Beard of the day

Today Beard

Don’t be distracted by what they are saying, watch what they are doing

Today while we were distracted by all the other flying bullshit…the justice department quietly filed an amicus brief in a federal U.S. Court of appeals stating that the 1964 civil rights act DOES NOT PROTECT LGBT citizens.

Read more HERE.

By taking this stance the Department of Justice is saying that LGBTQ can be descriminated against in housing, employment, healthcare and beyond. The DOJ is saying that I can be descriminated against simply because I don’t fuck the opposite sex, that essentially I do not have any civil rights.

They are going after ALL of us and all of our civil rights. They are doing it right now. They aren’t doing it tomorrow, they are doing it now.

First it was the Muslims, then the Mexican & Central Americans and the immigrants, now the Trans and all LGBT. Who’s next? Almost everyone is next. Unless YOU take a stand for justice now you, YES YOU, are either under fire now or you are next.

Speaking out, speaking up

Trea sums it up

Arrest the disabled!

“Take them to jail. How dare they try to save their own healthcare. Why don’t they just get a job?”

Apparently senator Mitch McGreed and his staff have no use for free speech, differing opinions and for those pesky disabled people who stand to lose their healthcare.

“Off with them ” The Senator and his staff say …

If you aren’t rich Mitch McGreed, nor his staff, wants to see or hear from you. In fact if you aren’t rich they don’t give a damn about you, except for taking away your safety net so they can give it to the rich.

If you give a Fuck about yourself, your fellow humans, your children, or even the Fucking planet we live on…

Contact  your senator by clicking HERE

and then click THIS to contact your congress representative

and don’t forget your governor by clicking this BUTTON

This country is no longer the leader of the free world, but just another place for the rich to park their money and look down their noses at the poor … pity.

Where does chocolate milk come from?

Milk

Cocoa

and Sugar…

But 16 million, yes 16,000,000, American adults believe it comes from brown cows. Seriously…BROWN COWS. You can read more about that in The Washington Post by simply clicking right HERE.

Also of note in that same enlightening article about the state of American intelligence, is the statistic that 1 in 5 American adults is blissfully unaware that hamburger is actually made from cows as well.

Wow. Just WOW.

Travelous interrupterous

So I land in Dulles for a short layover on way to Ft. Lauderdale. When I turn my phone on it explodes with texts asking if I am ok. It seems that this happened…

5 dead and 8 injured at Delta baggage claim in Ft. Lauderdale airport.

I should have already boarded my plane to fly there. However the plane that I fly there on is sitting on the tarmac there, full of passengers coming here, waiting to take off. The FTL airport is still closed so who knows when it will take off and when I will get to board it to head there.

While I am having the minor inconvenience of travelous interrupertous (my how spell check hates me when I make up my own words) there are families and friends grieving the loss of the five Delta passengers who died at the hands of a crazy man and eight others injured in the hospital. I pray for them. Yes I do pray.

It seems that the gunman had just flown in on a Delta flight, picked up his bag from the luggage carousel, retrieved the gun from his checked bag and opened fire. Seriously. Crazy lives amoung us. Sorry folks but that is horrible. Innocent travelers possibly on their way to a vacation of their dreams, coming home, visiting friends & family, working on a business trip, returning from a deployment overseas or maybe even going on a honeymoon …dead at the luggage carousel because some crazy asshole fucker had a gun in his checked bag.

A fucking gun in a fucking checked bag on a fucking airplane.

Soapbox. Yep I stepped on it.

Now I’ll get back off of it.

So several hours late or maybe tomorrow morning I will finally arrive at my destination of Ft. Lauderdale Florida, my second home. I will stand at a luggage carousel waiting for my bag. I will shed tears. I will remember poor souls I never met. I’ll pray for the loved ones in mourning. I’ll feel gratitude that I was not there at that moment. I will be grateful I was spared and had the minor inconvenience of having to wait here at the United Club outside of Washington DC at the Dulles airport.

Tell your loved ones you love them. Tell them now, and tell them often. Stop smell the roses, take time, value the important things and never ever forget the blessing that is this very moment.

Product Review

I’m an apple products kind of guy. I drank the Kool-aid when I traded the old blackberry in for my first iPhone 4 about 6  years ago. Since then I made the complete change over and now have an iPad Air, iPad Pro and a MacBook Pro. Superior products that I find worth the costs.

I was due an upgrade on my iPhone 6 but thought why? The 7 looks the same and I don’t need a better camera and although the water-resistant feature would be nice, I have never damaged an iPhone with liquid.

Then my lightening port gave me an issue so I decided instead of using the insurance which had a deductible, I’d just use the cash molecules for the deductible for an upgrade to the 7.

WOW. Apple does it again. It may look the same but the phone is a surprisingly wonderful upgrade from the 6. From the new home button technology to the sound and the speed this is a well done upgrade.

I didn’t even know I wanted one and  now I’m glad I did. Kudos to Apple. The iPhone 7 is worth it.

Where there is smoke, there is usually fire

Warning:

This post is about men who hold positions of authority who abuse that position and molest young boys.

I have a bias against this man:

Current convicted felon and former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

I have a bias because I was molested by men who held, what I perceived, to be important positions of authority when I was at the impressionable ages of 12-14 years. I have a bias because Mr. Sandusky has been convicted in a court of law. The situations around his case brought back many painful memories. The possible cover up issues that swirl around his case remind me of the cover up that went on around the men who molested me.

To say I have a tender spot around this subject would be an understatement. Just when this had all died down and I thought that the reopening of my wound by the news of this story had subsided, I find this news of Mr. Sandusky’s appeal.

Wounds are reopened again. Does Mr. Sandusky have the right to appeal? Why yes he does, the appeal process is one of the great parts of a fair and just legal system. Do I have the right to my opinion through my own experiences? Why yes I do. Was Mr. Sandusky one of my perpetrators? No. Were his practices and actions similar to my perpetrators? Yes. Can I say for sure he is guilty as convicted by a court? No, I wasn’t witness to his actions nor was I present at his trial. Can I have an opinion that he is guilty as was found in that court of law? Yes I can.

First…Why do I write this? Second…Why do I post about such a tragedy of abuse? Third…Why do I choose to use Mr. Sandusky’s plight to express my hurt, anger and frustration on this subject?

First I will start with the last question: I choose Mr. Sandusky only because he has been convicted in a court of law and is currently serving time as a felon for this crime. I choose him because he opened the can of worms through his choosing to use his right to appeal. I choose him because the descriptions of the situations he put himself in, which are widely known, were all to common with what I myself experienced as a victim of other child molesting men. Should Mr. Sandusky win his appeal and be resolved of all crimes to which he has been accused and convicted regarding his abuse of young impressionable boys, I will amend this post with an update and an apology for using him and his case as post fodder for a subject that obviously affects me deeper than I have given realization.

Back to the first question: I write this because when I saw the news that Mr. Sandusky had filed for appeal I had a visceral reaction. My reaction helped me to realize the depth of the pain I feel to this day from actions inflicted upon me by those obviously self loathing men that molested me. For years I internalized it, justified it and took responsibility for it. Yes took responsibility for it in that I took the blame. I blamed myself for it because I was gay therefore I wanted them to molest me. I took the blame for it in that I was alone and lonely and wanted their approval. I took the blame for it in that I needed them and what they could do to advance me and help me in school.

For that second question: I post about the tragedy that is child sexual abuse because it needs to be talked about. It needs to be said that IT’S NOT OK. It also needs to be said its not ok to cover it up, look the other way and it’s not ok to say nothing. I raise my voice in hopes that one child isn’t molested because my voice helped someone to say something, do something to stop it.

I realize now that as a child, in fact until I was at this very moment, I didn’t have the capacity to step up and take the responsibility to say yes I am one of those boys. I choose to not take responsibility for what those twisted adults did to me, but to take responsibility for speaking out and raising awareness for those who can’t. Those men took my innocence. They took my virginity and exploited it for their selfish adult pleasure.

By writing this I take the first step toward taking it back. The men who molested me, and many others I am sure, are long dead. The ones who aided them by covering it up or simply saying nothing are gone as well. I have no need in opening that pandora’s box.

When a lonely and outcast young boy finds the acceptance of an adult male he is powerless for he yearns for some sort of acceptance, whatever it may be. When that adult takes advantage, the boy (or girl) becomes more powerless. Once violated, the youth is lost in isolated oblivion that can remain a prison for years and sometimes a secret for life. A secret that destroys from within.

Where there is smoke, there isn’t usually a fire, there IS fire. When you see smoke, say something before the fire gets out of control.

 

UPDATE: I realize after posting that in case an individual, male or female, who may find this post who themselves are underage and a victim…You Are Not Alone. Speak up, you deserve help. Realize that by speaking up you are not only helping yourself but those who haven’t the courage to or are the next victims behind you. You have a voice.

Something wonderful

Yup…..it starts today! Finding Dory starts today!

We will not get to see it until probably next weekend, but it’s here. It’s finally here!

Keep Swimming!

Our heart goes out to our Brothers and Sisters in Orlando

Please feel free to copy and post this image. Share it freely.

Widows

I just killed another one out in the garage. I guess it’s time to bring out the big guns again.

Widows? Yes I kill them. I have absolutely no use for the pesky things. Face it…those damn widows are just a pain in the ass. They jump out of nowhere and scare the bejesus out of you. Always lurking around in dark corners all by themselves. Creepy. Yes widows are just plain creepy beings. I say we rid ourselves of all of them. Southern California seems to attract widows like moths to a flame. I just don’t know where they all come from. Maybe they come over from our neighbor Arizona.

Exterminate the Widows! All of ’em!

Wait, you think I’m talking about someone’s grandma don’t you? Hell no …I love old lady human widows. I’m talking about widow spiders. Why widow spiders are as common around here as fleas on a stray dogs back.

from Wikipedia:

Latrodectus is a genus of spider in the big spider family Theridiidae, most of which are commonly known as widow spiders. The genus contains 31 recognized species[2] distributed worldwide, including the North American black widows (L. mactans, L. hesperus, and L. variolus), the button spiders of Africa, and the Australian redback. Species vary widely in size. In most cases the females are dark-colored and readily identifiable by reddish hourglass-shaped markings on the abdomen.

The venomous bite of these spiders is considered particularly dangerous because of the neurotoxin latrotoxin, which causes the condition latrodectism, both named for the genus. The female black widow has unusually large venom glands and its bite can be particularly harmful to humans. However, despite the genus’ notoriety, Latrodectus bites are rarely fatal. Only female bites are dangerous to humans.

The well known Black Widow

Ok now that I’ve freaked Dr. Spo out I’ll fill you in on a few widow spider tidbits. Above is the most well known Black Widow. In these here parts the Black Widow is actualy rare in comparison to It’s cousin the Brown Widow. I’ve literally gone out to spray the front steps and had up to fifty brown widows gasping for air and convulsing on the stretch of steps from the door to the street in one spraying.

Brown Widow Spider

The brown widows vary in color from almost black to translucent tan to every shade of brown in between. They all have the classic bright orange to red hour glass marking on their bellies as well as the long jointed leg structure. Both the black and brown are very recognizable spiders as their look is quite unique. Both have virtually identical body structures just different colored slick leather like skin.

Widow spiders are actually very timid beings. They do not come after you. If you disturb their web they run and hide. You rarely actually see one. I know I need to spray when their webs start appearing. Humans and animals are rarely bitten. So while yes they are poisonous, bites are extremely rare. Their bites, while dangerous, are more painful than anything else as they are rarely fatal to humans and most animals. When I do encounter one, they are running away. Widows also do not care for the interior of homes. So while I may have a population explosion outside, in my 24 years in this 96 year old house with all its cracks we have yet to ever encounter even a tale tale sign of one inside.

The widow web is instantly recognizable. They are usually close to the ground. They typically angle down to ground from the foundation, patio furniture, steps or plants. They are an erratic mess of strings that are incredibly sticky.

Sticky erratic Widow web, usually these are low and between a building or structural plant and the ground.

Often Widow webs will have several of these spiked white egg sacs.

Widow Spiders are common throughout many regions. So be aware as they are poisonous but will only bite if cornered and provoked. They are very timid and very scared of you. Learn the web as that’s how you will know if they are in your garden or outdoor buildings.

….Oh and if you are reading this just prior to bedtime, sweet dreams!

 

Damn good

Fearsome is ecstatic. His new Whisker Dam arrived in our mailbox today.

Whisker Dam

Fearsome’s mustache has been on the grow of recent. You see after Fearsome’s big trim last fall we decided to return to growth over mistakenly perceived necessity for a conforming conservative look. We also decided to let his mustache grow into its glory as well, with no unnecessary trimming. You know…big beard AND big ‘stache…

Beverage challenging Fearsome ‘stache

After stumbling upon the Whisker Dam and reading a couple reviews I decided to treat us to one and see if this thing might really work. We are happy to report that yes the Whisker Dam is a mightly fine product. No more coffee stains all down the front of my shirt. Why we might even dare to wear white again, on occasion, now that we have one of these fabulous thingys.

If you are a hirsute fellow like ourselves, or just a plain old pogoniac, we highly recommend clicking HERE to go over to the Whisker Dam website and pick up one for yourself.

As they say on their website, “It’s like an umbrella for your face”.

With excited anticipation

Fearsome confession time…

One of our absolute most favorite movies of all time is…

Which has a sequel coming out next spring…

Today we can happily announce that the very first trailer has been released!

Just keep swimming!

 

Joe.My.God has moved

Fearsome is a long time daily reader of Joe.My.God.

Today Joe moved his blog from Blogger to WordPress. His site address changed and I have taken the liberty of making that change to the link over in Fearsome Buds for your blog reading convenience. If you have a moment click over and check out his new digs.

Giving credit where credit is due… While many bloggers inspired me (Spo, Anne Marie, Eric, Blobby to name only a few) JMG was the first blog I ever read and has obviously inspired me as well.

Thanks Joe!

Fearsome signs a petition

Fearsome is an animal lover.

Fearsome believes that all animals (especially those like himself that have large manes) should be respected and honored, not hunted and killed for sport.

American Dentist, Walter James Palmer, from Minneapolis MN pictured with his kill Cecil. Cecil was a revered lion safe in a Zimbanwe nature preserve until he was lured out of the preserve with food and killed.

Currently there is a petition to help extradite this killer to Zimbabwe for the crime he committed. At present he is apparently in hiding. You can add your name to the petition by clicking HERE.

Fearsome and all other endangered species thank you for your support.

…..and cue Lea

I can’t get enough. I’ve been waiting for this day for years. Barbra deserves an encore from the only singer who does her hit justice.

I am still Verklempt.

Cue Barbra

I admired her before

and now I admire her more.

When I posted yesterday, after several days of internal debate whether I would or wouldn’t, I had no idea that this would be released today.

I’m Verklempt.

Australian Beards Invade the States!

The Beards over at 2-Beards have started their journey across the U.S. And are currently in NYC. If you have a moment, pop over and give ’em a shout to help them get started on their way. Over the next month they will drive from New York to Los Angeles. Along the way sharing their experience as they sample beers, enjoy local cuisine and raise money for Heart Kids back home in Australia. Good Blokes they are!

2-Beards Brett & Luke

It’s Beard Season

The guys over at 2-Beards (see Fearsome buds and check out their travel site) turned me onto Beard Season.

Beard Season’s purpose is to raise awareness of Melanoma. In case you aren’t fully aware Melanoma is a very deadly cancer. A skin cancer that I have had.

Back in 2004 I went to see my general physician because I was concerned about a mole on my belly just above my navel. I took my shirt off and he looked at it, explained it was a normal benign growth and if I wanted he would remove it. I told him to go ahead and take it off. Being a good doctor he said “While you are here let me check the rest of you before I do that.” Within moments he stopped, pointed at a very small flat mole (freckle practically) and said “How long has his been here?”

I replied I had no clue as I had never paid it any attention. He stopped what he was doing and called a dermatologist friend of his right there from the exam room. He set up an appointment for me to be seen the next day. The mole I came in for was going to have to wait for this stupid little tiny dark freckle like mole on my side.

The next day I was in the dermatologist office. A beautiful young dark haired woman with credentials all over her walls. She asked me to show her the spot I was sent in for. She looked at it and said “That is coming off and being sent to pathology today, now take off the rest of your clothes as I need to examine all of your body.”

She found nothing else that day. I received a call from the dermatologist herself four days later. She asked if I could come in the next day as my results were back and it was malignant Melanoma. She needed to clear the margins and check my lymph nodes. She explained it would be in office minor surgery.

When I arrived she gave me the good news that it was just under 1mm, (just under one millimeter) in depth which meant we may have just caught it in time. She explained that melanomas will usually cross into the lymph nodes at 1mm. She was going in to clear my margins which would be removal of all tissue 3 cm in each direction from the site. Yep a total of SIX centimeters across in a circle and a full THREE centimeters deep of tissue excavated from my body.  It was to leave a scar, I call it my shark bite.

She called a week later, all of my margins were clear and they would not need to go in to take any lymph nodes for biopsy. I was to return every six months for the next ten years. It’s been eleven years now and many moles have been removed, only one was pre-cancerous at about a year out from the original melanoma. I’m now a survivor. I can now cut back to once a year seeing her and check myself regularly.

I have no family history (that we know of) of melanoma. It was my concern about the looks of a mole, that turned out to be nothing more than ugly, taken to a good thorough MD that saved my life. If I had put that off another couple months, I would most likely not be writing this today. Melanoma is deadly. Once it crosses the lymph nodes there is little that can be done. Malignant Melanoma does not respond well to cancer treatments and spreads throughout the body.

What are you waiting for? I challenge you to get your skin check ASAP, it might save your life. I owe my life today to a simple skin check.

Now Go ahead over to Beard Season, just click HERE and see how you can help raise awareness about Melanoma. Oh,  and check out which beard just signed himself up to be an ambassador!