sorryless

Heroes Of The Week!

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Image result for black panther

Welcome to Friday, better known as Heroes Of The Week in these parts. And this week Imma be covering the good, the not so good and the downright ugly. But as happens every week, I’ll figure out a way to leave you smiling. After all, we’re more than a month removed from 2020 and yet, we’re still feeling the residual effects of that forgettable year. So yanno, smiles work wonders.

Let’s get to this week’s roster . . .

Image result for bruce arians wins trophy

I begin with a shout out to Bruce Arians, who became the oldest head coach to win the Super Bowl at the age of sixty-eight. Arians is a football lifer who has paid his dues, first with the Colts and later with the Arizona Cardinals. He’s been able to keep pace in an ever changing sport, while at the same time providing the model for diversity on his coaching staff. In a copy-cat league, maybe the competition should be paying closer attention to how Arians does his business, because it works.

Image result for rob manfred

I tell you what, the more MLB looks to change the game, the more they end up screwing it up even more. All this jazz about pitch clocks and three batter minimums skips class on the plain simple fact that the game has sold its soul to network money. Not to mention, the fundamentals have been pushed aside in favor of exit velocity while starting pitchers are no longer allowed to finish what they started, even when it makes sense for skip to let them be. And now there’s an article out of SI that talks about how the baseball Rob Manfred insisted wasn’t juiced for all these years? Very well might have been juiced. Bud Selig’s predecessor seems content to break what didn’t need fixing in the first place. What a shame.

Image result for karen zink durango herald

Big thank you to Eilene over at Myricopia for this next story. After commenting on last week’s Heroes post, she mentioned Karen Zink, a nurse practitioner friend of hers from Durango, Colorado. The Founder of Southwest Women’s Health Associates, Zink reached out to the San Juan Basin Public Health Department to find out what their game plan was for vaccinating the community. When she was told there wasn’t one, she took action.

As Eilene says, ” . . . she (Zink) stepped up and volunteered. She called on a hundred volunteers she knows and got the whole thing up and running.”

This is why we do Fridays here the way we do them. So that we can learn about special human beings like Karen Zink, whose decades long service to her community has left a positive imprint on so many of her neighbors. Eilene happens to be one of those neighbors, and she inspires me with her ability to cull lessons from history. She’s a genealogist par excellence, who’s got a bead on the past and the present.

When I tell you that Fridays are special because of you peeps? I really mean it.

Image result for marjorie taylor greene

From the sublime to the ridiculous we go. And yes, of course I mean Marjorie Taylor Greene. The representative out of Georgia’s 14th congressional district is Exhibit A as to why that middle ground the Boss spoke of in that kitschy Jeep commercial feels like a fairy tale. Since taking office, Greene has gone on an apology tour, well . . sort of. Actually, she comes off sounding like a sixteen year old who just had her phone taken away. Here’s a slice . . .

“I never once said any of the things that I am being accused of today during my campaign. I never said any of these things since I have been elected for Congress. These were words of the past and these things do not represent me. They do not represent my district and they do not represent my values.”

Okay, let’s unpack this shit. She’s being disingenuous by utilizing chronology over accountability. Maybe she didn’t say that the Parkland and Las Vegas shootings were “staged” during her campaign or since she’s been elected to Congress. But it doesn’t change the fact she did say these things. She was front and center when social media chatter moved from vitriolic to dangerous: She was on board with the idea that former President Barack Obama should be hanged. And she was plenty fine with the idea of taking out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a bullet to the head.

Now she wants us to believe it was the evils of social media that made her do it. Amazing how these zealots talk such a good game about accountability . . until it comes time to be accountable. Greene’s ignorance didn’t happen in a vacuum. She’s got plenty of fans who, like her do, not give a blessed fuck about the middle.

Let’s remember this every time we vote.

The antidote to backwards thinking and self serving service comes from the realization that there are more people in this country who are intent on moving forward. They’re not stapled to the past, back inside a time when greatness was defined in a wholly different prism.

That’s where the kids come in.

The AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps is all about giving back. They’ve got teams set up across the country; providing support to testing sites, assisting in the implementation of wildfire management strategies, building houses and distributing food to those in need.

Wilhemina Solley is one of those kids. She says the pride she feels in being able to make a positive difference in the lives of others is what drives her.

“It was so rewarding to talk to homeowners and know that because of the work I was doing, they are going to be safer and more protected from wildfires. I know that this is an experience I will take with me for the rest of my life . . . Being able to step up and help places that really need it has been such a gratifying way to take a year that would otherwise have been staying at home, and make it a life-changing experience,” Solley says.

Image result for Wilhemina Solley

They’ll graduate in July after completion of a series of long-term service projects. And when they make their way out into the world, it will be with a perspective that extends far beyond their own backyards. Their constituency just so happens to be anyone and everyone who needs a helping hand. Because they have come to understand that representing people isn’t about narrow minded narratives, it’s about providing the greater good to the greatest many.

All of them.

 

 

 

 

67 thoughts on “Heroes Of The Week!”

  2. I don’t know anything about baseball or American rules football so I’ll not touch those. The others, Karen Zink and Wilhemina Solley certainly fit nicely into the hero category. The story you told about them is truly heartwarming. Whitney Houston has always been class. The other “free speech” character doesn’t even deserve mentioning, except to point out the opposite of hero.

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    • Am I right in thinking you’re not from the states? It was in your saying you won’t comment about something you’re not up to speed on. 😉

      Zink and Solley made my day. And Eilene too, for letting me know about Zink.

      Houston’s rendition is STILL the platinum standard as far as the Star Spangled Banner is concerned. I just cannot believe it has been thirty years!

      Boo and Hiss to She Who Shall Not Be Named

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  3. Karen Zink needs to be cloned. It’s funny that she makes this week’s list because, I’m on my way for my first vaccination shot courtesy of someone I don’t even know who, through a friend, intervened for me and three of my neighbors she’s never met. Her kindness amazed us all after for weeks, not being able to get an appointment. Like Ms. Zink, she’s the Joan of Arc, with Wifi.

    Best line.. like a sixteen year old who just had her phone taken away. Here’s a slice . . .Pull that.. 🙂

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  5. Great story with Karen Zink, Pilgrim. In fact, all were good with one exception. Yes, Marjorie Taylor Greene. She is a dumbass, and that’s all there is to it. I wouldn’t label her as a conservative, though. Lunatic, idiot, red-necked racist are okay titles. She wouldn’t know what a true conservative is if one slapped her in the face. (Which could happen.) Good job, Marc.

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  6. Lately I have begun to despair of the morality of our species. I can’t understand how people can be so… cruel. And then I read your post and I am reassured. I look forward to your words, sometimes desperately.

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  7. B,

    Love your choice of hero pic 🙂 And you always manage to give us smiles every week. And I love that your peeps come in and help you with the stories. It’s a nice little community you’ve got here.

    Bruce Arians deserves his trophy for all the reasons you listed and let’s face it… they one fare and square with a defense that was like a wall!

    Can’t speak for baseball – I count on you to keep me in the loop.

    Way to go Eilene on sharing the Karen Zink story. I love people who step up when they see the need.

    That friggen ridiculous broad makes me want to use the c-word.

    Those kids, though. Talk about a beautiful preview of the future generation of upstanding and caring citizens.

    Whitney Houston. Nothing more needs saying.

    As always, a wonderful share, B.

    Q

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    • Q

      He had Oscars ahead of him. No doubt about it. And as one of those peeps in Marco’s Neighborhood who brings the shine to Friday’s on the regular, I thank you too.

      Arians has a very diverse coaching staff, that includes a woman oh by the way. He has been pretty outspoken about women getting coaching opportunities in the pros.

      Expos mayhaps?

      Zink is a special kind of human being. And yes, big thank you to Eilene for bringing that story to us.

      You mean canker sore?

      Service done for ALL, not for the entitled few. What a concept huh?

      Still my favorite rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. But Lady Gaga really did turn things up with hers at the inauguration. 😉

      MUAH!

      B

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  8. I love your Friday “hero’s” Marc. It’s always uplifting . I don’t know beans about baseball (except I knew Charlie Hough’s younger Brother) and so I would occasionally go to see the Marlins way back when I was too young to know what was happening, anyway a heroes a heroes. I love to hear about the great things nurses do but they are heroes just for showing up, I should know.
    MTG is out of her friggin head and the people who voted her into congress are as big a danger as she is (bigger).
    As Dale said, Whitney Houston and the National anthem, what can one say that hasn’t been said.

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  9. You know … every year that goes by, I become less and less interested in MLB. I grew up reading the box scores first thing in the morning and looking forward to the 20-30 Giants games that were televised each year. The Saturday game of the week was a perfect opportunity to stretch out on the sofa and watch baseball in and around an afternoon nap. Monday Night Baseball, even with Cosell, was a treat. Eventually, I moved on to fantasy baseball and my dedication to the Giants continued unabated no matter how horrible they were and no matter the Bonds travesty. That love of the team finally paid off with their three completely unexpected World Series runs and such a lovable cast of characters that achieved those wins. But ever since, as the team has floundered and as those in charge have monkeyed more and more with it … I’m getting to the point where I just want to say “nah” to the whole thing. I don’t know if I’ll ever again have the same enthusiasm and love for the sport.

    The world is moving on …

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    • It’s the same with me.

      As you well know, seeing as how Giants parking prices are insanity squared, when I go to a Yankees game, I’m shelling out an arm and a leg before I even get to my seat, between parking the car and concessions.

      And baseball WAS unique to all the other sports, so instead of expanding on that, the powers that be went and turned it into a pinball machine dynamic. Sad.

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      • Yes … going to see any major league level sporting event requires taking out a second on my home or a deal with a loan shark. It’s really kind of ridiculous. Turning baseball into a pinball machine is exacrtly right.

        Meanwhile, I just spent a few minutes watching the Warriors game. They’re playing the Nets. I can’t tell you how utterly unenjoyable the game was. Not because the Warriors were getting blown out, but because of the Nets triumvirate of surly, grumpy gusses who have teamed up in an effort to win a championship. I so hope they fail this year and that their effort explodes in their faces. It’s another thing I’ve likely mentioned before, but I’m sick of watching professional athletes who make millions playing a game look like they’re in the middle of a root canal when they are on the court or field.

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  10. good ending song
    that was such a surprise – pleasant one
    and a little sad for me because once in a while it reminds me of how i was “this close” 👐 to going to super bowl 25 when whitney’s version of star spangled banner rocked the airwaves
    – but we can’t go back
    🎵🎵🇺🇸🎵🎵
    and that brings me to that great closing point you made
    “isn’t about narrow minded narratives, it’s about providing the greater good to the greatest many.”

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      • yeah i lived in florida early 1990s and my old manager – doug – was down in FL going to the super bowl last minute
        and marc – tickets with a bus trip from orlando was around 100$ because the middle east war stuff was going on
        and he was there with his friends and insisted i go – i had twenties in my purse and thought about it for a good hour
        and then – oh my goodness – i said i was exhausted from the road trip as i had just gotten back from buffalo
        i also think i did not want to be with him and his friends for the long trio
        but i was quite naive about the special chance of going to a super bowl
        however – i am still sometimes
        not into NFL all the time
        on one hand i follow stuff and know tidbits because it is a huge part of our culture
        – and the rich Eisen show is on sometimes around these here parts and so i listen and all that
        but in the other hand – yawn! these overpaid athletes in stadiums that are the worship venues of today.
        —
        but if i could go back / i would have gone for sure

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        • Wow, it’s probably one of those things you’ll always think about. I remember when we lived in Miami, my father asked if I wanted to go to the Super Bowl as his company had gotten tickets. It was Steelers vs Cowboys. I was a little boy and not at all interested in football so I said thanks but no thanks.

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          • oh man – that would have a been a great super bowl to make !
            why didn’t your dad insist that you go??
            and get this – the one i was invited to go to – the packages were being cleared out so they included a bus ride and – wait for it – a jacket with the 25th logo on it!
            –
            i wonder if Doug kept his.
            sometimes when i am in buffalo on a visit i will drop by this small little bar for a Beef on Weck and wonder if it is a time he will be there – we were only just friends and nothing more – but wonder how he is – very cool dude
            and speaking of food (w beef on weck) i am going to share the two cubanos in a Friday post coming up soon! will link ya

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          • Really!

            Because my old man wasn’t a sports fan. He would have been going only if I wanted to go, otherwise he didn’t care.

            Wow! This trip you didn’t take might become a post!

            That sounds delish, I can’t wait to read it.

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  12. Thanks for giving Karen Zink a shoutout this week, as she is quite deserving of a hero title.

    Now if we could just figure out what to do with our own embarrassing Rep. in Congress, Lauren Boebert. Ugh.

    I look the youth service corps. I have seen efforts like that around here and it seems like a real win-win situation.

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  13. Wait, you mean it’s not the 75th day of December 2020? It seems the first month and a half of 2021 got tacked on to the end of December. Guess I need to redo my perpetual calendar.

    Bless folks like Wilhelmina Solley! What a remarkable young woman. We desperately need more like her (or at a minimum, more stories extolling her accomplishments). As for Karen Zink, bravo, kudos, commendations. Sadly the roll out for putting vaccines in our mutual state has not gone quite as smoothly in all parts of the state. Leave it to a nurse to come up with a plan and implement it.

    Nice musical selection this weekend. May the rockets red glare cast a warm and righteous glow over your weekend. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸

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  14. The suit and tie people are messing everything up in baseball I just … ugh … just ugh … what the hell indeed, and that goes for Greene too her and McCarthy are double ugh … I don’t agree with a lot of Republican policies but this isn’t even policy and I don’t even think she’s really a Republican, McCarthy just opened up his arms to welcome more ignorance and racism into that party…just straight out hate and rising it up to stay in power. Enablers. But glad you put some goodness into this hero post as we need elevate these folks and not the other ones. Zink! What a great highlight:)

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    • PS That performance of Whitney … when I saw it live I was like duuuuuuude best ever. And that still stands no one has reached that level … people come close but that was the best anthem anyone has ever done and it looked effortless. Awesome. Just awesome

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    • It’s so true. They trashed all those hallowed records of Ruth and Aaron and Mays when they stood by and let the steroid era run amok. Then again who knows? Maybe they were behind it. They were trying to get fans back after the baseball strike of ’94, after all.

      She’s a nobody who is being heralded as a somebody by people who are entitled and ignorant. And we know what they mean when they talk about wanting to bring America back to another time.

      Zink and Eilene and Coach Arians and the kids! YAYA to em all.

      Thanks Cali.

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