September 22, 2018

Is this like the 1960s?

As someone who did not have the privilege to be alive during one of the most transformational decades in modern history, I wonder if we are living through a similar age today. In the 1960s, the darkness of racial discrimination faced the positive force of the civil rights movement, one of the most atrocious wars in recent memory was countered with a massive and revolutionary Anti-War movement, and gender discrimination saw the power of the women's rights movement. MLK and RFK assassinated here at home, 1968 in Mexico, Paris... A decade of unprecedented social change against very dark and regressive policies and attitudes... very tough years that had be endured so that posterior decades could reap the benefits.

Are we in a similar historical moment right now? The ugliness of racial and gender discrimination, the fight against an oppressive patriarchy that has condoned sexual violence and oppressive social mechanisms for too long, the fight for the survival of Western democracies (including our own), the dark cloud of authoritarianism and fascism threatening us, the constant threat of gun violence in our neighborhoods... I feel like we are in the midst of a very trying, exhausting, difficult but incredibly necessary moment in our history. Even though it feels kind of overwhelming, I guess we have all been chosen, along with the upcoming members of Generation Z, to be part of this moment that will bring long lasting changes to the world...

So, are the 2010s the new 1960s? Don't know, but I only hope our side wins...

September 21, 2018

Are we going to take the Senate too?

Are our chances any good? Discuss!

June 20, 2018

In the midst of this moral and spiritual storm our country faces...

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I remembered when we, not too long ago, were blessed with having a truly exemplary leader guiding us through dark times, and I wept... for the children being held in those detention centers, for their parents, for us, and for the world, as we are being led by pure, unrestrained evil.

Cloudy days ahead...

May 24, 2018

Morgan Freeman? Et tu?

Source: CNN

This is sad indeed.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/entertainment/morgan-freeman-accusations/index.html

May 20, 2018

Reinventing yourself.

I am wondering if some of you had the necessity at some point, either as a middle aged adult or already in your senior years to start again from scratch... Perhaps because of illness, divorce, death of a loved one, job loss, spiritual, mental or emotional issues, etc. How did you do it? Did you find the power to reclaim your life? To rebuild it? To make age and past experiences count little and restart with a fresh, youthful and positive outlook?

Maybe your story and uplift and inspire someone who might not currently be seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Hope and encouragement are important in times in which the state of our Nation combined with life issues can be a lot to handle. So, if you have a story to share, at least I would love to read it!

May 19, 2018

According to Andrew Sullivan, Trump erased Obama's legacy.

Obviously, I disagree with his blaming of us liberals for the racial divide (covering up for the Trumpists), but interesting and sad reading nonetheless.

[link:http://amp.nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/obamas-legacy-has-already-been-destroyed.html|

May 10, 2018

Gas prices!!!

OK, this is getting ridiculous and where's the outrage? Under Obama, conservaturds all over the country were making a big deal about them and scored big political points. What the hell is going on that we are not making a big deal out if this! Our side needs to start hammering that into the consciousness of America. Trump's economy sucks, and we need to make people feel it. It's $2.80 around here, while it was $1.80 at the end of Obama's presidency. F'n ridiculous!

To all conservaturds out there: How are these gas prices working for you?

April 27, 2018

I knew something was wrong with Bill Cosby when...

I remember watching some old boxing classics on YouTube a couple of years ago, including the Larry Holmes- Gerry Cooney 1982 HW title match. I decided to watch one of the undercard matches which featured Puerto Rican boxing great Wilfredo Gomez as well, and in between rounds they were asking celebrities in attendance for prediction for the Main Event.

As you might know, Holmes-Cooney was one most racialized and polarizing sport events of the late 20th Century. In order to sell the event, Don King started promoting the fight as a black vs. white affair, with Cooney becoming the camera friendly white man who was going to become the Great White Hope by beating up the unrefined and somewhat unlikable black champion in Holmes. The racial tension on fight night was so high that there were snipers on the rooftops around the Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. To add insult to injury, Cooney, the challenger, not only got paid more than Holmes, but also was introduced last as if he was the true champion.

So, in between rounds of the Gomez fight, we get to see Bill Cosby, with a huge cigar in his mouth and a particularly arrogant smug in his face, which was partially covered by huge sunglasses. The reporter asks Mr. Cosby about his pick for the fight. One would think that given the divisive nature of the fight and the humiliations the black champion was being subjected to, he would say something eloquent, unifying, inspiring... Or that he was going to show his fellow black brother some much needed support...

Well, none of that. Cosby, in the most arrogant way possible, takes his huge cigar out of his mouth and says "Cooney... He's knocking Holmes out in 4!" If you look at the clip, he almost sounds like he was trying to sound like a redneck rooting against the black man. He was being dismissive of the black champion, but in a sellout kind of way, just like Jesse Lee Peterson hating on all things black: both a real hatred and an act to gain the support of white people at the same time.

In the end, though, the truth won. Holmes exposed Cooney as a creation of a racist American media who wanted any white man to become HW after dealing with Muhammad Ali for a decade, and eventually we learned everything we saw about Bill Cosby on TV was a mask hiding a very ugly and dangerous human being.

April 26, 2018

Can people redeem themselves in the social media era?

All of this crap about Joy Reid having some, well, misguided or inappropriate posts in the past makes me wonder if we are abandoning the concept of redemption in our society.

Assuming Joy's posts are hers, I feel she deserves credit for having become a better human being throughout the years and standing for what is right. Maybe an apology should be given, but this idea of one having to carry with your past forever assumes there is no room for error and for learning in life.

Barack Obama started his presidency being against same-sex marriage, and ended his presidency being the greatest advocate the LGBTQ community has had in the WH. People can and do change, and nobody is perfect.

Don't let old posts or pictures ruin a great present and a promising future. Redemption is possible and necessary for the progress of humanity.

April 24, 2018

Given the great changes in the political landscape in the last decade...

How do you think the following 4 individuals would have fared politically if they ran for the Democratic nomination in 2016, or on the general election against Trump:

A) Mike Gravel
B) Howard Dean
C) Dennis Kucinich
D) John Edwards

I just sense their political fates would have been quite different in this day and age.