sorryless

Heroes Of The Week!

Sorryless77 Comments

Catwoman

Last week’s September 11th post was well received, and a big thank you goes out to the best peeps in the blogosphere for your touching comments. You guys are what make this place worth the visit.

And now the news . . .

The Trump administration’s decision to allow a big game hunter to bring home a lion trophy he collected while on safari in Tanzania achieves yet another low point for 1600. Previously banned from entering the country based on the US Endangered Species Act, the US Fish and Wildlife Service now considers such applications on a “case by case basis”. Sir David Attenborough once remarked that if humans disappeared tomorrow, the world would probably be much better off. He wasn’t wrong.

This college football season will be a trying one for Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson, who is dealing with impossible loss after his wife Wendy lost her battle with breast cancer on August 19th. So when Georgia Bulldog fans welcomed him back to the sidelines by wearing pink in honor of Wendy, it moved him to tears. He described it as “One of the classiest moves I’ve ever seen,” If the Dawgs have as good a year as their fans are having, they’re gonna win it all.

Remember Wendy

If NFL pundits were as proficient at sandblasting teams like the Chiefs for signing bad guys like Tyreek Hill and Frank Clark as they are at trashing the Dolphins for tanking . . . maybe the league wouldn’t be stuck in the dark ages when it comes to domestic violence. 

Abby Fink’s errant text to a wrong number ended in a righteous gesture that has taken on a life of its own. Fink was reaching out to her friend Shaun Jakeman whose son is in the ICU but instead sent her text to a stranger named Bill. Fink offered to bring dinner, to which Bill joked that he had a seafood allergy, after which he learned the what’s what: That Shaun’s son Noah suffers from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which is a severe form of epilepsy, as well as cerebral palsy. Bill immediately asked how he could help before setting up a fundraiser on his Facebook page, and he’s planning on meeting Noah soon. Let’s just call Bill the angel of wrong numbers.

There’s fashion forward . . and fashion faux pas . . and then there’s what Bstroy recently unveiled during New York Fashion Week: School shooting themed hoodies. The distressed hoodies, complete with bullet holes, feature Stoneman Douglas, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and Columbine. And I just can’t add anything, because what is there to say? Other than what the fuck were they thinking? 

Right wing loud mouth Michelle Malkin isn’t much for tributes. Within hours of receiving the news that renowned journalist Cokie Roberts had passed, Malkin stated that Roberts was “one of the first guilty culprits of fake news.”. Heartwarming stuff. 

Carson King is the Boss of epic beer runs. The Iowa State student held up a handmade sign during a nationally broadcast college pregame show asking for beer money and leaving his Venmo handle. Forty thousand bucks later, he decided to gift himself a single case of beer and give the rest to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Anheuser-Busch and Venmo both loved King’s story so much that they matched it, with the tote board now passing one hundred thousand dollars in donations. The kid has a PhD in party. 

Ebony Rhodes was well acquainted with rock bottom when a traffic stop introduced her to another spiral. Her expired tags would become an eviction notice, since Rhodes and her four children were living in her 1997 Buick Regal. Enter Deputy Police Chief Jeff Glazier who took it upon himself to find a shelter for the family, allowing Ebony to save up for an apartment. Glazier then set up a GoFundMe page for the family that will help cover hospital bills for three of her kids, including her youngest daughter who has Lupus. Glazier not only protected in this instance, he served. Mightily. (Big thank you to Susannah for this feel good scoop.)

Appreciating the good guys shouldn’t be a sometimes thing, reserved for national holidays or somber occasions. Because duty isn’t a sometimes thing for the men and women who put on a uniform every day. It doesn’t mean they’re infallible and it doesn’t mean their actions cannot be questioned. But to slant our opinions on every uniform is to miss out on cops like Bobby White, who became known as “the basketball cop” after video of him responding to a noise complaint in Gainesville, Florida went viral a few years back.

A white cop makes the scene where black kids are hanging out, things can go sideways in a hurry. Bobby White defused the situation by letting them know he had no problem with some kids balling. He even joined in. It wasn’t a “look at me” moment, but rather, a “look at us” moment, as in . . look at all the better outcomes we might achieve with just a little bit of understanding and some dialogue.

So the other day, The Meritorious Q sent me the “rematch” of that pickup game that happened three years ago but is still scoring all this time later. White brought Shaquille O’Neal out with him for another round, and it was such a brilliant spin move on what had already proven to be a wonderful story. Of hope. Because Shaq provides the kind of soul hug that doesn’t just light up the room he enters, it provides electricity for the entire neighborhood.

It was a valuable reminder that we don’t have to let anyone tell us what the world is supposed to look like. Because the better can happen from our rolled up sleeves to the tips of our fingers. In the quiet of our daily breaths to the pulse of a great big world that isn’t so frightfully hopeless when you let the ball bounce, and you let the kids play. Imagine the places we might find when the noise ceases to be a complaint, and becomes something else entirely.

An embrace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

77 thoughts on “Heroes Of The Week!”

  1. B,

    Last week’s post was truly wonderful and I am happy to know your peeps appreciated it.

    Of course Trump’s administration allowed it. His bloody son goes and shoots caged animals. Case by case. WTF.

    What fantastic fans in Arkansas! Go Bulldogs!!

    The NFL is definitely stuck in the dark ages when it comes to domestic violence.

    The Bills of this world deserve a special place. What a beautiful thing to do for a stranger!

    I Can’t. Even. What in the blessed fuck? And honestly. The company willing to print this dreck? I swear are worse than the assholes who came up with the idea.

    Malkin’s a bitch.

    What a great kid that Carson King is! Seriously, who would ever expect a single dime, never mind forty grand and not take more than a case of beer… and then to have Anheuser-Busch and Venmo match the donations – who cares if it’s good publicity for the companies. They did a wonderful thing for that hospital…

    Jeff Glazier is another angel walking the beat.

    And Bobby White with Shaq – well yeah. And you are right, doesn’t matter that the story is three years old. When he talked to those kids and had them repeat his mantra – priceless. I like to think those kids have a chance at going above and beyond what is expected.

    Your last paragraph and last line. Perfection. This was a wonderful Heroes post, this week, B. You keep on keeping on!

    Q

    Liked by 1 person

    • Q,

      You was one of the peeps, so be sure to take a bow. 😉

      There is no case for allowing that shit into this country. There is no case for allowing big game hunting anywhere in the world. The big cats are going away, and this is only going to expedite their extinction.

      Oh shit, no. That was Georgia. I best make it clear. No, the fans in an opposing stadium did that. Which is why coach was moved to tears. It was “same team” stuff. Beautiful.

      My Dolphins ain’t hurting anyone. I mean, really, they bring joy to every team they play in fact! Go after the bad guys, NFL pundits!

      When he found out the what’s what, Bill just wanted to do something. She told him to pray and he admitted he wasn’t much for praying. But really, same difference as far as I’m concerned.

      How many people in that company signed off when someone brought donuts, coffee and an idea to brand gun violence? Holy shit.

      Malkin must be a blast to be around.

      Like I said, I love that kid. If it would have been me, I’d have been living in Cancun. In my house made all of beer cans. And I’d have lived there until they were all empty.

      Glazier put SO much into helping this family. He talked about having a conversation with his wife where he said he wanted to do something and she was like, go do it. And man, did he ever.

      That story is priceless. Three years later, ten years later. When the last star in the universe shuts down, it will remain so.

      This one had a lot of favorites. Y’all just keep making these things hum, tell you what.

      B

      Liked by 1 person

      • That I was. Maybe not first in line on paper… but you know.

        No, there isn’t. I’m disgusted.

        Stoopid me. No, you were clear. I was not paying proper attention. My bad. You good.

        Right! Leave ’em alone, already!

        I read that. I love that he said prayer wasn’t gonna cut it. Action was.

        Holy shit is right. I cannot believe this went through.

        No kidding.

        What a great kid. I’d a skeddadled to Tuscany. Leave the house to the boys and sayonara!!

        So glad Glazier’s wife was in as well. That could be more difficult if the wife thinks it’s a bad idea. Which it so wasn’t. Give this woman a break and give her a chance for her boys, too.

        It was a truly uplifting post because the heroes completely outshone the few zeroes…

        Like

        • You kidding? Front O the line!!

          Me too. I want us to stop making Jurassic World movies, glorifying beasts that ain’t ever reclaiming the earth, and instead give the endangered creatures of this world a state. An entire state, all to themselves.Hell, give ’em two! The Dakotas. Kick the twenty seven peeps who live there down to Oklahoma or something.

          I wasn’t sure, but thank you for letting me know, 😉

          Leave the Dolphins alone! They’ve got a game to win! This season! Maybe!

          These people were religious as all get out, while Bill was just being Bill. And somehow they met a middle where it all worked out beautifully.

          I want to know how many college degrees figured this had a cutting edge chance. Because lemme tell you, it would serve as yet more evidence that Felicity Huffman overpaid!

          I think she is probably . . . ahem . . . selfish.

          Skedaddled? Scooooorrreee!!! Les Habitants light up the disco ball again in this late September exhibition game that has the fans screaming “Guy who?!” and the commentators wondering why Trudeau isn’t running for President in ‘Murica!

          His wife compelled him to do it. And he sure as hell did it.

          It was . . . wait for it . . . a slam dunk.

          Liked by 1 person

          • I do manage to make it there more often than not, I agree.

            Yes. Enough already. That’s a fine idea. Who ya gonna suggest it to? Oh maybe you’ll have to wait another 4+ years…

            No worries. Your reader was the problem in this case.

            Yeah! Leave ’em alone! I say they win three games, not two (wanna wager 😉 )

            That’s a beautiful thing. When the religious meet the non-religious and only good comes from it.

            Honestly!! And hah! Good one.

            I am sure she is… ahem… not too giving…

            Humph! It’s a little early in the game – though I am optimistic… maybe we have a chance this year? Right now, many peeps would like to ship Trudeau to you. I, maybe foolishly, wanna give him a chance.

            He did. And then some.

            It was. You shone the light on some beauty this week.

            Like

          • You’ve got the EZ pass.

            Imma tell Joe Biden. Who is gonna possess the body of Megan Fox in order to get the Democratic nomination. After which he’ll pummel Trump in the debates and make himself at home in 1600 all over again. I’ll be his driver, and during our drives to Five Guys, I’ll suggest my grand plan for the Dakotas. He’ll be plenty fine with it, because he’ll be of an age where people who drive you anywhere are the masters of the universe.

            My reader was the problem? So . . it was a YOU problem? Sorry . . So it was a U problem? LOL

            There’s no way in hell they win three games. I love the Dolphins as much as anyone, and if they win a single game, I’m going to send them my first born. I’m sure my daughter in law will have no problem with that.

            I think it’s fantastic. Seeing as how the only Church I’ve been to in years, they sold chicken.

            Mrs. William H Macy will write a book from prison. The 2 Week Detox will become a bestseller.

            Buahahahaha!!!

            I know how much you love Guy, so I had to. As for Trudeau, we were entertained by the comic strip forever. A President to boot? Let’s try it.

            Good thing.

            Gracias. Mucho. 🙂

            Liked by 1 person

          • Oooh! I feel privileged!

            Well hell! I never thought of Biden! Make it happen…

            It was a ME problem. The writer need not worry.

            Pfff! Ye of little faith. You keep your poor son. I’m sure his wife still wants him around (it is still new, yanno!)

            Last church I was in was… lemme see… who died last?

            Poor Felicity. Not.

            😉

            Of course I do. And he’s still mighty fine though sadly did NOT come to the last tournament. And well. yeah. Trudeau has become a comic strip.

            Indeed.

            Well-deserved. mon ami 🙂

            Liked by 1 person

          • AND . . . at no extra charge!

            I will. He is gonna be the next Boss. And his first order of business will be to pardon the Miami Dolphins.

            U sure?

            I have much faith. It’s just that, I don’t waste any of it on my beloved Dolphins right now, seeing as how they’re currently possessed by whatever Linda Blair ate that turned her face green in The Exorcist.

            Church’s makes some good fried chicken, just saying. 😉

            Felicity Not. That could be a series.

            😉

            Bastid!

            Trudeau still has time to jump ship and become an American hero. Hey . . . it worked for Michael J. 😉

            Yeppa.

            Muah!

            Liked by 1 person

          • Woot!

            Right! Wait! No. He has other shit to do. You just leave the Dolphins. Their turn will come.

            Yeah yeah I am sure.

            You just watch. Gonna owe me sumthin’ when they do manage to win three.

            Wouldn’t know ’bout that. Not all your garbage has made it north of the border.

            It could. Probably will, too. Desperate Inmate.

            I know, right? NONE of them were there that night. Sigh.

            He could. And most would not miss him. Unlike Michael J. Who we just let you borrow.

            MWAH!

            Liked by 1 person

          • No extra charge on the woot, either. I know they charge for woots in Canada.

            No Dolphin Left Behind. He is gonna sign that into law. After I take him to Hooters.

            I put the U in there in order to prevent an international incident, you understand.

            I absolutely will.

            Whoa! Calling Church’s Chicken garbage? International incident . . is back on!

            Desperate Inmates! Yeah, let’s go with that. Lots of lipstick and pretty ladies and yeah . . let’s go with that.

            Bastid(s)!!

            Michael J became a citizen of Ohio when he starred in Family Ties. Judge Lance Ito signed off on it.

            MUAH!!!

            Liked by 1 person

          • Thank goodness there are no tariffs on Woots!

            K. You do that.

            Of course I completely understand.

            🙂

            Sorry. Did I do that? So sorry. I should not judge as I have never ever even heard of this chain. It’s a chain, right?

            Glad you like it… Not that I ever watched that Desperate Housewives.

            Uh huh… Maybe you should check into that Area 51 story…

            MWAH! 😘

            Liked by 1 person

          • It’s refreshing, isn’t it?

            He’ll get his discount. He’ll have some boneless wings and I’ll get him to get me clearance for Area 51. Win/Winnish.

            I knew U would (see what I did there?)

            Church’s is a chain. They’re still around, but Popeye’s is kicking so much ass that it’s only a matter of time before Church is no longer in session.

            All I know is, you put Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher and Nicolette Sheridan on the SAME show . . you’re gonna get ratings.

            I’ve got Joe on it . . .

            MUAH! 😘

            Liked by 1 person

  3. Fabulous collection. Love the one about Georgia fans … classy move toward the Ark St coach. The one from Suzannah was good. Because you focused on 9-11 last week, a belated inclusion (next week) about the 4th grader in Florida who was bullied for wearing a homemade University of Tennessee shirt … and what happened later was awesome! Worth a search.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. It was a valuable reminder that we don’t have to let anyone tell us what the world is supposed to look like. Because the better can happen from our rolled up sleeves to the tips of our fingers. In the quiet of our daily breaths to the pulse of a great big world that isn’t so frightfully hopeless when you let the ball bounce, and you let the kids play. Imagine the places we might find when the noise ceases to be a complaint, and becomes something else entirely…..LOVE THIS…

    Liked by 1 person

        • A book of quotes is what you’re saying, huh? I usually don’t “see” them unless someone points them out. Too busy considering the entanglement of words, hoping certain of them get along while others don’t.

          Liked by 1 person

          • You write prolifically on your blog, that scrolls into the sunset. All I’m saying is, to pay attention to what you write more. Some of your phrasing is amazing…poignant, visual. One day you could weave them into a story say..a novel, a memoir. Blogging can ruin a writer as well as enhance. It’s good practice but it’s ephemeral…now you see it, now ya don’t.

            Liked by 1 person

          • This is very true. I mean, it’s here in an archival fashion. But you’re right, it’s scrolling into a dead sea of sorts if I don’t pay some mind to the ones with some punch.

            Blogging can be illusory, you’re right. It’s just so damned enjoyable that we tend to forget that aspect of it.

            Ephemeral, huh? You already know it’s going in the file. Done. 🙂

            Liked by 1 person

          • The other boon is we control content. No one can correct grammar not censor our language. It’s the First Amendment running wild, but…there’s always a downside. Ephemeral, short-stayed and fleeting. Sigh

            Liked by 1 person

  5. It is – I can’t believe it

    Boneless wings. Uh huh. But hey if it gets him clearance…

    I did 😜

    Ah well. Yanno… We don’t have Popeye’s either…

    Oh they did. Could they again? What is any of them doing now? It could be a way to being ’em all back to life

    Keep me posted…

    MWAH! 😘

    Liked by 1 person

  6. I think big game hunters have some kind of identity problem. Might be in the “down there,” area. Loved the beer story. Ph.D. in party for sure. The Arkansas story made me tear up when I first read it on Twitter. Damn, there are good people around. Jeff Glazier and Bobby White are what the uniform should stand for sure. Beautiful human beings. Thanks for the smiles today, Marc.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I think you’re right about that.

      Carson King is the epic party master.

      I thought what those Georgia fans did was so beautiful. Can’t help but root for the Dawgs a little harder than I already do after seeing that one.

      There are good people. Many. They just get short shrift when it comes to the daily news.

      Glazier and White are but a couple of examples of uniforms going above and beyond.

      Thank YOU Boss.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Dammit, man. If you keep this up, I’m gonna start to have hope for the human race. Take out the catastrophe that is the Trump Administration and every one of these stories just hits the absolutely right note. Well done, sir, well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    • This post DID have a very hopeful beat running through it, didn’t it? I didn’t try it either. It’s just that, some of these stories are so damned beautiful, they make you forget about all the shitty stuff for a spell. I also mentioned Malkin and the school shooting themed hoodie fashion design imbeciles . . but they didn’t stand a chance to the heroes this week.

      Hope is all we got. Might as well use the hell out of it.

      Liked by 1 person

    • This Antonio Brown saga is one of the most bizarre storylines I’ve seen in regards to where he was only a year ago. Here was one of the top receivers in the game, getting paid and flying under the radar with his diva antics thanks to Tomlin’s ability to keep the ship afloat. A year later he’s out of the game after burning bridges with THREE teams.

      I criticized Gruden when he brought AB in, but the truth of the matter is, Gruden had no idea it was going to go THIS sideways. He’s a head coach looking for big talent and some sizzle, and he thought he could rein the guy in. In retrospect, I feel badly for Gruden. As far as the Patriots, well they’re just a soulless warship that signed Brown so he wouldn’t go to KC.

      But look at what Brown has done in one calendar year. Kicked out of Pittsburgh, where he would have gone down as an all time great franchise WR. Kicked out of Oakland where he would have gotten paid and maybe provided the team with a decent or better club. And let loose from a team where he would most likely have contributed to another Super Bowl run.

      Unbelievable.

      Liked by 1 person

      • At this point, all we can conclude is that AB is a complete idiot and, yes, the Patriots were soulless for signing him the day after the Raiders released him. But, you know, if the Patriots hadn’t, some other team would have.

        My biggest concern, though, is that we’ll find out in a few years that this was caused by concussions. Unless Steelers personnel start talking about him doing this kind of stuff for years, but they ignored it or kept it below the radar, there appears to have been a major change in his personality over the last couple of years. I hope it has nothing to do with concussions.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. 45’s lows just keep getting lower. Now I see we’re sending troops for the benefit of the same country where the majority of the 9/11 perps originated (not to mention the villaniss murder of a US journalist). Whatever your politics, can anyone explain what in bloody blood blazes has this country devolved into?? So much for the sacred. 😭

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you!

      Eighteen years removed from September 11th, and THIS is how our government (well, this administration) chooses to remember.

      It’s like after the attacks when I was actually behind W for a hot minute. And then he was quoted as saying he never thought about OBL. And then we were going to war for what? With who? And wow . . how pathetic.

      This tops all though. Hard to imagine.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. hi again –
    the song was smooth – and was a refreshing jam because I have not heard anything like that in a while – and it fit your post…
    —
    and those shooting themed clothing articles are just terrible and need to be stopped (really makes me sick)

    and over this:

    “let the ball bounce, and you let the kids play”

    true that!

    Liked by 1 person

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