Right Here, Right Now

WARNING; Rant ahead. You might want to skip the beginning of this one if you are overwhelmed or easily offended…but I’ve gotta get it out. My emotions have overcome me to the point I am angry. I need to shift my attitude but in order to shift I’ve first  gotta rant.

Disgust.
Disgust  is what I’ve felt since the news of the point blank shooting of 20 year old Duarte Wright by a police officer. Pulled over and shot point blank for simply driving while black. Another police murder during the trial of George Floyd’s murderer cop is underway with both crimes taking place in the same region of Minnesota.
I am no longer sorry to say that I feel that most of the police departments in this country are full of racist cowards. The whole system may possibly need to be dismantled in order to reorganize, purge and start over. Week after week more cowardly racist asshole police officers just fucking harass and often simply murder people of color.
I used to think the police were the good guys. After this past year I now know many of them are as crooked as that asshole who just left the white house. Many of them are crooked, racist, violent, cowardly liars.

So now that I’ve gotten a rant off my chest and graphically told you how I feel, I need to see how I can move on.

I can move on by focusing first on what I can do right here, right now.

What is important to me? What do I value?

I value love, respect, understanding, acceptance, diversity and kindness. How can I get more of these beautiful treasures? I can start by giving these things to the world right now and right where I am.

I can call a friend and say “I love you”. I can tell an associate at work that I value their knowledge and respect their input. I can take a moment to listen to and understand someone else who needs an ear. I can accept that the anxious person wanting to force their way into my lane of traffic may be stressed and possibly late to pick up their child by graciously letting them in front of me. I can seek to experience  a diverse and different point of view that might open my eyes to seeing things from another angle or culture. I can say a kind word to the overworked mother who’s checking out my groceries at the store while saying her name from her name tag and looking into her eyes.

I can say to you my reader thank you. Thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for letting me rant. Thank you for understanding that I get overwhelmed. Thank you for letting me have an opinion. Thank you for allowing me to come to a better place by realizing that while I can’t change what happened in Minneapolis, I can change the world right here, right now simply by spreading the good things I value. By spreading good, one by one good things spread further. With each good deed the world gets better one moment, one person, one smile at a time.

I can also share beauty, art and music. This is an all time favorite that never fails to bring a smile to my face. Oh, and by the way…I love you, I love you for being right here, right now.

Stephanie Mills – I Never Knew Love Like This Before – 1980

R U Lucky?

It’s almost finale time over at Ru Paul’s Drag Race and the competition is fierce!This top four is chock full of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.

Season 13 has been a bit of a love fest with the queens bonding at a level I don’t believe I have witnessed before. Given that it was set and filmed in the height of Covid isolation when most of the entertainment industry and the world was shut down, it’s definitely offered a different experience for them to come together and develop relationships at a deeper more intimate level.

I truly see the star quality in each of the final four, and am supportive of each of them winning. However only one can win so I am going to go out on my limb and say that I’ve decided I’m on team Symone. She was my first instinctual attraction for the crown upon her first appearance, she has proved herself and thus I’ll stick by her side.

Ru Paul ft. Symone, Gottmik, Kandy Muse & Rosé – Lucky – 2021 – Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 13

You can’t always get what you want

But if you try sometime,

you might find,

you get what you need.

The Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Live in London 1968

Stunning.

Fast Car

Thirty three years ago today Tracy Chapman released this simple yet complex tune. In 4 minutes it tells the story of a lifetime and reveals the life changes of choices combined with actions.

It truly is a work of art that came during a seemingly simple yet very complex part of my life where some decisions combined with actions not only changed my life toward the better, but most likely saved it.

Thank you Tracy for sharing this with us. It is an important tune in my life’s soundtrack.  My heart fills with joy and my being with serenity every time I hear it.

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car- April 6, 1988

If you find this blog post and find that you are currently in an abusive or violent relationship and feel you are trapped there is no safe way out, I am here to tell you that from my own experience there is, even when it doesn’t seem like it. There is a safe way out and it may save your life. Tell someone, ask for help, make choices and act. Action is your lifeline but do it discreetly. Be careful and aware of your safety. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800.799.SAFE (7233) or online at https://www.thehotline.org/

 

How’s Fearsome?

A treasured reader asked us through the comments the other day how we were doing post surgery. I appreciate his concern and appreciate even more his gentle nudge to open myself up and express myself more. I’m grateful to be part of a blogging community that is just that…community, a community that cares.

We are doing well. Fearsome survived uncut and unscathed. I got both scoped and cut.

The surgeon cut in order to open the top of the shoulder large enough to remove the rather large cyst that had developed on top of my right AC Joint. He then scoped into the AC joint and removed the end of my clavicle in order to clean out the arthritis that had caused the cyst to develop and then took a look at my bicep tendon as well as my rotator cuff. Both the rotator cuff and bicep tendon were in good shape so I got away with just a cyst removal and the clavicle clean up.

Pain has been tolerable and I am doing well as long as I don’t really do anything. So do nothing right now is the key I have discovered. Stitches come out this Thursday and I’ll be able to finally shower. Physical therapy will begin April 15th.

So during my do nothing time I sleep and I watch films. I also indulge in YouTube clips and just found this one. I’m not a religious man but I do enjoy a well performed gospel tune. Oh honey… is this performance fabulous. It’s truly a work of art that moved me to tears. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Leslie Jordan featuring Chris & Morgane Stapleton – Farther Along – 2021

Opening Day 2021!

It’s finally here after a partial season lost to empty stadiums, opening day 2021 at Petco Park in fabulous sunny San Diego California.

Fearsome and I are elated even though we will not be in attendance. We have opening day tickets, as we are season ticket holders and California is allowing 20% attendance at this stage of the pandemic, but due to my surgery the better half and our seat mate Greg will be attending. Fearsome and I will watch from home. Soon enough we will get to go.

Until then, Go Padres!

John Fogerty – Centerfield – 1985

Manila never disappoints

I love when my day starts with a brand new Manila Luzon video and today was one of those fabulous days!

Manila Luzon – Inspire Me – 2021

I was kind of running late this morning, but when I saw this had just dropped into my YouTube feed I threw all caution to the wind and just clicked play. Manila didn’t let me down.

Fabulous fabulousness.

Irish Celebration

Although I’ve posted this one some Saint Paddy’s Day a few years ago, we will post it again as Fearsome rather lines it.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Irish Celebration – 2011

Have fun, share peace, spread happiness and have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I’ll say this before the day gets started

Real Patriots don’t storm their own Capitol.

Period.

Make love, make music, make community, make peace …not war.

U2 – Where The Streets Have No Name – 1987 – Live in Downtown Los Angeles

Pop Six Squish Na-ah Cicero Lip-Schitz

My ear worm Friday, yours today!

Cell Block Tango – Chicago (film version) – 2002

You’re welcome.

Teenage Heartthrob

To say that I had a crush on KC when I was a pubescent boy into my teen years  is an understatement. To this day he still makes me swoon, then and even now.
I’ll just leave this fabulous throw back to 1977 right here.

KC & The Sunshine Band – Keep It Coming Love – Performance 1977

His goal was to create carefree fun music to uplift. He achieved his goal and then some. For that I am grateful.

Dolly

It’s no secret that Dolly Parton is one of my heroes. My life is blessed to have shared our planet during her life.
The simple beauty of this early appearance with her two sisters is divine. Stick around as her mother and grandfather are in the audience.

Dolly Parton – Break My Mind – Porter Wagoner Show

Ok, I’ve got to lighten up

Confession time.
I’ve allowed the political shenanigans that is Washington overwhelm me again. For the last four years I haven’t  been able to be who I want to be in the blog world because I inundate myself with news. It kills my spirit. After the election I filled with hope until January 6. I pulled through and got myself up for Inauguration Day and then that damn turtle got me down again by not allowing impeachment to take place before or after inauguration.

Fuck him and 42 other asshole senators as well.

Ok so here I am after an acquittal of a guilty insurrectionist. What can I do? I can step it up and move on. I’ll start with humor.

Thank all of you for sticking with me through all of this. May brighter future lay in front of us.

Friday humor

As most of you have noticed we’ve been a might quiet over here of late. I guess you could say it’s the disappointment that saner heads have yet to prevail after a gawddamn insurrection of our Capitol. I’ve allowed the stresses of the whole gawddamn mess to be the cat that’s got our tongue of sorts.

Anyhoo, I did find this hilarious so I’ll share as we can all use a good laugh once in awhile. Amiright?

Trae Crowder, gotta love him.

Calling them out

When witnessing a crime should we look the other way? Or call them out?

What Would Betty Do?

Proud Mary Keep on Rollin’

President Biden has hit the road and he’s a rollin’.
Let’s keep the steam pumpin with not one, not two but three wonderful versions of a Fearsome favorite, Proud Mary.

Broken Peach – Proud Mary – 2017

Tina Turner – Proud Mary – 2009 (49 years after she first charted a tune in 1960 and 38 years after she & Ike made their cover of this tune famous, she is 70 years old in this performance.)

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary – 1969

Keep on rollin’ Joe. You are doing a good man’s work and we support you.

Leaders

We here at Fearsome Beard the blog thingy believe in recognizing and even promoting those who we feel are working not only to improve themselves but the world around them.

Yesterday we had the honor of witnessing a break out moment for a rising star of our future. We were so moved by Amanda Gordon that the moment we could find a clip of her poetry reading on YouTube we posted it. Today we learned more about her from Anderson Cooper. We hope to learn lots more about her in the future as we watch her rise into a leader. A leader worth listening to.

She gives us hope.

 

Inaugural Poet

Amanda Gordon / Youth Poet Laureate 2017 – The Hill We Climb – Presidential Inaugural Reading January 20, 2021

Spellbindingly beautiful.
“For there is always light if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to be it.”

Happy Days Ahead

I’ve been saving this famous clip of Judy & Barbra just for today.

Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand – Happy Days Are Here Again / Come On Get Happy – 1963

Congratulations President Biden and Vice President Harris. Thank you for your service to our country. The world breathes a sigh of relief.

Appropriate

Emotional doesn’t even start to describe my feelings. My feelings are appropriate.

I think I’ll just let myself feel the emotions as these tears of joy still stream down my cheeks as they have off and on all day today.

Filled with hope I tuck myself into bed tonight, for tomorrow will finally arrive when I awake.

It’s been a long cold lonely winter. Thank all of you for sticking with me through it, I couldn’t have done it without you.

The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun – 1969