Thoughts of a Common Man

We watched the Ben Stiller documentary about his parents Stiller and Meara. It’s a great view. They were together in marriage for 62 years, and they worked together for a long time, and got pretty famous in their day. They were two distinct personalities, and he was a perfectionist while she would simply perform the act. They also documented all their lives with a tape recorder and a camera. One clip of a real discussion hit me as they spoke about his need to get the act perfect. “You only cared about how you were perceived,” Anne says. “Then when it’s over, you didn’t enjoy it. It’s joyless.” I’ve thought about that a lot throughout my life. Why do we put so much stock in what other people think about our work, how we live our lives, or just exist? And my breath kind of caught when she tells him: “It’s joyless!” I suppose that my breath caught because I have been guilty of living my life and doing my work… …worried about how I’m perceived. Whether it’s within the pages of a book, or o...

I kept an eye on the first two games of the World Series. When Toronto won game 1, I thought: “Good, the Dodgers lost.” When the Dodgers won game 2, I thought: “Good, Toronto lost.” You get the idea. I wish they could both lose. Yet, I turned on Game 3 for a little while. Caught an Ohtani homer. Flipped over in game 4. Saw Vlad homer. Of course, I did not watch all of the 18-inning game that ended a little after 3 in the morning, but my boy Sam did, and I woke to texts that read: “You might be right. Baseball is a better game than football.” I will say that with my dying breath. Baseball is the greatest game ever invented, and although I don’t want to see either of these teams crowned as champions… …come Sunday, the countdown begins. To April. The winter months are long because I’m going to be stuck watching football, or keeping an eye on the NBA or the NHL. There are always trade rumors and free agent signings to follow, but life isn’t the same when baseball is off-season. Go Jays… …b...

I’m kind of glad that we are falling back this weekend because the darkness makes me not want to get up when I usually get up. Of course, it’s going to be dark at five o’clock going forward. But the frost in the windshield and having to get dressed up to play catch is rough. Which reminds me! Yesterday I went to a demolition job at a big church/school in the city. It always amazes me that whoever vacates the buildings just leave everything behind. I counted two copy machines, about 8 computer monitors, and at least 50 Bibles. Just scattered about. And then I spotted a little football. “OLLIE!” I actually called out his name. Then I spotted a bigger football. When I returned home at the usual time, Ollie was waiting, of course. I showed him the little football. Then I showed him the bigger one. Pure joy. Normally he waits as I unpack my stuff and charge my Notebook. Yesterday I just set it all aside and we headed right to the backyard. He had a wonderful time. He headed for bed a little...

40 million Americans that depend on SNAP to eat are being told to pound salt. There appears to be zero movement in re-opening the government and the financial aid that keeps people’s head just above the water is being stripped. Evidently, we don’t have the money to help. Cause we’re in dire need of a ballroom, and a trillion dollars for the department of war so that we can bomb boats out of the water, killing all aboard, and then figuring out if they’re good or bad. The elderly, the disabled and children rely on SNAP to freaking EAT! “Sorry, we’re tapped out!” But $100 million on golf trips is necessary. Private planes for members of the cabinet. The military parade that no one went to. Billions are being wasted. 1.4 million government workers haven’t been paid in a month and may never be back to work. Air traffic controllers are calling in sick. ICE is raiding American work places… …looking for criminals, but instead deporting men and women who have been working here, and paying taxes...

I haven’t been to a theater in years. The last time was when Springsteen released “Western Stars” which is one of my favorite records of all time. We didn’t go this weekend to see, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” with Jeremy Allen White playing Bruce, but we will see it soon. “Nebraska” is a record that drips with Bruce’s depression. Of course, way back in 1982, when the record was released, we didn’t know why a rock star, whose career was just taking off, would release such a stark record. I was a Springsteen fan way back then. I had loved ‘Darkness’ and ‘The River’ and I also owned his first 3 records. I was a freshman in college when Nebraska came out, and for the uninitiated, it was so insanely different. There weren’t any hits.  Bruce didn’t even appear on the cover, and they didn’t even tour to support it, or even make a freaking video! And the songs were so damn dark. Bruce’s chair was creaking on the recording. He taped it in his bedroom.  Songs of desperation, ...

We have a saying around here: Everyday is an Ollieday. Coming off a week when I couldn’t shake the doldrums I mentioned to Oliver that we were going to go hard on Saturday. “No work,” I told Ollie. “I grab my coffee and we’re playing football.” By 9:30 we had gone through 3 rounds of 25 throws. I wrote a little in between with ‘Modern Family’ on in the background. Hit the grocery store, and then took a ride to spend a little time with Mom.  Ollie was waiting at the door for more. By 7:00, we had played 7 times, and the last round had him walking the ball back to me. He had a few bones, and a little rotisserie chicken. I also made a huge rack of ribs, and packed some up for the boys. A good way to shake myself out of the funk. “No work tomorrow,” I mentioned to Ollie as he got ready for bed. “No golf either. Tomorrow is another Ollieday.” Didn’t look at the news. Didn’t dwell on the fact that the government is closed and there doesn’t seem much interest in re-opening it. Furloughed ...

I’m an optimistic, upbeat guy most of the time. I struggled this week, and I’m trying to figure it all out. First, my golf course closed for the year. That’s rough news, and not having a tee time scheduled really wore me down this week. Secondly, the image of the White House being demolished really upset me. Yeah, there have been changes made to the house throughout the century, but never in a whim. Protocol and policies be damned.  We don’t have a choice. Coming off the ‘No Kings’ march we saw a video of the fat orange guy as a fighter pilot. He dumped crap on the heads of Americans. Then they demolished the East Wing. For a ballroom? As working Americans struggle to make ends meet? That’s depressing. And then there is just plain work burnout. I’m tired. Things that normally have me fired up have been making me yawn. Which happens from time to time… …to all of us… …and I will snap out of it… …Ollie will make sure of that… …I guess that’s why they call it the blues.

There’s a group of safety guys who get together every now and again for lunch. We take turns buying, and have tried a lot of good spots in Buffalo throughout the years. We have a favorite Chinese place and a little hole in the wall Mexican place that serves the best shrimp tacos. We even tried an Indian place once. Once! Was horrible. Yesterday, we went to breakfast. The rain has been coming down hard, and the temperatures are dropping. Safety guys don’t care for lousy weather. One guy works for the government and even though he has to go in… ….he ain’t getting paid! So, he’s not overly enthusiastic about starting his day. We sat there for a little while and had a little more coffee. Told a few war stories. We’ve been getting together for more than 25 years… …this time I saw the future… …getting together for breakfast when we are all retired. Hope we get the chance.

In case anyone hasn’t noticed we don’t have a functioning government. The House is closed. They’ve worked just one week since July, and there are no negotiations scheduled. Yet, things are being decreed. The east wing of the White House is gone. Demolished. Without regard to a vote, or a process. The money is being raised through ‘donations’ from the wealthy, who now own a piece of the government. Exactly what the founding fathers were concerned about. Farmers are going under. And we are giving billions to Argentina cattle ranchers. The poor are losing food stamps, and before you yell, “Good!” Try and figure out where the poor are going to go to get money. Healthcare for a family runs $27,000 a year and there are reports that it will triple. Imagine paying $80 grand a year for lousy healthcare. The walls are closing in. The foundation is shaking. And Americans - a majority of them - haven’t even noticed. We never had troops in the streets detaining people without due process. We’ve nev...

Can’t imagine a less attractive World Series for a Yankees fan. I didn’t have a major problem with the Jays beating the Yankees in the divisional round because, frankly, they deserved to win. They had tough AB’s and they were on and well-rested because they didn’t have to play the first round because the division was decided by a tiebreaker. (Okay - had a problem with that). Yet, after the final game, the Jays, instead of being graceful, taunted the Yankees. Vlad leading the charge as he laughed it up with David Ortiz the steroid cheat. So, I was rooting for the Mariners, but George Springer (who was a central figure in the Astros garbage can cheating scandal) hit a huge homer to send the Jays to the series where they will play the Dodgers. Who I also hate. “The Dodgers built it the right way.” Is what all the announcers say. Yeah. Right. They bought: Freeman, Betts, Ohtani, Glasnow, Yamamoto, Snell, Scott, Conforto, Hernandez, Yates, Suzuki. Bought them. Which is rich coming from a Ya...

That’s the White House. Being demolished. Made me physically ill to see it. Taking the place apart. The AI video of him flying a plane and dumping shit on the heads of American citizens. Yeah. That’s the plan. How can these people be left alone to demolish the White House. Even those who voted for it. This is what you wanted? The constitution challenged? Defying the courts? No longer three equal branches? Pardoning criminals because they say they like him? And now demolishing the White House. We may have to march every day.

The White House response to millions of people marching in the streets to protest a completely criminal government was to put out an AI video that showed the fat, orange guy (who faked bone spurs to get out of serving), flying a war plane with his name on the side. He takes the plane over the heads of the protesters and dumps shit on them. Seriously. That’s the response. There were also a number of photos released that showed the pig with a crown on his head. “No kings?” Their response is telling us that he fully intends on being a king. The threat is by no means over. The Supreme Court and the DOJ are taking orders. The government is shuttered. We are a long way away from normality. And just to be sure that the shit dumping video hit home… …they held a $1 million a plate dinner at Mar-A-Lardo on Saturday… …as people struggle to heat their home… …something a king class might do.

The protests were absolutely massive across America. Gives me hope that maybe all is not lost. Make no mistake, rights have been trampled, and the government is shut down because they’re trying to hide the Epstein files. The crowds gathered in New York, Washington, Philly and Boston - to name just a few cities - were unbelievable. “We’re not gonna’ take it!” Should have been the theme song played at every single gathering. Now, I don’t know what the end result of this can be - we can’t seem to get the message across to the people who make decisions that could make our lives easier. But, I’m hoping again. It certainly appears that the message should get through, but deep down, I know they don’t care who is unhappy. Billionaire wealth has been doubled since the election. The office of the president is a grift. The current occupant’s personal wealth has doubled. They’re robbing the place blind… …and the crowds that gathered yesterday are letting the world know that we are still Americans ...

It’s always weird to think about the number assigned to your age. Sixty-one. And on my birthday, some wishes as I don’t blow out the candles this year. (We did away with blowing spit all over the cake). Wish #1 - The Yankees aren’t going to win the World Series this year. I wish that Toronto loses too. And the Dodgers - I don’t want them to win either. Wish #2 - Playing golf this morning - I’m wishing for an ace. Wish #3 - I’m really wishing that the ‘No Kings’ protest today has some sort of impact, and that it’s safe for all involved. I’m worried about National Guard troops or ICE or whoever else is on the streets terrorizing American citizens, hurting someone. Wish #4 - This might be too much of an ask, but I wish there would be civility. Social media is an absolute garbage dump. It kind of doesn’t matter what you say, there is likely a total stranger out there who will rage about how stupid you are. Go to the comments section on any damn subject and you’ll find that there is someone...

John Bolton was indicted today for how he handled classified information. I almost fell out of my chair when I read that. Do you recall the photo of the bathroom where boxes of classified information were stored at Mar-A-Lardo? James Comey was indicted, but the lawyer who signed the indictment isn’t qualified to do so. In NYC, Letitia James was indicted and accused of fraud because she purchased a home for a relative. She does not live in the home, but it is being alleged that she lied about her primary residence. Know what they all have it common? They all spoke out about the dumbest orange guy you know. Arresting opponents because they speak out against the crimes he’s committing? That’s banana republic leadership right there. And again, it’s something I never thought I’d see. We are supposed to have three distinct branches of government so that there are checks and balances. The DOJ is now working directly for the most vile human that’s ever stepped foot in this country, and no one ...

I’ve heard it said, by the fat orange clown, that America is great again. Fuel prices are soaring. Grocery prices are at an all-time high. Farmers are going to be bailed out by those who cried that socialism is unacceptable. Evidently, Portland is ravaged by war, and masked troops are yanking American citizens out of their cars and their homes. How great is that? Want more greatness? The government is shut down and won’t be opened up again because they don’t want the Epstein files out because King Pig is all over the paperwork. To make it all even greater, there’s a nationwide rally - and make no mistake, millions will show up and march, and the administration is going to attack those who protest. I have a really bad feeling about Saturday…. …and it’s my birthday, besides! Make America Great Again. Is this what they had in mind? I saw Eric Trump talk about how they were bringing Christ back, and he cited that there were no football players kneeling and no beer companies being ‘woke.’ T...

A funny thing happened as I was working on the next book. I started another one. It’s not unique.  I have always had a something going, and every once in a while I’ve decided that I had a second good idea. I wrote “Waldorf & Juli” (a funny story) and “Desperation” - a sad one - at the same time. Nothing new. Thing is, I started the new one with the date January 26, 1977 as the jumping off point. That was the day before the blizzard of ‘77. And so far, so good, as I’ve put down a lot of pages in the span of a week.  That’s the secret - just write - without regard to editing - let it flow - and then edit. Yet, I’ve felt the challenge. We have a lot of things now that we didn’t have then. I wanted to put the teenage kids in a room together doing something and my mind centered on video games. Didn’t have those. They wound up playing Monopoly. I needed to have one character get a message to another and I laughed when I saw that I had written: “He texted me.” Uh, no. He did not....

I was already scrambling with the idea that I had to go and get my driver’s license renewed - a nearly hundred dollar birthday gift from me to the state - and on top of that I also had my annual physical scheduled. So, two things truly screwing up the daily schedule. I was going to have to get after it early on. Headed out to the car, the cold biting at me a bit. I noticed that the seatbelt was stuck in the driver’s side door that wasn’t fully closed. Kathy had been the last one to drive the car. Turned the key and nothing happened. The battery was dead. Now, the old apple cart was really upside down. I headed back into the house and spent an hour doing paperwork, trying to figure out what the hell was my next move. Jake was in the neighborhood, and I called him to come by, and then I got the cables, hoping to jump the battery. Which is no easy feat because I’m mechanically disabled. I got it on the first try!! You’d think I’d be happy, but the schedule was all off. At the docs we talk...

JC snapped a photo of me on the 11th hole at Harvest Hill. That’s Chippy in my hands, and that was to be my 3rd shot on the par 4. Chippy did his thing. I hit that ball to less than 1 inch from the cup for a tap-in par. I parred exactly half the holes, and it was a grand time because we golfed with a couple of kids who were in their mid-20’s. “My birthday is next Saturday,” I told the two young guys we had just met. “How old will I be?” “42,” the first kid said. Made me laugh. “You guys hit the ball like you’re golf machines,” the other kid said. And we were certainly more consistent than the much stronger, way younger kids. And I look much older than 42 in that photo. “We’ve taken a lot more swings than you have,” I told the kid. “Experience helps you in this game.” The sun was shining by the end of the round, and I faded down the stretch and bogied three of the last four holes, otherwise it would have been a truly memorable round. Immediately following the round, JC texted the tee ti...

I heard that the Buffalo News building was to be sold. My heart sunk a little bit. I recall being enamored with someday working as a sports columnist at the Buffalo News. Got me thinking about the end days of the Courier Express, back in September of 1982. As I grew up we often had both newspapers delivered to our home. My Dad favored the Courier Express, but I thought that the Buffalo News sports section was better, mainly because I read Larry Felser’s column immediately upon opening the paper. And man, I got in trouble for not bringing the sports section back to the kitchen counter. I didn’t just read the paper, I devoured it. Every day. I recall that there was great anxiety about the Courier Express going out of business because the Buffalo News would be the only source we had for information. Sounds funny now, but given the false news we are now exposed to, perhaps we were better off back then. A few years ago, I did a construction project at the Buffalo News building. It was impos...

I would've completely given up had they awarded a peace prize to the guy who claimed to have stopped 8 wars.  Of course, I’m ready to give up anyway as the attacks on American cities continues.  It's been entertaining to see Portland people dressing up in superhero costumes to interact with ICE.  Watching humans getting pepper sprayed or ripped from their homes, cars and jobs without any knowledge of any crime is truly disturbing.  To some of us, anyway.   We certainly need to accept that a large number of Americans are heartless at best, truly racist at worse.   I know a lot of government employees too, and it's becoming obvious that their jobs - their careers and their pensions - are hanging by a thread.   Other Americans are staring into the healthcare abyss as the threat of triple the rates is a real possibility.   Peace prize?  How about awarding a prize to the number one domestic terrorist.  The DOJ is also indi...

Wrangler is back for a visit.  Matt is out of town for work so we did the dog switch. Ollie is visiting Jake and we get the 130 pound Wrangler. The dog is skittish! Every noise, big or small, makes him jump with fear. He was a rescue and was abused as a puppy. Matt has treated him like royalty, but he is still nervous. He’s afraid of everyone… …but not me. He loves me, because I’m the guy who spoils him rotten. On the way home I stopped at Dollar General and bought him about $30 worth of bones. He devoured a couple and then drank a gallon of water. There’s a couple of drawbacks though: 1). He doesn’t play catch. I threw a ball to him, and it hit him in his huge head. 2). Miller is deathly afraid of him. My poor cat heads up to the bedroom and keeps an eye on the stairs. He will also hide behind the couch, and stare. “He’s not going to hurt you,” I tried. If Miller could talk he might say: “If he falls on me, I’m dead.” Wrangler’s head is three times the size of Ollie… …and then the...

There was a play in the Yankees season-ending loss that struck me as a human moment. The pressure was on and a routine double play ground ball headed straight for Jazz’s glove. He booted it. Two fatal runs ended up scoring. Jazz spent a minute looking at his glove, his face was a mask of disbelief. Yankees fans everywhere saying, “***k Jazz!” The broadcast cameras kept showing his face, and replaying it all. After the game, Jazz stood there and took it, saying that he will see it in his head for months. And it’s big-time sports and he’s paid well to play on the biggest stage, but Toronto mocked the team by playing Sinatra in their clubhouse and yelling, “Da, Yankees lose!” with laughing steroid cheat, David Ortiz. Classy move. And I went to bed, disappointed, knowing that to win those games, you need to make those plays. Thought of falling on one’s face with the whole world looking on. Scott Norwood suffered years of depression, and disappeared after missing the field goal that would h...

It’s insane how much we all seem to care about sports. You drive around WNY and there are Bills signs on every street. Yankees hats are the most sold piece of gear of all sports hats. I tried to remain calm all day on Wednesday as I was tired from watching the Yankees game on Tuesday night. Did you see Judge’s home run on Tuesday night? It was obscene - a 100 mph pitch high and inside. Gave me hope… …but I knew there’d be great stress. All day long.  And as I watch the Wednesday night game I grew more frustrated by my favorite game because the Blow Jays used about 30 pitchers to get 27 outs. They walked Judge intentionally. Made sure that only left-handed pitchers pitched to left-handed batters and right-handed pitchers pitched to right handed batters. Garbage. Hopefully, there will be a change to how many pitchers a team can carry because it’s a damn gimmick. And I’m writing this before the game is over because I’m a little stressed right now. Just sharing thoughts. And the love w...

There was a huge rainbow in the early morning sky. Rainbows are cool. And then came the rain, hard and heavy for a while. It had been a minute since we had rain, and it called to mind the time I spent in San Jose. It didn’t rain at all in the 8 months I lived there, and I truly missed it. Ollie didn’t care about the rain, and so I got soaked as I threw the ball for him. I spent the day waiting for the Yankees game, knowing that it could be their last game until April… …which is a lousy realization. Because the winter is coming. The skies were grey all day. I don’t mind the rain, or even the cold, I hate the grey. The news is too much to take these days as the Democracy continues to slip away. Troops pointing guns at citizens in American cities. Talk of the insurrection act. The government shutdown. Talk of pardoning Maxwell and protecting someone as it relates to Epstein. I don’t mind the rain. I hate the grey.

Monday morning does hit different. Not sure what it was about this Monday, but I just didn’t have it. I tried to dig deep to get interested in my agenda, but there wasn’t anything there. My back was a little sore, and I was tired even though I didn’t get caught up in the Bills game. I was also a little cranky and that has to be traced to the current Yankees predicament. Now, normally, I’m able to push through and find some level of excitement about my work day. Nothing there! So, I shut it down. 82 degrees, not a cloud in the sky… …I knew someone who’d play with me. Ollie was ready! He doesn’t care if it’s Monday. He has no idea that there are American troops on the ground chasing American citizens around. Ollie doesn’t care about the Bills loss, or the call for rain tomorrow. He can always dig deep and find it… …even when there’s nothing there.

I was about five years old when I was helping Dad make the sauce, and I said, “Dad, I have an idea. We should have pasta every Sunday” He laughed, “That’s not your idea,” he said. “It’s what we do.” The Yankees laid an egg in game one of the division series on Saturday, but I had a grand plan for Sunday: A round of golf with my buddies at my favorite course! Pasta! Yankees tie it up! Family time! An eye on the Bills before bed. The round of golf was a smashing success in 80 degree weather.  Pops had 3 birdies in the round, which was fun to see. Yet I was steady all day and had a blast. The pasta was straight spaghetti and meatballs, which is one of the least exotic sauces I make, but still a great dinner. Sunday was going beautifully. And the Yankees shot it all to hell, but hey, it ain’t over ‘till it’s over’, and in the spirit of Yogi, they’ll try again back in the Bronx. They’ve been down 0-2 in this round before and came all the way back, so there’s still hope. Ollie was relent...

Karoline Leavitt goes to the podium every day wearing a crucifix. Then she spouts the most anti-Christian propaganda that I’ve ever heard. “When an illegal alien goes to the ER without insurance who pays for it?” She shouted with a disgusted countenance. Then she answered her own question with an even nastier scowl: “The American taxpayer!” And everyone sits there.  No follow-up questions.  Fox News and MAGA are horrified and enraged. They play the clip all day and clap for that empty-headed witch. Okay: I’ll do the follow-ups! First, which president enacted the law that requires treatment for those who can’t pay? Answer: Ronald Reagan. Why would he do that, you ask? Answer: Because they pay $12 billion is taxes and social security each year, and because if someone needs life-saving assistance, Reagan believed that Jesus Christ would demand that we treat a human being in need. (And I was no fan of Ronny, but he had SOME sense of right and wrong). And no one asked Leavitt this ...

I was absolutely horrified by a video of a Hispanic family being ravaged by ICE in Colorado. I’m not clever enough to find the link and include it, but it was evident that a man, a woman and a young child were pulled over by an SUV that held a half-dozen ICE officers, dressed in tactical gear, and with masks on their faces. “Why am I being stopped?” The man, who was clearly Hispanic asked. And then all hell broke loose as a big, burly man used a baton to strike the window. Mom was screaming from the passenger seat. “There’s a baby in here! Why are you doing this? Do you have a warrant?” The glass shattered and the man was yanked from the vehicle and tossed to the ground. The officers knelt on his back and handcuffed him, as the woman screamed: “He has a family! Where is the warrant? Where are you taking him?” “We left the warrant in the office,” one ICE agent said. “We are taking him wherever we want to,” another chimed in. And that was that. The video stopped. The circumstances aren’t...

I was nervous all day.  Yet I had some confidence in the kid the Yankees were throwing out there as Cam was throwing well all through September and I knew that he could get it up there at 100 mph. But I didn’t expect that! A rookie pitcher, on the biggest stage of all. After the 8th inning Cam walked off the mound - a 24-year old man - had to be on top of the world. “How does he feel right now?” I asked Kathy. “Pretty freaking good,” she said. And the thing was, he was throwing so well that I wasn’t anxious at all after the 5th inning or so. Which is what I was really hoping might happen. And now, a night off, before the series against the Blue Jays… …and my buddy Jeff reminded me that he once wore a Blue Jays hat to our house… …my Dad took it from his head and dunked it in a can of paint. As he should have. A good night’s sleep. Thanks to Cam.

My heart is still pounding. The Yankees held on to beat the Red Sux tonight, and I’m writing this as I wonder why the hell I put myself through this. I’m nearly 61 years old and I’ve been watching sports since I was 5 years old. That’s 224 seasons of the four major sports and I’ve watched my team win it all 7 times. All courtesy of the Yankees. The Bills famously have gotten close and the 90’s losses were heartbreaking. The Sabres made the finals twice. The Buffalo Braves were really great in the 1970’s, but never got there. I have successfully withdrawn from every sport except for baseball. The Yankees are still my deepest passion, and I was a mess all night. I kept getting up and walking around. I set my phone down and ignored it until the half inning was over. I actually asked: “Why do I put myself through this?”  And there’s nothing I can do. It’s in my blood. Grandpa was a Yankees fan, so was Dad and all my brothers and uncles and most of my cousins except the Baltimorons. I t...

More posturing by people who are doing absolutely nothing for us. And most Americans don’t even know what’s being bantered about but there’s 4.2 million people’s healthcare up in the air, and the party that has all three branches are saying that the opposition party is to blame. It’s hard to care, but we now have troops on the streets in Portland. They’re also in Chicago. Have headed to Los Angeles, and it seems from most footage that they’re just trying to chase and capture brown people. I saw footage of about a dozen men in full uniform spotting a Hispanic kid on an electric bike. There was also a white kid on a bike, but he was ignored. The ‘soldiers’ took off after the dark-complected kid, who, thankfully, got away. What were they stopping him for? He wasn’t breaking a law. They didn’t even know who he was. They simply knew that he was black, or Hispanic. I’ve said it before… …will say it straight through the authoritarian take-over… …this is not America. It’s not what the founding...