I went online this morning in search of some dipshittery to post, because, man, does the world need some dipshittery at the moment. Reality is far too real.
This post isn't dipshittery, though.
A conservative friend of mine posted the following video on Facebook today. Nearly 15 and a half million people - and counting - have watched it. In it, black country star Coffey Anderson presents a very earnest tutorial on how to behave if one is pulled over by a police officer.
It's all probably very good advice, and I have no doubt that Anderson has the very best of intentions. Hell, this might even help some people.
My overwhelming impression, though? This doesn't apply to me. I'm a white guy. By the accident of the amount of melanin in my skin, I don't need to worry about a police officer with the power to end my life being threatened by my existence.
That's the base truth. And I don't have the first fucking clue how to change that. I'm generally an optimistic dude at heart, but I'm feeling pretty goddamned depressed about the state of our national racial affairs. We're all talking at and past each other, we hear the things that bolster our arguments, we ignore the things that run counter to them, and far too few people are offering solutions.
This is not a zero sum game. Nobody needs to win if others lose. The very best tweet I saw in the morass of awful social media takes was offered by a woman named Erin Simpson, who said, "I don't want black men shot at traffic stops. I don't want cops shot by snipers. I don't want kids shot at school. I don't want any of this." 63,000 people retweeted her. But that's about all we did. And that's about all we'll do.
Have a terrific weekend.
Someone post something stupid.
Saturday, July 09, 2016
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25 comments:
I hate these tutorials. Like not acting 'respectfully' can in any way justify being beaten, shot or killed. We certainly have a race issue in our country. We also have a police/militarization issue in our country.
In other, lighter, news...the reunion bar night was good. Way too much alcohol consumed and I actually saw people that I was excited to see. Still glad I'm not going tonight. Also, it's amazing how many people from my HS I don't know/remember. I was a new kid as a sophomore in a HS where just about everyone else grew up together and then I left for North Carolina a couple months after graduation.
My wife knows EVERYBODY. I (maybe) know half the people I graduated with.
amen to that, mark.
i've never been to a high school reunion, mostly because my memory is terrible and i don't want to fake knowing people i can't remember. college homecoming is a different story for some reason.
My high school was statistically the median high school in New Jersey, which felt right b/c we had kids who went to Ivies and kids who dealt acid and got cuffed in their classrooms (a feeble "scared straight" effort by our police force). I went to the 10-year, and it was more sad than fun. I passed on the 20-year that got postponed due to Hurricane Sandy.
I was a hardcore Dad for most of the day, shepherding the 8 y/o to a soccer tourney at Lawrenceville, alma mater to Paci and Hartman. We lost our first game, but crushed a team from Hanover/Whippany in the second game, 11-2. Their parents were beyond awful. One of their dads yelled "we may as well forfeit" after his team fell behind 3-0. He then grabbed a younger sibling (4-5 y/o) by the ear and pulled him 20 yards down the sideline b/c the kid didn't listen about something. That dad had a kid named Nick Faschino. We thought the kid's first name was Pacino and agreed that it was the most gangster first name ever. The dad looked like a fat Steven Seagal, and had an "I've been in a lot of fights before" vibe.
There was another awful dad, who was a bloated whale. He stood behind one goal and yelled whenever he was upset, which was a lot b/c his kid's team sucked. His best line was "C'mon ref, that's the second time they kicked it after the whistle!" This referred to an offsides kid finishing a cross after the whistle. And a third dad yelled to his kid "if the ref isn't calling it, push back!" I held my tongue b/c I'm too old for a black eye, but I was damn close to stirring some shit up.
Parents suck. And I bet that team's parents were in the Pro-Trump crowd.
After soccer, I was all kinds of healthy on the treadmill at the local gym, but I came home to the wife deciding it was Rose wine party time. My rubber arm got twisted hard, and I'm now equal parts dehydrated and drunk after grilling dinner for the family.
Youth sports parents frighten me. I don't know how my Dad managed to coach every team I played on growing up and never get caught up in the bullshit. I'm frightened by the idea of coaching my kid.
I actually hit the beach/hotel pool today with a bunch of the people from the HS reunion and it wasn't horrible. Even caught up with an old friend of mine who now lives in Oregon (his wife is a big wig at Nike and he has the hook up at the employee store...next vacation is to Oregon!) and shot the shit with a bunch of other folks. Still not regretting skipping the actual reunion tonight. Had some beers/food with my Mom and kid (no beers for her) and am about to settle on to the couch. My wife has a free night and doesn't hate me for bailing on the reunion. Successful weekend in this house.
I am a Ben Simmons fan. He can pass like a motherfucker. If he even gets a decent J it is on.
we went to a local winery and watched an 80s cover band called the legwarmers. 1,500 middle aged folks singing every word of the songs of their youth while drinking shitloads of wine. the band was really good, if i'm being honest. almost as good as the several bottles of wine my wife and i finished.
Spurrier had a big party for he and his wife's 50th anniversary. He invited a ton of his former players and a bunch a reporters who covered his teams. Spurrier is the best.
Dwight Howarf just got lustily booed at UFC 200. Also the best.
That is some seriously white shit you did today, Rob. Bravo. If I'm not being a dick (it's rare), that sounds fun. And Legwarmers is a brilliant name for an 80s cover band.
UFC fighter coming out to 'Run This Town'...did you just wake up from a coma?
yeah, it was white as fuck. ironic, given today's post topic. we're all drawn to our tribes. that ain't gonna change. just need to figure out how to be more empathetic to other tribes, as i said to z earlier.
Tough for me to get down with a UFC fighter who's in worse shape than half of the regulars
I see at the gym.
Derek Jeter got married? Had I know. I would've shorted GSK--expect a steep decline in Valtrex prescriptions.
He's officially retired now - as both a world-class ball player and a world-class stickman.
So DiCaprio is the undisputed champ at the moment?
This is one of the worst finals I've seen in a while in terms of shoe game. Both guys rocking bobos.
Rob - where have you been? The Legwarmers are legit. They've been playing State Theatre for years and always put on a great show. I had way too much fun on one occasion and took a walk home down 66 wearing a Kobra Kai outfit at 2Am. I seriously contemplated getting them for my wedding but they were asking 5 figures and I didn't have it in me. I settled on getting a quartet for the cocktail hour that played 50-50 Vivaldi and 80's. All this to say is, how about an invite next time?
Murray's onions! Raonic will be demoralized for failing to convert those break chances.
I counted at least three f bombs from Murray after that game. I hope he paints his face blue during the next change over.
z, I don't think i've ever seen under armour kicks that were even remotely cool. their design game is shabby.
mayhugh, done. they played tarara winery in lucketts. cool outdoor scene. i'll holler if they come back.
Lendl smiled!
one of my kids spilled water on our mac, so we had to buy a new one today. turns out apple's running a promotion for students and teachers where you get a pair of beats if you buy a mac. silver lining! so now i have a new mac and a fresh pair of beats.
Mac n beats?
Mackin' beats?
is something going on in reality? we are in santa fe, which is the opposite. i haven't coached a practice in three weeks! i've never been so relaxed . . . but ian said he is ready to go back to playing other teams in soccer, all this relaxing and family cooperation is starting to bore him, he needs to see his enemies driven before him and hear the lamentation of the women.
stay there, dave. reality stinks.
+1 for the Conan reference
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