elise Stefaniks shiv will hit paydirt.

Et Tu Elise.

 .

Happy BIrthday Say Hey Willie Mays!

 

Willie Mays turns 90 today. Wow. How time flies. 

It was 1964 in Chicago. I was a small tyke on a road trip with the family. My Dad was taking us to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs play the San Francisco Giants. I had no idea who either team was. I hardly knew what baseball was. I remember seeing Comiskey Park from the Dan Ryan and wondering if that was the place. We arrived at Wrigley. We walked up the ramp and I saw the grass. The greenest grass I've ever seen. It literally was one of the most beautiful sights I've still ever seen. I fell in love with baseball at that moment. I didn't care what they did on that green field I just wanted to sit there and look at it.

The game started. In inning 1 up came a man named Willie Mays. My Dad leaned over and said thats Willie Mays, pay attention, he's the best player maybe ever. Ok Dad. I was munching popcorn or something and trying to pay attention. Then I heard maybe the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. Mays swung at a pitch and the crack of the bat was loud as hell. The crowd roared. The ball sailed out to left field, I stopped eating, to admire what I was seeing. The ball went over the left fielders head and landed in the stands. It was a home run. Dad leaned down with a smile and said to me "Never forget this, you just saw Willie Mays hit a home run" Dad had watched Willie as a rookie at the Polo Grounds  when the Giants were in New York. He was thrilled what happened. I could tell he hoped I remembered. I do. 

My Dad never stopped asking me if I remembered that day. Nope Dad, I remember it as clear as day. Willie Mays hit a home run and I saw it just as you had back in the day. It was glorious.

But the real reason he wanted me to remember was what happened after the home run landed in the left field bleachers at Wrigley Field. After he told me to never ever forget that I saw Willie Mays hit a homer a middle aged black man sitting in front of us turned around with a huge smile on his face and looked at us. He said to me "Boy, you listen to your Daddy". Dad was even more thrilled about that. It was 1964 and the civil rights movement was starting to roll. A white man raised in Western Nebraska and a black man from Chicago came together over a home run by Willie Mays to put an impression on me I've never forgotten. 

Happy Birthday Willie Mays. You made my Dad and an anonymous man in Chicago very happy that day with that blast. 

You were the greatest player ever. Just because of that day.

Oscars 2021!

Its Oscar time and though nobody gives a shit, nobody has seen all the movies, and nobody will watch I will because I still love movies, films as we snobs say. Here's my list of irrelevant opinions for tonight.

Best Supporting Actor

Who Will Win-- Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Messiah

Kaluuya is a great talent. He can play good or bad. He's a charismatic actor willing to take chances. He was brilliant as Fred Hampton. He's gonna win and we can all hear his British accent as half the audience goes he's British?

Who Should Win--Sacha Baron Cohen for Trial of the Chicago 7

Cohen is fearless. His portrayal of Abbie Hoffman was also brilliant. The Trial of the Chicago 7 was dialogue heavy. It was an Aaron Sorkin talkfest. Some like that some dont. I do.

Best Supporting Actress

Who Will Win--Youn Yuh-Jung for Minari

I have no idea what this movie is about . I 'll see it eventually but this Oscar category is prime for unknowns. She is as unknown as they come. I'm sure she's great.

Who Should Win--Maria Bakalova for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

This unknown Bulgarian actress was the perfect choice to hold together the only movie out in 2020 that held MAGA accountable for their treason and nuttiness. As fearless as Cohen is, so is she. Not to mention she had to put up with MAGA kook Rudy Giuliani

Best Actor

Who Will Win-- Chadwick Boseman for Ma Raineys Black Bottom

What tragedy this young man has happen to him. He was one of the most charismatic actors of his time and could have won Oscars already. He will win this one and he should. It was great performance

Who Should Win- Chadwick Boseman

But lets talk about Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal. His portrayal of a heavy metal drummer going deaf and being in denial was brilliant. Any other year, I'd fight anybody about this. But this year sorry Riz.

Best Actress

Who Will Win--I think Viola Davis has a lock on this . She is the new Meryl Streep. She can do anything and her portrayal of Ma Rainey was yet another fearless acting job. The only way she doesnt win is if the old white Academy was turned off by a buxom gold teethed brave black woman telling them what to do.

Who Should Win-- Viola Davis

But like Davis, Frances McDormand dont give a fuck what you think of her. Her portrayal of a homeless van living woman in Nomadland was genius. Very few actresses could have pulled it off as easily as she appeared to do. If she does win, I wouldnt be surprised. 

Best Picture

What Will Win--Nomadland

Nomadland is a generational movie. If you're older I think you can appreciate this more than younger folks. For example , Max thought this movie was a big Meh. Why does someone choose to live like this? To us older road trip folks, why wouldn't a person choose this lifestyle? Other than lack of courage or a desire for order in your life, who wouldn't like to travel the nation as free as you can be? The use of real life nomads made this even more real and I loved every second of it.

What Should Win-- Nomadland

But lets talk about Sound of Metal. This movie about the heavy metal drumming nomad with a bad hearing loss was as interesting a movie as can be. Its the only movie I watched twice. The 2nd time made it even more brilliant. Riz Ahmed going to the deaf rehab center, being in denial, getting "fixed" in an attempt to get back his old life and his ultimate acceptance really got to me, especially the 2nd viewing. The last movie I watched twice was Moonlight. This one is similar. We all know what happened with Moonlight.

Enjoy. It will be watched by hundreds

Red State Racing!

 

Hey its been a long month. 2021 is arguably better than 2020 but not yet. I am fully vaccinated as is virtually everyone I know. I still wear a mask in public but a trip to rural Nebraska on Friday showed me a whole different world that I really want no part of. I hadn't seen a live horse race in 6 years since the old Lincoln Race Course closed down and being off work allowed me to take a 2 hour trip to Central Nebraska and a run down horse track called Fonner Park. 

Fonner is probably the finest track left in Nebraska as the powers that be in leadership roles in this ass backwards state attempt to take us back 100 years to a time of hardship and Calvinism. While the Governors and legislators live in luxury the rest of us are required to submit to a state full of guns, Jesus and nothing much else. But Fonner Park remains. And as long as it does, I will go.

The fans of this dying sport are few but rabid. They show up. The last time I was at Fonner was 25 years ago. Lincoln is much closer but that track is no longer. Omaha's track is a tiny little crowded building with no barns and about two weekends a year which brings out everybody in town making it an unbearable situation to this claustrophobic fan so I dont go.

The fans in rural central Nebraska were many. Not packed but there had to be a couple thousand. I was masked and looked at like I was a space alien. 99% of the people wore no mask, drank like fish, and screamed and yelled like it was 1999. No pandemic, no danger, no cares. It was uncomfortable as hell, But I am vaccinated and more than 2 weeks out so I stayed. I was surrounded by people who all looked like they'd proudly stormed the Capitol back on January 6th. Picture that crowd of rabble. This is what it looked like here. Maskless men in baseball hats, goatees, and who looked like waving a T***P flag would be right up their alley. The women the same. Rural aint my bag man.

The races themselves were entertaining to me even though they consisted of broken down elderly horses running for their lives. Its my jam. The cruelty of the sport notwithstanding, not one horse broke down, not one horse collapsed, not one horse ran into trouble. It was a good day. 

Except for the red state denial and lack of humanity. I liked the horses better .

Another "Normal" Week!

 Ya know this has been a week that normally would be something talked about for years. But this crazy shit happens every freaking day in 2021 America and I for one just want normal still.

The trial of the century is happening. A cop, a killer, a cold blooded killer is on trial in Minneapolis for the murder of a man named George Floyd. A murder everyone saw. A murder that nobody can defend with the exception of racists and morons. And it is excruciating to watch.

Everyone has seen snippets of the 9 minute 26 second video of a police officer slowly killing a man while smirking at a crowd of bystanders pleading for the mans life. But very few had seen the entire video played beginning to end without interruption. You had that opportunity this week. It was the worst thing Ive seen perhaps ever. It wasnt a bad police shooting, it wasnt a terrorist slicing some journalists throat. it wasnt some racist punching someone. It was 9  minutes of a slow torturous death perpetrated by a human being sworn to serve and protect. George Floyd was not only murdered, he was tortured first and then murdered. I will never be the same.

The testimony of guilt stricken witnesses, the testimony of police superiors stating this is not defensible, the testimony of  EMT's shocked at the hostility of Minneapolis cops preventing them from helping, the testimony of decent folks baring their souls on how they lay awake at night regretting how this entire murder could have been prevented. The tears, the regret, the anger and of course, the utter stupidity of defense lawyers attempting to portray these people as being an angry mob of black radicals interfering with police business. 

The defense of this act of cold and calculated homicide isnt going to work. This cop is going down hard. Even in 2021 America where Blue Lives Matter turned out to be nothing but racist  bullshit when it came to "patriots", this cop is done. There isnt a decent human being who cannot see the despicable lack of humanity that happened in the 9 plus minutes. 

But then again, decency is becoming rarer and rarer in this day and age. 

Another gun enthusiast exercised his 2nd Amendment privileges right this week in California by coldly chaining a gate closed, walking in to a building and murdering 4 innocents, including a 9 year old child. This is news you say? For fucks sake it happens 5 times a week anymore. We have proven that we dont care who these maniacs kill, even 6 year olds or 9 year olds over the last few years. As long as everybody, including the mentally ill and the just plain evil have unfettered access to mass killing weapons of war. The video of Congressional hobbit Lindsey Graham firing a weapon of mass destruction may have the been the most absurd video of the year. I am so sick of it. And of him.

Major League Baseball has pulled its All Star Game from the city of Atlanta since Georgia has decided to go all Lester Maddox and take an axe handle to those pesky black folks who vote. Georgia, who gave us the Senate, started a fight with those people who stood inline for hours and voted not the way the Orange Monster wanted. Passing a voter suppression law that will make it even harder for what happened in 2020 to ever happen again. Basically its a only whites can vote law to ensure that backwards ass hillbillies dominate Georgia politics as has been done for 150 years. I'm not sure what's worse though, The fact that this was passed or the fact white people just cannot be trusted to do the right thing. 

Other states are now trying it. Iowa, Texas, Floriduh, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Tennessee, Louisiana all seem to want Republican gerrymandered legislatures to be able to just scream voter fraud and overturn elections simply because the wrong folks voted. The fact this even is an issue shows the desperation of a party of fools dominated by a fascist con man. 

Years ago I wondered what would happen once white people's share of the vote went down to a point where they no longer decided elections on nationwide scales. Now I know my answer. 

Its full blown panic. 

Pull other shit out of these states. Hit em where it hurts. Cancel the culture until it doesn't even exist any longer. The culture sucks. Its based on hate, ignorance and meanness. Cancel it all as far as I am concerned .

NOW