Call Me “Crazy!” But I returned To Baltimore, MD

Baltimore Inner Harbor

 

I know! I know! I said that I would never, ever go back to Baltimore, MD, not after the horrific shit that happened to me and to my cousin, but the truth of the matter is that no matter how horrible things are for you in one place, they can be even more horrible in another place. And where my cousin and I live right now is even worse than Baltimore’s shit. In fact, the reason why we returned to Baltimore, MD is because of where we live now. He was thrown out of the only medical “game” in town and by that I mean that here in Lynchburg, VA, the only medical “game” in town is called, “Centra Health.” They are over every single medical office here in this city. They have the monopoly on the fucked up shit they call ‘health care’. Never come to this city if you want decent health care because these idiots will kill you and that is a fact! If someone actually did research on this shithole burg, they would find plenty of evidence to back up what I have just written about this fucked up mess they call ‘health care’ here in Lynchburg, VA. Hell! Even spellcheck is trying to check my spelling of this damn burg because, apparently, “Lynchburg” is not something that is ‘kosher’, since why would you want to name a city “Lynchburg” in the first goddamn place if you didn’t want to be perceived as racist as hell??!!! Of course, the word from the white parasites that run this shithole burg is that the first white parasite to set up shop here was named John Lynch and so “Lynchburg” was born. HA! Right! It’s because of all the lynching that went on is why this hole is called “Lynchburg.” They even had a lynching tree and the whites here cried all over the goddamn place when the lynching tree was struck by lightning and that was it for that fucked up tree. But as usual, I digress.

Since my cousin was thrown out of the medical system here, we had to go elsewhere for him to receive his medical care and he wanted to go back to his doctor in Baltimore, MD and so we went. In fact, this is our second trip to Baltimore. We went last month because he had a doctor’s appointment and we made another appointment for Monday of this week, but his doctor called us and told us that it would not be necessary for him to be seen so soon since he was doing well. She told us that we were still welcome to come and see her and just have a great time with her talking about our trip and our plans for seeing the sights in Baltimore. Now remember, his doctors here in Lynchburg lied about their reasons for denying him access to their facilities by stating that he “exhibited unsafe behavior towards staff,” and yet his doctor from when we previously lived in Baltimore, MD, not only welcomed him back with open arms, but was quite willing to have us just visit with her. So, who is the goddamn problem? Newsfuckingflash! It’s not my cousin or me! It’s this racist shit here in Lynchburg! And we can’t get out of here fast enough to suit us, goddamn it!

Here I shall post some pictures that we took on this latest Baltimore trip and I fell in love with Baltimore all over again!

Baltimore Inner Harbor by night is just lovely!

And this one!

Beautiful! Just beautiful!

 

And this one as well!

In the mid 90s when I lived here, I was always at the Harbor.

 

I also took a few day time pictures.

The Baltimore Inner Harbor by day

 

And another one by day!

Pretty tree by the harbor in bloom!

 

 

We stayed at the Days Inn Inner Harbor Hotel. It was okay, but I didn’t like the setup whereas the sink was outside of the bath/toilet area.

The tub/toilet is located behind the wall where the picture is and across from that is the sink. Not a great setup at all.

 

At least it had a fridge/microwave. But that was all it had to say for itself. I had some Wyndham rewards points to get rid of since I used to stay at the La Quinta in Bloomington, MN lots of times and now La Quinta is owned by Wyndham and my points switched over to Wyndham. I won’t be staying here anymore.

The microwave was fucked up because the tray didn’t fit and was always bumping up against the microwave.

 

And the decor of the room was not too bright.

I would not recommend Days Inn Inner Harbor Hotel.

 

The ‘motor’ or whatever in the AC/heating unit was carrying on something awful. The only reason we did not request a different room is because the unit that was in the hallway was carrying on equally as bad.

No frills here!

 

Or here!

I finally get around to showing you a picture of where the sink is, outside the bathroom proper. Seriously??!!

But I guess I should not complain!

I would much rather have been here than where the person in this next picture is.

We ‘humans’ find much to complain about and yet, when I went outside and down to the Inner Harbor, I encountered….well…see for yourself.

A homeless man in a wheelchair down by the Inner Harbor

This is exactly what I mean when I say that we ‘humans’ are some real shits when we can sit somewhere and whine because our hotel room is not up to our standards and then turn right around and pass by a homeless person, whose situation is much, much, much worse! And I am not leaving me out in this “we are some real shits” scenario because I pissed and moaned and threatened to go to the Front Desk and complain, but my cousin talked me down from the fucking ceiling. And it did not help that we gave the homeless man some money. He doesn’t need that. What he needs is some mental health care case management, a social worker, some health care and a goddamn roof over his head and I am pretty sure that if I had given up my hotel digs to him, he’d not have complained one goddamn bit! But I am a hypocrite for calling others out when I am just as guilty of being hoity-toity and think my shit don’t stink. It doesn’t because I eat healthy, but that’s beside the point! I am a shameless hypocritical shit for carrying on so about a hotel room when a man is sitting somewhere sick and some mo shit and is uncomplaining while ‘humans’ walk right on by him complaining about their phone needing charging or their fucked up hotel room or about they need their nails done. We are some real sick and twisted shits for not caring about people while we put our stupid asses above those who are the real and true humans who are suffering, mightily. Like this next woman!

A poor homeless woman at the Baltimore Inner Harbor at night.

Yeah! I’m caterwauling over the fact of my hotel sink being outside of the bathroom proper while this woman doesn’t even have a bathroom at all! Again, we gave her money, but what she needs is for people to care enough about others and do something about the seriousness of homelessness over concerning themselves over what’s not up to par for them like a microwave tray banging up against the inside of the microwave or about an AC/heating unit making some fucking noise. And again! I am including myself in this and to show you just how fucking hypocritical I am. I was just relaxing in a bar before heading to the Inner Harbor in order to witness that poor homeless woman slowly making her way around the harbor.

The money we spent on White Zinfandel wine and draft beer could have gone to a homeless person. And I should know better.

And so while we wined and dined, people were out in the streets, with no place to go and no one to give a thought for their well being. But there we sat, just a’swilling drinks while I complained about my room.

My third one! And remember, I gave up drinking til today. And you’ve probably been wondering why my previous pictures were tilted. This would be why.

 

I have said this before and I say it again, “I can’t make you care!” Hell! I am guilty of having a ‘no care’ attitude. But it needs to stop! I need to put the needs of others who are in worse shape than I am in, first. I need to stop with this ‘me first’ attitude. I need to step up to the plate because I am faltering. Yes, we live in a cold, cruel world of people who seem to be immune to the suffering we see all around us on a daily basis and that is a bad way to be. This is why folks shit is flooded out! This is why horrific shit is going down, daily! This is why folks……because we are treating each other like shit and that is going to come home to roost all on our ass! If we continue down this road, there is going to be no hope for us. Bet on that!

I See The NAACP Continues To “Shuck And Jive” For The White Man -2019 NAACP Image Awards Bullshit On Full Display

The National Association Advancing Corporate Coons otherwise known as the NAACP, but to keep it real, is in all actuality, the NAACC is doing fuck all about the serious issues that are plaguing the few remaining Black communities; issues such as mass incarceration, income inequality, gentrification, mass homelessness of descendants of slaves, food insecurity, a school-to-prison pipeline, drug addiction, gangs, violence, shootings and the fucked up list is endless.

“We at the National Association Advancing Corporate Coons bow and scrape to our white massas ’cause they hand us a bone every now and then to enable us to continue to host ‘Image Awards’ that highlight massa’s benevolence in giving some Black folks a job ‘shucking and jiving and ‘cooning’. We know we is still slaves, but since massa is allowing us a few more treats to make slave life just a wee bit easier for some of us to deal with, why we is gonna take it! Thank you massa SIR!” – NAACC Mission Statement

It was a night filled with many winners at the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards.

Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the stars stepped out to attend the annual celebration at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday, and to also take home some trophies.

Leading the pack was Black Panther with a total of 14 nominations, including Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, among many others. BlacKkKlansman, Crazy Rich Asians, If Beale Street Could Talk, Widows and The Hate U Give were also up for multiple awards.

On the TV side, Black-ish, Insecure, Seven Seconds, Atlanta and How to Get Away With Murder were among the most celebrated series at this year’s event. JAY-Z received the President’s Award during the ceremony, and Beyonce won Entertainer of the Year.

“Yes indeed, we here at the NAACC give a complete and loving shout out to Disney and Marvel’s racist ass shit for giving us Black Panther! No, not Huey P. Newton and Bobby Hutton or Assata Shakur, who is still in exile in Cuba, nor Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, Elaine Brown, Kathleen Cleaver and many, many others, some of whom are still incarcerated while others have died. We don’t recognize the true heroes in the fight for racial equality. We give out awards that are fucking meaningless in the grand scheme of things because what the fuck do our worthless ass awards mean to a descendant of slaves who can’t get out of jail because they don’t have bail money and the only reason he/she is in there is because of some trumped up charge or because they allegedly stole some candy worth $5 and died in jail because they could not afford bail. We at the NAACC don’t give a shit about that!”

Black folks! Are you taking note of this shit? The NAACP has never had our fucking back and never will have our fucking back because the NAACP is owned and operated by coonheads who have ALL sold out to their fucking white massas! The true heroes are all a part of history and are actually, history! The white parasite has seen to that! Just look at our history in this shithole. Every organization that was actually trying to do some good for the Black community was destroyed by whitey pale-assed parasite and the only organization that is still running strong today is the NAACP? You don’t have a hint yet? The NAACP is allowed to operate because like I have already stated, it is doing fuck all about all of the important serious issues facing descendants of slaves in this shithole today. What the fuck is paying homage to some Black coonhead actors and actresses doing about the issues plaguing Black communities? When has hosting an ‘Image awards’ show did a goddamn thing to mitigate Black child poverty, racism, income inequality, prostitution, drug addiction, Arabs and Asians selling liquor and spoiled food in Black neighborhoods while taking their ill-gotten gains back to Muslimburg and Koreaville? What the fuck is the NAACP doing about ANY of that shit? Not a goddamn thing!

The NAACP is headquartered on Mount Hope Drive in Baltimore, MD and that city is off the chain! Drug addiction is so rampant that Baltimore has been designated, “The Heroin Capitol” of AmeriKKKa! Homelessness is rampant as is prostitution, gang activity and poverty so off the scale as to be a national disgrace for this shithole to call other nations and countries shitholes when this shithole is festering that shit on Black communities, nationwide! But it’s time to recognize and award some goddamn foolishness in Hollywood! Recognize some African motherfuckers for their outstanding cooning in Black Panther. What the fuck is giving Mexican-Kenyan Lupita Nyongo an Image Award doing for descendants of slaves in this shithole? Her fucking family is likely behind the reason why some of us are sitting here in this hellhole all fucked up and some more shit! You sit somewhere admiring her Mexican-Kenyan ass as she accepts award after award while there are true warriors and heroes in Black communities all across this shithole, tirelessly trying to effect change and they are never recognized for what they do for the simple reason that they are not somewhere cooning for massa in some fucking Twelve Years A Slave shit or some fucking Black Panther cartoon make believe bullshit??!!! Fucking seriously??!! And then I have the nerve to wonder why there are never any gains to make mention of in Black communities? This is why!!

And what the fuck does ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ have to do with Black Image Awards?

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) is all Asian-American casts Hollywood blockbuster since Flower Drum Song (1961). Its feature is not all Asian casts but it is all Asian-American casts

When those racist fucks aren’t somewhere receiving NAACP Image Awards, they are on every street corner selling liquor and fried rice to every Black man, woman and child that’s still living in the remaining ghettos of inner cities. Oh, they’re behind some fucking bulletproof glass cage, but they’re there selling that shit and don’t forget, Black folks are also busy buying up the hair care products sold by those Asians. In fact, Asians have cornered the market on Black hair care products. And if you go to Baltimore, MD and head to Lexington Market, damn near every stall is operated by one of those funky breath Asians. And they all pretend to not understand English when they’re getting interviewed, but they understand selling their nasty shit to descendants of slaves right enough! I have listened to them speak perfect fucking English at their Black customers and then when whitey parasite ass comes around, they, all of a sudden like, forget English. Well now we know that those funky breath fuckers speak English only too well because they are all up in our face on “Crazy Rich Asians” and have been recognized by the NAACPNAACC!

Descendants of slaves in AmeriKKKa are the ONLY group of people who cannot even tell that every other group on this planet is our enemy! We are the ONLY group who will try and award our enemies for fucking us up with their racist attitudes towards us. We are the ONLY group of people who are hell bent on helping whitey pasty asses and others to fuck us up until death do we part! We have got to be the craziest motherfuckers to ever live to die for whitey parasite asses! What is fucking wrong with you????!!!! No other group is on some dumb ass time like Black folks are! You hate those who look like you and try to help you, while glorifying those who are out to destroy you and yet you find absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The other day, I came across a video of a blogger I follow. He and his wife were doing something called ‘Muckbang’. And they were gorging themselves to death on Asian noodles, Mexican food and all sorts of fucked up shit. And I’m like, “Why in the world would you do that to your body?” I then find that this ‘Muckbang’ nonsense originated in Asian countries and has been taken up by the stupid AmeriKKKans.

“Mukbang, muk-bang or meokbang is a live online audiovisual broadcast in which a host eats large amounts of foods while interacting with their audience. Usually done through an internet webcast, mukbang became popular in South Korea in 2010. Foods ranging from pizza to noodles are consumed in front of a camera for an internet audience. Based on the attractiveness of real-time and interactive aspects, eating shows are expanding their influence in Internet broadcasting platforms.”

As obese as millions of AmeriKKKans are, do you seriously need to take up another bad habit that is ALL about overeating and then have the nerve to post it online for millions of people to watch??! You sit there and literally eat yourself to death in the hopes of getting ‘likes’ and ‘subscribers’. Fucking seriously???!! And then turn right around and wonder why you have high cholesterol, high triglycerides and have to ‘special order’ your ‘tents’ to drape yourselves in. But I am sitting somewhere wondering why “Orange Is The New Black” was nominated by the NAACP and why “Crazy Rich Asians” was also nominated for an Image Award while we hear nothing whatsoever about Marcus Garvey, The Black Panther Party and Movement and the Women of the Black Panther Party and Movement. Why the fuck am I wondering about ANYTHING that doesn’t make any damn sense anymore when Michael Ellner said it best!

“Everything is backwards, everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, psychiatrists destroy minds, scientists destroy truth, major media destroys information, religions destroy spirituality and governments destroy freedom.” – Michael Ellner

And so while I am on the subject of what’s destroyed, I’ll add that the NAACP has destroyed Its credibility. What little it may have still had, that is. Although truth be told, the NAACP had no credibility since that was destroyed aeons ago!

Young black man jailed since April for alleged $5 theft found dead in cell

A young black man arrested by police in Portsmouth, Virginia, on the same day that one of the city’s officers fatally shot an unarmed black 18-year-old, has been found dead in jail after spending almost four months behind bars without bail for stealing groceries worth $5. Jamycheal Mitchell, who had mental health problems, was discovered lying on the floor of his cell by guards early last Wednesday, according to authorities. While his body is still awaiting an autopsy, senior prison officials said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

What a goddamn shame! The article also states that Jamycheal Mitchell was accused of stealing a bottle of Mountain Dew, a Snickers bar and a Zebra Cake worth a total of $5 from a 7-Eleven and was arrested for this, sat in jail for four months and then died from ‘natural causes’ AT 24 YEARS OF AGE, after having lost 65 pounds and was emaciated at time of death.

A man was in jail for FOUR goddamn months, on a $5.00 theft charge???!!!! Here is an idea! The NAACP can give out an “Image Award” to the KKKops that arrested a man for stealing $5.00 worth of outdated shit from an Arab. They can also give the Arab, an “Image Award,” and they can also give “Image Awards” to every prison official that was directly responsible for why Jamycheal Mitchell died in a Portsmouth, Virginia jail after having spent four goddamn months in there on an alleged $5 theft charge! Yeah! Keep those “Image Awards” coming NAACPNAACC!

And to ALL the Black motherfuckers out there who countenance this shit, FUCK YOU!

As Unprecedented Flooding Continues All Across America, America’s Fucked Up Infrastructure Is Not Up To The Challenge

As this empire in decline continues to decline or in other words, while Rome floods, the emperor tweets, people die and the flooding gets worse.

Historic flooding kills three, forces hundreds from homes across the Midwest

Heavy rain and melting snow that overpowered the Missouri River forced hundreds of families out of their homes and forced the base that is home to U.S. Strategic Command to sharply scale back operations on Sunday.

At least three people are confirmed to have died in what the National Weather Service called “major and historical river flooding” along parts of the Missouri and Mississippi river basins.

The Missouri River reached 30.2 feet in Fremont County in far southwestern Iowa on Sunday, breaking the record by 2 feet and topping levees in the towns of Bartlett and Thurman. A levee was breached on the Platte River near North Bend, northwest of Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday afternoon; authorities urged all residents to move to higher ground immediately.

U.S. Strategic Command, or StratCom, which oversees the U.S. strategic nuclear forces from Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, said Sunday that floodwaters had overwhelmed the southeastern side of the base despite the deployment of more than 235,000 sandbags and 460 flood barriers.

Base commanders told NBC affiliate WOWT of Omaha that the flooding was affecting as much as two-thirds of the more than 16,000 active-duty and civilian personnel at the base — which, in addition to hosting StratCom, is home to the 55th Wing, the largest wing within Air Combat Command.

The situation is so bad here in America that yet another military base is basically in shutdown mode because it is overwhelmed by water even after the “deployment of more than 235,000 sandbags and 460 flood barriers?” Here is an idea! Get your damn asses out of Venezuela starting up some shit there and come back here where you are needed by assholes who live by the cliché , “Build, baby build!” Are any of the affected civilians impacted by these floods wondering why there is no real help? If so, wonder no more especially since the military cannot even keep its feet dry nor can they keep their asses from starting shit in other countries and those shits are what is supposed to see us through disasters? How so when they cannot even see themselves through disasters and so we are to believe that we should live in fear of ISIS coming over here and fucking us up when ISIS, the Taliban and Alibaba and his forty thieves need not even bother since Mother Nature is sick and tired of whites’ shit and rightly so and is fucking their shit up to no end? Thank you Mother Nature! But I am quite sure that just as soon as Trump completes his ‘Twitter storm’, he will head right on over to the affected areas and pitch in and rescue trapped and stranded whites, he will also help with sandbagging and of course will see to it that every single last one of his supporters is taken care of. Remember how he told California to just “Rake those fires on outta there!” Good advice! “Rake that water right on outta there and head back in and assess the water damage to your fucked up homes.” Then send the bill to Trump!

How many of you are laughing at the poor Black Katrina hurricane victims now? How many of you racists think that what happened to the Black Katrina victims couldn’t happen to you? Now, your ass is sitting all up in some makeshift Red Cross shelter waiting on some assistance and some word on when you can go back to your water-logged homes to see if anything can be salvaged. That shit ain’t so funny now, is it? From all reports, your asses are going to be sitting up in shelters for some time to come, so dig in and laugh about it! And from what I’ve seen, every last ass that’s impacted by that flood shit has been pale-assed! Go figure! I probably can count on one hand the statistics of Black people sitting up in Nebraska and Iowa, but of course, even if some Black folks were affected by the flooding, no news coverage will they receive. That’s only for lily-pale ass!

And the good news is that this is not over! Since levees have been breached and rivers have risen way beyond flood stage, the danger is not over because the flooding is expected to continue into Wednesday. Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and many other states have all been impacted by major flooding to the point whereas many states’ governors have declared a ‘State of Emergency’. I have no idea who they are going to call to help with the situation seeing as how military bases have had to be shutdown due to flooding. Yes indeed, we are SO ready for war. We are so ready for war that our military bases will be fighting the war from beneath a flooded base. I hope the world is paying attention to this shit!

As for the folks who died; one was asked to help rescuers that had been stranded on a bridge, but the bridge gave out. Another one drove past a road barrier that was placed on the road asking drivers not to go forward, but dumbass drove around the barrier and ended up floating down stream somewhere. And yet another one died because of refusing to leave their home. There are 11 million people across 14 states that are being affected by flood waters. What does that tell you? It tells me that this planet has had enough. When folks continue to build and ignore the fact that there is no place for water to go when there is concrete and asphalt every damn where, this is what you can expect. If they had a fucking teepee, this shit would not be occurring, would it? But no, you have got to cut the trees down and build a big ass house and a long ass driveway to store your 8 vehicles and then wonder why your shit is flooded out. Seriously???!!! Oh, but those assholes are going to gather in a circle once the flood waters recede and sing “Kumbaya,” and exclaim that they are going to rebuild. GOOD! So, next year this time, we will watch this shit play out all over again! And don’t forget that hurricane season is just around the corner and so those who are on the coast will join you in getting flooded out again especially since they have not yet recovered from last year’s hurricane season. Not to mention the folks in Paradise, CA are still trying to get their act together from the recent wildfires in California. Is anyone taking notes? Anyone paying attention? Keep on building those McMansions. Keep on driving your Hemi-powered pickup trucks and your GMC Trailblazers. I hear tell that SUVS and big trucks are all the rage here in the U.S. and since that is a fact, expect more of this shit to occur because it would seem that you are not going to listen until your ass is floating down the goddamn street in your big ass truck! Bon voyage, dumbasses!

And as always, we know who set this shit in motion by thinking that they are the smartest shits to ever slither and crawl all across this world They have the answer for everything! All the other groups who were living as one with this planet was going about it ALL wrong, right? If your ass is pale, you have no one to blame but those who look like you for why you and your shit are flooded out! Own this because it is yours to own! Yeah, think on it because right about now, you’ve got ALL the time in the world because you’ve got nowhere to go. So try and do some ‘soul-searching while you’re sitting up in that Red Cross shelter. Oh, damn! What am I talking about? Whites don’t have a soul! Never mind.

On The Streets…..Of America

I just watched a video on homelessness and I was quite struck by a brilliant observation from someone who commented on the video.

“People oppose welfare but they defend monopolism with every tooth and nail. They’re both forms of wealth redistribution. The only reason anyone has a good paying job is because they’re employed by companies who are somehow protected from competition, either by IP, geography, zoning laws, or licensing and permit schemes. The same laws prohibit individuals from employing themselves, resulting in widespread poverty. Anyone who has a good paying job has not a square inch of room to complain about welfare.

Nobody can be expected to get a job without a home. If all the money we spend on building new prisons were used instead to build public apartment high rises, crime would drop, minimum wages would go further, and modest rent rates could be a source of public revenue rather than a constant tax liability. The government collects more than enough taxes to guarantee that every citizen has a safe, clean place to sleep and bathe. I don’t care if lazy people chose instead to sit around their apartments all day doing nothing. It’s cheaper than prisons and more civilized than abandoning the poor to loitering the streets, prostitution, drugs, shoplifting, mugging, breaking into homes, sleep in filth, spread bugs and germs and get sick all the time.” – by Ox1A3C3E7

That comment is spot on! We have no problem with the fact that monopolies are encouraged when mere decades ago, there were laws in place to prevent monopolies, but that is a thing of the past. And now because of it, corporate greed runs amok, unchecked and add into the mixture the fact of huge tax breaks for these mega-corporations that have no competition and the people are held hostage by them. How many cable companies are in existence today? Telephone companies? Microsoft software is a monopoly since our computer systems use Microsoft software damn near exclusively. All of this leads to boundless profits for corporations while wages for those who work at the bottom rungs of those corporations earn wages that would not keep a hamster in feed, thus leading to hunger, homelessness and hopelessness. And what does the government do? It continues to aid and abet these corporations into becoming monopolies by refusing to break them up and also by encouraging the growth of monopolies with our tax dollars. Amazon is yet another ‘prime’ example even as Donald Trump likes to pretend to take umbrage with Jeff Bezos. My guess would be that he is just jealous of the fact that Bezos has far surpassed him in business acumen which Trump never had to begin with.

Meanwhile, video after video can be viewed that showcases the plight of homelessness, year after year and yet what is done to rein this in? Nothing. Just talk and more talk and hand wringing. Anyone can follow a homeless person around with a camera for a few days to get an idea of what life is like for the homeless, but when all is said and done, what good does that do? It only elicits a few comments and likes for those comments and suggestions and ideas and then on to the next. The sad fact is that ALL of us are headed where the homeless are. People are not paying attention to the fact that those who are sitting on Skid Row in Anytown, USA are going to have plenty of company. The plight of those who are already homeless will soon be felt by us all because no one is seriously trying to do anything about what millions of people are dealing with every single day. It matters not if I write poetry about the homeless or if people post videos about the homeless because if there is no real feasible solutions to throw at the problems that cause homelessness, the situation is going to continue to worsen.

Those of us who are comfortably looking at the situation from afar are not even thinking that we shall soon be in their shoes. Some of us are content to think that our jobs will always be there as will our pensions. I wouldn’t count on that because pension funds are being raided as I type this and Social Security does not pay enough to live on. And though there are suggestions to move oversees or to Latin American countries where your Social Security will go further, that is just not feasible for everyone. And with many of those countries that are named as great retirement havens in the news for having mass protests over a lack of food, medicine and housing, who in their right mind would head to those areas flaunting their ‘privilege’ in the face of mobs of people, gaunt and sunken-eyed looking to feed their hungry children? Take your ass on over to Venezuela and see how you fare. Try Honduras. Guatemala. Mexico City, Mexico. Either get caught up in drug warfare or get caught up in a United States staged coup against a Latin American country. But either way, your situation is not going to be roses and all things bright and beautiful forever. And even in countries like Ecuador and Costa Rica, the natives are going to get mighty sick and tired of foreigners coming in buying up everything for pennies on the dollar and paying them pennies to wait on them hand and foot.

And as usual, it is mostly whites who can take themselves off when the shit hits the fan for them while those who already have the shit hitting the fan, must stay and deal with a country that is rapidly descending into Third world status. Some of you may think it funny that hookworms are dripping out of the assholes of homeless people, nationwide, but it’s not. Some of you may think it funny that typhus is making the rounds of the homeless population in multiple cities, but it’s not. Add to those issues are the other physical and mental illnesses that most homeless people are dealing with and what that means is that hospitals are overwhelmed with emergency room visits by people whom they cannot collect payment from.

People try and act as though they cannot understand that mass homelessness costs more than housing and necessary services to stabilize the homeless once they have been housed and with communicable diseases on the rise, that is no small problem especially seeing as how there are diseases that no antibiotic can cure. When serious plagues start resurfacing and plagues never before seen start occurring, what is going to be the exit strategy for that? There is none. We’d ALL better wake up to the fact that homelessness is not just impacting those who are sitting out on the sidewalks or who are sitting inside tents or living in their vehicles, it is going to impact us all in some way or another. Something for you to think about while shopping for chicken wings and hoagie ‘meat’ for your Superbowl parties. What we ‘give’ importance to is just too ludicrous for words given the seriousness of the situation as it pertains to the rapid descent of this shithole called America. People are homeless, sick and hungry while those of us who have not yet joined them are anxiously awaiting the Superbowl since bets have been placed and there are parties to be hosted. It is no wonder we are sinking like a stone since we will get behind anything that will distract us from the truth and from seeing those who have already gone where we too shall go. And you can take that to the bank!

The Trump Administration Proposed Billions Of Dollars In Cuts To HUD While HUD’s Director, Ben Carson Orders A $31,000.00 Dining Set For His Office

 

Why is that jackass, Ben Carson, still at the helm of Housing and Urban Development(HUD)? Why is his wife Candy allowed to act as interior decorator of Ben Carson’s HUD office?

“Ben Carson, the US secretary for housing and urban development (Hud), has scrapped an order for a $31,000 dining set for his Washington office amid a growing ethics controversy.”

Helen Foster, former Chief Administrative Officer, alleged to a whistleblower-protection watchdog that she lost her job partly as retaliation for her refusal in January and February last year to find a way to exceed $5,000 in spending on improvements to Carson’s office.

She said she was told by Craig Clemmensen, who was Hud’s acting director while Carson went through the Senate confirmation process, to find more money for use by Carson’s wife, Candy, and that “$5,000 will not even buy a decent chair”.

Five thousand dollars will not even buy a decent chair??!!! Seriously??!!! Whose ass is so precious that only a chair costing over $5000.00 is good enough for it? The ass contains the shithole and so something that’s used to pass waste from the body needs to sit in a damn chair that costs over $5,000.00? Meanwhile, read this and weep!

Following Foster’s reassignment, the department spent $31,000 on a dining table and accompanying items for Carson’s suite. The findings came after Donald Trump proposed billions of dollars in cuts to Hud’s budget, reducing programs for poor and homeless people.

Yes indeed, while Ben and Candy Carson are spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on new furnishings for them to sit their bougie ass down in Ben Carson’s HUD office, Donald Trump has proposed cutting billions of dollars from HUD’s budget that would have been destined to house poor and homeless people, thus making sure that those poor and homeless people remain without a home or have their housing choice vouchers ripped from them due to the inability of public housing authorities across this country to maintain their voucher assistance programs since the money will not be there.

Here’s an idea. Since we all know that the Carsons are not poor, they can outfit Ben Carson’s office any way they see fit so long as they foot the bill in its entirety. Who the hell do these people think they are? Royalty?

And who  had a thought in their head that Donald Trump would fully fund HUD? When has poor people ever mattered to the filthy rich? The poor will never matter to the Trumps of this world, hence the reason why there are so many poverty-stricken employees working for low wages that wouldn’t even keep a hamster in feed. But the plot thickens!

Carson’s department also signed a contract last year to spend $165,000 on “lounge furniture” for its Washington headquarters from the retailer OFS Brands of Huntingburg, Indiana, according to federal procurement records.

The president and chief of executive of OFS Brands, Robert “Hank” Menke, has made donations to Republican politicians including Mike Pence, the US vice president, who as Indiana governor in 2013 appointed Menke to a “blue ribbon panel” on transportation and infrastructure in the state.

Here enters cronyism as well as fraud, bribery and just absolute complete corruption; white collar crime that is seldom, if ever prosecuted because what rich white man is going to seek the prosecution of another rich white man that’s committing the same crimes he is? Hell! When the Wall Street bankers caused the 2008 economic collapse, did any one of those thugs see the inside of a prison cell? Hell no!

Vice President, Mike Pence, committed outright cronyism when he appointed Robert Menke to a “blue ribbon panel” on transportation and infrastructure” in return for $49,000 worth of campaign contributions to republican campaigns in Indiana and another $35,700 worth of campaign contributions to republican campaigns on the federal level.

And yet, this thug, Mike Pence, did not see the inside of a prison cell, but sits in Washington enjoying the status of Vice President to yet another thug, who sits in the Oval Office as Draft-Dodger-In-Chief. I just cannot make this shit up!

You Americans have the audacity to think that these corrupt, rich white men give a shit about any of you? Keep thinking that shit while you start your search in locating an empty spot to set up your permanent camping equipment. And believe me, there are hardly any empty spots left because we are in the midst of a homeless epidemic of epic proportions! Hell! Camping used to be a fun activity. Now, with nothing but thugs at the helm of this lopsided, stinking, sinking, shithole barge, camping is the new homelessness! But we are okay with dumb ass ‘brain surgeon’, Ben Carson attempting to sit his stupid ass down on a chair that must cost OVER $5,000.00 even as he also lounges around his Washington, D.C. office in furniture costing $165,000 while poor, homeless folks are locating a bridge to park their tent underneath since Trump is cutting the HUD budget for those programs that were intended to keep the poor housed, while letting his pick for HUD secretary order almost $200,000.00 in furniture for his office.

Meanwhile, everyone is sitting in a movie theater watching the absurd go down, not even caring about the shenanigans of this government that will cause many of them to become homeless. So, while the rich laugh at your ass, cushion their ass in plush chairs costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, you are sitting somewhere inside a movie theater wistfully gazing at a screen depicting fake ass shit even as the mailman is bringing you notification of the loss of your Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher thanks to Donald Trump ‘de-funding’ Housing And Urban Development(HUD).

And did you know that HUD is so underfunded that families with children are being forced to move into 1-bedroom units? Those pesky fire code violations are being ignored so that families will not be put out of their units due to exceeding maximum occupancy limits. This is just one example of how bad things are going to get and so I would snap out of that fantastical shit if I were you, bring your ass back down to earth and get with the program that this shit ain’t playing with you! Is Ben Carson, YOUR Black Panther when he proceeds to use funds that  could have been allocated to fund housing vouchers, but instead that money went to cushioning his and his wife’s ass in plush comfort? Go and see if “Wakanda’s” got some homeless tunnels for you to live in. Las Vegas most definitely has them, but there is a “NO VACANCY!” sign on the entrance! How fictional is that? Go find out! And while you’re at it, ask Donald Trump if he will house your homeless ass at Mar-a-Lago! Start laughing because that was one big ass joke! Donald Trump, housing the homeless at Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower? That is funny!

And As The Seconds Tick Away Towards The New Year…

As I raise my flute in drunken glee,
I look upon what was once a live tree.
So concerned with this planet and global warming,
my resolution to do better can wait til morning.

For tonight, I celebrate with friends and acquaintances,
spreading well wishes and exchanging whispered confidences.
The wrongs of this world, for just one night
can wait a little longer for us to do what’s right.

A sick child with no health care will have to hold on
until I open my bleary eyes to greet the new dawn.
The Black man being dragged by the Ku Klux Klan
should have seen them coming, he should have ran.

Of course I care about the people who have addictions
just like I care about my neighbor who can’t afford her prescriptions.
I know about the homeless who have formed a tent city.
But for just this night, champagne will take away my pity.
And as the seconds tick away towards the New Year,
even champagne cannot stop me from shedding another tear.

Written by,
Shelby I. Courtland
©2017 Shelby I. Courtland

I wrote this one because as we celebrate the ringing out of the old and in with the new, I cannot help but believe that more misery, cruelty, suffering, chaos, war and all things of horror, will follow us into this new year and beyond, for what will have changed?

As we head to our parties tonight, break out our party favors and drink our champagne toasts at midnight, wish each other a “Happy New Year,” are we really going to think that this year will be any happier than 2017 or 2016 or 2015? What is going to change to get us to actually mean it when we say, “Happy New Year?” It will be just another year of the same because we won’t change. We will continue in our old ways of ignoring those who are less fortunate. We will pretend as though there are not wars being fought just because. We will never for a minute think that we have aided and abetted in the destruction of this planet through our selfish acts as we scream, “Happy New Year To One And All!” If we really meant that, we’d know it because it would show, but when you look around, does it show? Does it look as though we give a damn about the children who go to bed, hungry? Does it look like we give a damn about the homeless? Does it look like we care about those who are in unimaginable pain because they have no health insurance? Does it look like we are going to start doing something to hold our elected representatives accountable for the way they continuously make the working poor pay for the idleness of the rich? Does it look like the ‘new year’ will bring about a change in the human psyche which seems hell bent on self-destruction? If any of you ponder these questions, I already know what the outcome will be. Exactly how you were in 2015, 2016, 2017 is how you will be in 2018 and on and on it will go until they plant you. Because we are always going to wait til tomorrow to ‘do’ better. Just like each and every year, we are bombarded with ads to lose weight and get in shape and some people actually make a resolution to do just that and then after a month, what happens? Back to square one.

And so, I will not say, “Happy New Year!” I will merely say, “Welcome to the rest of your life!” War, misery, homelessness, joblessness, starvation, income inequality, racism, ignorance, selfishness, arrogance, greed, lust, apathy and complacency and your solutions to getting through all of this; heroin, crack, alcohol, weed, mass murder and suicide.

“Welcome, To The Rest Of Your Life! Cheers!”

Cold And Homeless!

Alone I sit, so deeply in thought,
but not thinking of the things that I never bought.
I have no money, nor a place to lay my head.
I did have a roof and a nice, warm bed.
But it was all taken away when I lost my job,
And the guy before me, his name was Bob.
He got axed first and I thought that they were done
but they were just getting started, putting us out one by one.

They said if I worked hard, I could have the American dream
and now all I want to do is throw my head back and scream.
I want to scream for all the kids who were told to go to school;
amass a fortune in loans and don’t be a drop-out fool.
 But I did all that; went to school and paid my dues,
only to see it all gone as I sit here drinking booze.

I see you looking down on me as though it’s my own fault,
and into my wounds, you go and pour the salt.
 You don’t understand, they ain’t finished with us yet.
I had a pension and a savings and it’s gone just like that.
I tried working at McDonalds but they’ve automated things.
We’re as helpless as a bird that can’t fly with broken wings.
They don’t need us anymore, we’re a drain on the bottom line,
and that’s why I’m cold and homeless and sipping on cheap wine.

Written by,
Shelby I. Courtland
©2017 Shelby I. Courtland

When I first started blogging, I blogged extensively on homelessness. It is an issue that pulled me in and yet, I’ve not written about the plight of the homeless in quite sometime. It is not because I don’t think of them because I do. We are in the process of seeking funding to rehab more homes for the homeless because we know that homeless shelters are not the answer. The sad fact is that big developers buy up properties for pennies on the dollar since these become nothing more than investments to them where they can make the most profit. They care not for those who are homeless through no fault of their own. It is people like us; everyday people who are out in the trenches doing what we can; working with what we have. I have often said, “Why is it that those who have the money are most often those who lack empathy?” But be that as it may, we are not going to stop trying to house people who need a home. I joined an organization that I thought was all about helping the homeless into housing, but they mostly talk.

Talking never gets anything done and so I am thinking of branching off on my own. I have a few ideas that are bouncing around in my head because I am determined to start my own organization because here, just like everywhere, there is much need. I pass by a homeless tent city many days and it is located right on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd and yet, we take a day to honor a man who stood for the poor and downtrodden and yet we can know that there are people living in tents on a street named after him and think nothing of it. This is just mindboggling, to say the least. But this just makes me more determined than ever to DO something as opposed to just talking about it. I can but try because things are going to get much worse and we cannot afford to wait because people are dying for lack of a home. Think about that. Who will be next? The job outlook for the future is dim. Robots are replacing humans. Kiosks are replacing humans and these things are not just happening in fast food restaurants, but also on assembly lines. Our vehicles will soon be made solely by machines and so will many other things leaving humans where? Out on the streets, that’s where. And if you think your job cannot be done by a robot or by a kiosk, keep thinking that. Meanwhile, I shall be trying to figure out how to house you when you get your pink slip. We shall soon BE the homeless! The writing is on the wall.

Hate Is Inside You!

While you were protesting out on the street,
you could have given a hungry child something to eat.
While you were screaming, “Love trumps hate!”
you could have spooned food on a homeless vet’s plate.

While you were getting arrested for aggravated assault,
a person waiting for an ambulance died, but of course, it’s not your fault.
While you were busy being angry because the election didn’t go your way,
you could have seen to it that a homeless mother and her child had a place to stay.

While you were enjoying your misery which you bring upon yourself,
you could have been stacking canned goods at your local food shelf.
You are part of the problem and still, this you cannot see,
for if we really want change, it must start with you and me.

No president can make us care and join hands, love and sing.
Nor can he keep us from love by taking away a ring.
You give him too much credit for the things, we alone can do,
so, when you protest again tonight, know that hate is inside you!

Written by,
Shelby I. Courtland
©2016 Shelby I. Courtland

I have been reading about the protests that are going on all across America. Why are you protesting? What is your point? If you think that parading up and down the street holding a sign stating that “Love trumps hate!” makes us gasp and exclaim over your brilliance, think again. And if you actually think you’re doing something constructive, tell me, who dropped you on your head? If you are so concerned about those who you think will be impacted by a Trump presidency, then for the love of whatever deity you believe in, roll up your sleeves and do something, constructive, as in denouncing the hatefulness of your own relatives, do something to help inner city children learn as in get up off your ass and go into a school and volunteer to become a mentor or a tutor. Volunteer at a housing counseling center and help someone locate affordable housing. Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity and help a family move off the streets and into a new home. Go to a nursing home and visit with the elderly who are more than likely lonely and have no will left to live. Put down your ‘Love trumps Hate!” sign and actually follow through on the words. Getting your picture taken by CNN or ABC does nothing. Ask Black folks just how many times protesting did anything for them or solved any of their problems. I will tell you. Not one single goddamn time!

If you believe that we have bitten off more than we can chew, then by all means, stand up and head to the nearest homeless shelter and help. Head to the nearest soup kitchen and dish out some soup. Donate to clothe the homeless. Volunteer at the Veterans Administration and help someone who has practically lost their mind from endless military deployments overseas get the help they need. Patch an elderly person’s roof. Put that energy you are wasting into doing something useful. Your hot air is not accomplishing a thing. Your safety pins are so damn foolish, it’s laughable. Your memes and Facebook likes and tweets are nothing. Your hashtags do what? What do they accomplish? Not a damn thing! Here is the perfect opportunity for you; those of you who scream the loudest about how they fear for and care for those whom Donald Trump has disparaged and then turn right around and do nothing but bust out with a safety pin??????…. and then go and march down the street, screaming and yelling and who is that helping? Oh, I get it. It’s helping you. It’s making you think that if someone sees you with a sign and your safety pin, then you’ve done your part. After today, you can go home and completely ignore those people who you want everyone to know, you care about. You are some piece of work. You’re part of the problem, but you are most definitely NOT the solution. Go home and take your dumb as hell safety pin with you! We get it! You are angry with yourself because you are selfish, self-serving,  self-centered and you’re going to continue to do what you’ve always done about it, piss in the wind! That is all any of you who are protesting in the streets are doing, pissing in the wind! I wish they’d lock all you assholes up and throw away the key because you’re useless. We don’t need you! We need people who want to do something constructive about all the shit that’s going down. Those people that Donald Trump has disparaged, need help now, not after he is sworn in. They need your help now and where are you? Holding a goddamn sign and a safety pin and screaming, “Love trumps Hate!” You pack of dumb ass degenerates. Get real and then, go get a life!

“The Peace Of Being Alone”

Wrap me in your warmth
And shield me from the cold.
A blanket would be nice.
It is worth its weight in gold.

A pair of shoes, I am in need,
but I won’t hold my breath.
‘twould be too much to ask
of those who have the wealth.

Need I hold out hope,
for a home to call my own.
A roof to hide the stars,
and the peace of being alone.

Written by,
Shelby I. Courtland
© 2013 Shelby I. Courtland

There is a difference in being lonely and being alone. The homeless are never alone, even out in the streets as there are always people passing by. They are lonely because they are shunned due to the loss of their identity. Our identity is also defined by our address and when we have none, we are never alone. If they are in shelters, there is never any peace and if they are on the streets, they are harassed. Again, no peace. This Christmas, think about how you would feel if, when you left your job, or went shopping, there was no ‘address’ for you to return to, no familiar personal belongings left untouched because they are behind lock and key and you are not toting them around with you; exposed for all to see, just as the homeless are, exposed and yet, invisible. Can you just imagine what it would feel like to a homeless person, who after 20 years of homelessness, turn a key in their very own lock, enter their ‘home’ and for the first time in years, experience the ‘peace of being alone’? Think about it!

I’m On The ‘Wait List’

Do drop inn! Plenty of room! No waiting!

No room at this inn.

I am a public nuisance and they arrested me.
I can’t tote around a restroom and I really had to pee.

Is this what it takes to get housing these days?
Under lock and key unless I change my ways?

I thought I did right. I applied for Section 8.
They told me, “just sit tight, all you have to do is wait!”

But the list is six years long, what kind of shit is that?
There’s no ‘wait list’ for a jail cell. They always got a mat.

Just once, I’d like to hear that there’s no room for one more!
And yet, there’s such a wait to house the homeless and the poor.

Prison is big business and a profit can be made.
Housing for the homeless? No foundation can be laid.

What are our priorities? Just ask a prison guard.
I spent another birthday there, my mother sent a card.

She said that I could stay with her until I find a place.
I’d most likely be a burden and this I could not face.

But hey! I’m on the ‘wait list’. It’ll only take 6 years.
Meanwhile, I’m in jail with all my homeless peers.

They never have a problem always hauling me to jail.
House the poor and the homeless? That always seems to fail.

Written by,

Shelby I. Courtland

Footnote:Section 8 is now known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program. It is a program that is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Unfortunately, the ‘wait list’ to obtain affordable housing can be anywhere from 4-8 years depending on where you live and in many cases, the ‘wait list’ is closed because there are just so many applicants needing affordable housing. However, there is no ‘wait list’ when it comes to arresting the homeless for loitering, trespassing, public urination, etc. Vagrancy laws are flying on the books in every city in America. We are shameless and that is a fact! Just as we are hell bent on arresting our drug problem away, we are also equally hell bent on arresting our homeless problem away. There will never be a ‘wait list’ to go to jail. That’s for damn sure!

© 2013 Shelby I. Courtland