Better Than G-Force

Why? I don't know. I just thought what other f'd up things are going to be done to squirrels (since I immediately thought of the waterskiing squirrel). But when you look closely you can see this dude ready for battle, with acorns becoming more scarce I don't blame him.

BUSE sidebar- After 100 post, taking several months to get to, we are STILL waiting for that first guest contributor. Everyone has opinions, share yours!

Dear Diary

After about four years I have finally decided to get my act together and get back to school. I mean the luxurious life of a security guard aside, it was finally time to grow up. So naturally as friends enter law or grad school, I have enrolled into community college to earn myself some sort of degree. With the conclusion of my first week nearing I have realized that I am way out of practice. Like the couch potato who up and decides to join a gym only to find that they are gassed after completing the warm-up portion of their workout on the treadmill. That's essentially me in school.

Truman, the school I attend, is not a large campus, in fact it is just building with three levels. However I am so out of practice that navigating the halls is not only confusing but tiresome. I am physically out of shape as it is, so all of this walking and climbing stairs is taking its toll. Now put the two together, being out of practice and shape, and there you see me a lost panting fool on the wrong side of level 3.

What I have also realized in this short week is that I am more impatient than when I last took orders from a professor. Maybe it is the fact that all of my classes are at least two hours long, but every second seems like a minute and every minute ten. It is truly dreadful but what really boils my blood and slows time down even more, are all of the dumb people. I know you are paying for these classes, so if you don't get it by all means ask questions, but please stop volunteering your wrong answers. And another thing, if you don't get it after asking three times, go see the professor during their office hours!

All things considered though, I am glad to be back in school. I fully intend on hitting the books hard because I'm back and rocking that 45 for my come back tour towards whatever degree I'm earning.

Fun Time

Everyone who has played sports wished a ref would have just admitted this at least once. But since that will never happen, let's thank this fan for taking the initiative to speak on his behalf. Also I can't believe the dude in the red hat was not immediately kicked out or at least had his sign torn up. Thankfully he and/or it wasn't, because it's a nice additional laugh.

BUSE wants to also take a time out to thank all of readers, as we turn the page on the first 100 and begin anew towards 200 and beyond.

Thank you,
Beans & Grey

You MAAADE It... #100!!!

It is said that everybody gets their own 15 minutes of fame. BUSE's very own, Grey, has had a few moments of local celebrity being seen in two commercials; one for the CW and another for his beloved White Sox. Everybody loves the recognition that comes with their chance in the lime light, at least at first. Even Jon Gosselin was okay with his celebrity in the beginning. But what has always shocked me is what people do to get their chance at their 15 minutes of fame. It is as if they have no shame in airing their dirtiest laundry, like the underwear rife with skid marks.

We all know who Maury is and surely we have all seen at least one of his paternity test shows. Several couples come onto national television to debate whether a child is this man's or not, and for what? A free trip to New York and a chance to be on TV? Maury's paternity tests are just one ridiculous example of the lengths people go to for their exposure, but it is not the craziest. In its heyday everybody loved the Jerry Springer Show because it was on his stage where the true depths of desperation for celebrity were put on display. With topics ranging from I slept with my sister to I didn't know she was a he and the legendary on stage fights needing to constantly be broken up.

To be fair to those like Maury and Jerry, there is a market for such "entertainment". Everybody does love watching or looking onto the scene of a wreck, so much so that a cleared accident still causes a traffic jam due to the gawkers. But are these human train wrecks truly must-see entertainment? Is the disconnect of not knowing and essentially not caring about those involved enough of a buffer? In this scenario I only wish these folks would have some decency and self-respect.

While racking the brain for a similar situation, I thought of those in the pornography industry. But even in that case there is a notable difference that justifies their decision, they are getting paid (some quite well). What I am wondering is where do you stand? Is the exposure and chance to become "famous" worth what you reveal? And for those who can't turn away, what is so entertaining and why can't you turn away? Get thorough with me.

#99

It's August 19 and the lead in the National League Central is six games. In Chicago this ought to be good news, based on projections for this current season. However it is not the Chicago Cubs running away with the division, rather the St. Louis Cardinals. The red birds have out done the Cubs all year round, both on and off the field. Due to this it is now time to take this trick, the Cubs, and throw them under the bus.

After the last season ended in Los Angeles with the Dodgers celebrating their sweep, I was one of the few fans proclaiming the season a success. My stance, these guys need to crawl before they can walk. Sure there is a 100 year title drought, but I believed it was important to establish a dynasty. I was hoping for a run similar to that of the Atlanta Braves versus either of the Florida Marlins title seasons. It was the first time in a long time the Cubs made the post-season in back to back years. Now with a few additions to the roster in 2009 the Cubs should/could continue their winning ways.

But there is a reason why we play the games and that is being put on center stage in how these Cubs have played. The additions Milton Bradley and Kevin Gregg have been utter disappointments. Bradley has as many RBI as Ryan Theriot and Gregg can not save a game. Out $100 million man, Alfonso Soriano, is hitting .250 with 20 home runs (7 came in the first 2 weeks). Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly have been good but have missed entirely too many games with injuries.

This post is a declaration of the end, as a fan I am waving the white flag. I will watch a few games from here on out but with zero expectations. This year was/is a year to be forgotten, the players have no performed and the general manager did and has not made the best moves to put the Cubs in the driver seat. So a couple months earlier than normal, here is the Cubs unofficial slogan, 'Wait 'til next year!'

That B is DIRTY

In case it's unclear it reads, "If only my wife was this dirty"

You see them everyday, cars long in need of a good car washing. Usually the car owner is told to wash their car, but sometimes someone gets funny and writes a funny message just as this one. If all else fails the artist/tagger just draws a large penis. Either way it's all funny.

BUSE side bar... This is blog #98! Two more until 100 and designs are in for our t-shirts to celebrate the feat. If you would like a buse-news shirt just let Gray and I know by merely giving us a name and size with a comment to this post. Also once we finally move into our pad there will be a large all encompassing party to celebrate. 

Racism..continued...but ended.

Since my last argument went to shit...and no one identified with my example, I'll admit that my argument was incoherent. Plain and simple. However, since i have the ability to blog whenever i want, and because I have very strong feelings about this topic. I'll explain my point as succinctly as possible and then exit the arena.

Those who oppose my feelings believe as a consensus that minorities harbor just as much racism as white people. And that it is that racism, that must be extinguished before we can truly achieve equality. While I agree that racism is a pervasive mindset that can be present in any person, I simply think it is silly to suggest that "reverse racism" is a significant problem that is holding minorities back. In my opinion, there is plenty of overt and institutionalized racism that oppresses minorities everyday, and THAT racism is what's keeping our world unequal. Though minorities certainly have the capacity to harbor intense, bitter racism in their hearts, to my knowledge in human history, white people are the ones with the track record of turning their racism into justification for enslavement, oppression, subjugation, and the all important institutionalized racism....(building a country based on those ideals).

I find it offensive when white people (or people of color for that matter) suggest that the "solution" to the "race problems" in America is for minorities to wake up and stop being so racist themselves. Because honestly, that's ridiculous. The problem with racial inequality is not that minorities are oblivious to or refuse to take responsibility for their own feelings of racism, no the problem is the fact that racism EXISTS in the first place. It's existed for centuries and it has a long and storied history. And the history of racism is founded in whites oppressing minorities, that's a fact, and there's no changing that. As soon as you are born with black or brown skin in this country, you are AUTOMATICALLY way more likely to live in a worse neighborhood, attend a shittier school, receive less health care and be treated less fairly by the justice system than white people. That's automatic, right from birth. That phenomenon is not minorities' fault, and it's not necessarily the fault of the white people of today. But it's the way things are, and that's the racism that I believe needs to go, let's worry about "reverse racism" when minorities have no reason to revert anymore.

History Repeats Itself, Beans and Gray Disagree

Gray

It's what we've always feared here at BUSE news, an I'm Right,...I'm Right scenario between the two blog authors. I thought about what beans mulled on Monday. And while I agree with him on some points, I disagree with his idea that "reverse racism" is something we minorities must extinguish from our communities. I think reverse racism is a somewhat meaningless term,...and I'll illustrate with a common example that people often cite in its defense.

In many black neighborhoods, in various small grocery stores, barber shops, what have you....you will find a sign that reads "This Business is Black Owned". These signs are simply small messages of assurance to the patrons that the money they spend inside is supporting their black community. These signs have always been popular in predominantly black neighborhoods as the idea of "black conciousness" spread in the 20th century.

However, if the same signs existed in white neighborhood shops and stood for the same ideals, "white consciousness", and the assurance that the money being spent in the establishment was sure to go only to white people. Many minorities would claim such ideas and practices to be racist and exclusionary.....so is that a Double Standard?..Hypocrisy?, Reverse Racism? No. None of the above....it's society...hell it's just physics.

Every action has a reaction...In this case....the action is the legacy of overt white supremacy that was practiced and systematically implemented into society during the first 190 years of the United States....not to mention the lasting implications that accompany that legacy. The reaction here is the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior structure that minorities have formed to combat that racism. Now, to be clear....i know it's 2009, so I definitely feel the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior of minorities should not mirror those of minorities in 1860. They should have progressed to reflect the much more racially peaceful times that we live in. But I do believe that these sentiments should certainly exist given the fact that many minorites are affected by their race (in a negative way) on a daily basis.

I am not an apologist. I do not think minorities should blame whites for their problems. I don't think white people should pay for the sins of their fathers and grandfathers anymore than I think blacks can claim to bear the chains and wounds of their ancestors. But I do believe whites should always be socially aware. There are certain things that white people cannot do or say, while a minority can do the same thing and get away with it. This isn't reverse racism, it's a "result of racism" (I just coined a phrase).....the racism that this country was founded on.

So if you're white, because your ancestors treated human beings like livestock,...if you say the word "nigger"...you will get fired. Meanwhile, if I call you a "cracker",..(even to your face) nothing will come of it. This so called reverse racism has nothing to do with a pervasive ignorant consensus among minorities that it is "OK" to hate on white people. It is simply the lasting implications of racial subjugation. So whether it's Affirmative Action, tv networks like Black Entertainment Television, or black comedians making fun of how white people dance and talk......these seemingly unfair scenarios only exist because of our nation's peculiar history. Can't hate.

Can't Have It Both Ways

It is the energizer bunny of all topics, the one thing that no matter what just will not go away. Race. Here at BUSE we have written about it several times, "I get it. Race is a sexy topic. In sports, politics, pop culture....whatever the topic, if someones race is the story, it is automatically more interesting because race is a hot button issue that everyone generally has an opinion on." Yet it is still something any responsible socially conscious person must continuously discuss in order to bring about a change. I would like change, which is why today I am mulling over a side to racism that is scoffed at by minorities and ignored by whites, reverse racism.

Even after fully acknowledging the wrongs of the past (slavery, segregation, discrimination and so forth) I can not scoff at or ignore reverse racism anymore. Why should the sins of the father be inherited by or put onto those of a new generation? Even those wrongs committed as little as 60 years ago can not be put on all white people anymore. Therefore the defense of reverse racism, saying they deserve it, is foundation less and hypocritical.

There is no foundation because you did learn two wrongs don't make a right, didn't you? You also ought to remember the message from one of the civil rights movement's most influential/important leaders, Martin Luther King Jr., to combat hate with love. And therein lies the hypocrisy. How are minorities going to demand equality and inclusion from whites while at the same time reveling in the fact that and even demanding whites stay out of their communities? After all in Dr. King's 'I Have A Dream' speech, he did say he say he dreamt of white and black girls holding hands and playing together, not just on the same block as one another. Racism has a two way flow, and the only to ebb both flows is to eradicate society of all its forms.

There Are Other Fish in the Sea

The ninth season of America's favorite talent show is preparing to take off, as judges and hosts renew contracts. The shows creator and most popular judge, Simon Cowell, had recently renewed his contract to earn himself millions upon millions per episode. And why not? Without Simon's incredibly mean, funny, and harshly honest retorts the show may never have become what it is today. Oh and it was his idea to bring the show from Britain to the States. Then news broke that host and executive producer Ryan Seacrest received a new contract, that also made him a very rich man. Now waiting in the wings was original judge, Paula Abdul, who throughout the last season publicly expressed her unhappiness with the show.

Nine years ago Paula Abdul was irrelevant, just an ex-pop star from the late 80s/early 90s famous for also being one of the Laker Girls. Basically no one would have cared if they heard from her again, but nine years ago she was given an opportunity to be apart of something new and big. Along with the how being a success, Paula become a hit once again. She played a role, excellently, and captured the hearts of thousands of fans as the sweet and kind judge of the bunch. So people once again cared about Paula Abdul. However during this entire contract negotiation process Paula has overestimated her actual worth and contributions to the show. And now reports are that she will not be returning for the shows ninth season, making her worthy of being this weeks trick.

To squabble over how many millions she will receive and the not be satisfied with a couple million is just wrong. Paula, you are expendable. Think about the Chicago Bulls and their 2 different 3 peats. During the first 3 Horace Grant was a key member of the team, so key that without him they probably don't win 3 in a row, but fast forward to the next 3 peat, there was no Horace Grant on the roster. Paula you have made a living in an NBA arena, you should know you're not American Idol's Michael Jordan or even Scottie Pippen. So threaten all you want but now you have to lay in the bed you have made for yourself. It is show biz after all, and the show must go on.

Summah Summah Summahtime

Time flies when you're having fun, so it comes as no surprise that it is August 5, meaning summer is nearly over. However, this year summer in Chicago has felt like anything but, with temperatures and weather patterns resembling those expected in spring and fall. The month of July came and went without a day in which temperatures reached the 90s. That's just not supposed to happen! But when you step back and think about it, you have to ask yourself if it is really a big deal and then if truly has ruined your summer. I say no to both and instead believe it has made summer more enjoyable.

Now I do love my summers of old, which include heat advisories and humidity, but I don't miss them. Are summers really made by the amount of senior citizens who keel over due to heat related issues? Anytime you have to be advised that it is going to be too hot to fully enjoy a day that can't be good. Which is why this 'summer' and its high temperatures in the 80s are perfect. You are provided the break from winter without worrying about losing your grandparents or suffering heat stroke if you decide to have some fun in the sun.

Being in Chicago you can't have high temperature without having to deal with humidity. And having all that moisture in the air makes being outside unpleasant. I have a job that has me outside regardless of the weather conditions. So a summer lacking much humidity has been great. As out of shape as I am, I don't need to look and feel worse as I am drenched in sweat, feeling incredibly sticky because the air is as moist as I am. Aside from just having to be outside, humidity makes playing outside a forgettable experience. Due to excess sweat your shirt and skin become fused together and it feels as though you have added 5 pounds.

I hope my whiny tone has not been off-putting, because I have never complained about it being too hot. But at the same time I never experienced a summer as fake as this current one. So I'm merely just throwing some summer different perspective out there, next time you complain about a summer being too hot remember '09 to, most likely, remind yourself how you had yearned for days in the upper 90s.

Guayama Nation

It is a well known fact that the writers of this blog are huge weekend warriors, whether it be basketball, 16" or 12" softball, we are serious ballers. This past weekend our softball team, Guayama playing in the Roberto Clemente 12" Semi-Fast League, wrapped up our season with a split of a double-header against Santurce. The playoffs will begin this weekend with the 4 seed Guayama playing Patilla (place to be determined) in a best of 3 game series. So come Sunday please be ready to cheer for your favorite bloggers, as we work towards our goal of Puerto Rico! Here are the statistics for your boys:

Tony Torres- .436, 2 HR, 13 R
Brad Gilliat- .486, 2 HR, 26 R
F.J. Pagan- .465, 8 HR, 37 R
Ryne Malonzo- .538, 8 HR, 30 R
Giovanni Martinez- .377, 1 HR, 17 R
Zak Pagan- .477, 14 R, 1 W, 3 K
Shawn Burns- .304, 4 HR, 12 R
Jason Millison- .415, 10 R
Luis Diaz- .407, 2 HR, 9 R, 4 W, 6 K

Al Cuevas- .500, 12 R
Fabian Pagan- .389, 10 R, 5 W, 7 K

Myk Warner- .494, 6 HR, 28 R
Mike Klimson- .615, 4 HR, 20 R
Kevin Meyer- .574, 6 HR, 25 R
Carlos Heraldo- .500, 1 HR, 3 R
Tony Petraitis- .554, 3 HR, 24 R