My Daily Struggle in the COVID-19 Lockdown

 Another interesting, eventful week. Where do I start? First, there's the death of the one of the most powerful nursemaids to leftist radicals, Supreme Court "Justice" Ginsberg. Okay, to be fair, she has done some good things and have made a few positive changes. Still, to a person who believes that life begins at conception, that sexuality is a private issue alone, and that small minorities should not force their issues on the majority (with a few exceptions), some of her rulings are an affront to morality, freedom, and even nature. That being said, I found it interesting how people showed disrespect to Ginsberg and other mourners by booing the President when he came to her casket. The irony is, if he did not come to honor her memory, people would have booed him for not coming. With leftist radicals, you cannot win.  As for him nominating a candidate to take over  Ginsberg's place, good for him! We need an even balance of liberalism and conservatism in the Supreme Co...

 Much to discuss. First, a big shout-out to one of my biggest cheerleaders and pastry enthusiasts, Caroljean Hauze, whose birthday I missed 😬. Please join me in wishing her a happy belated birthday! 🎂🎂🎂🎈🎈🎈🎉🎉🎉 This has been one heck of a week. First, another Black man shot by a cop (at least this guy didn't die). Cue peaceful protesters. Then cue BLM  and Antifa. And now, one of my favorite places to visit, Kenosha, is ruined. On top of this, this one guy named Kyle Rittenhouse decided that he had enough of the rioting and savagery, so he opened fire on the rioters, killing one and injuring two. A seventeen-year-old boy could be going to prison for life. On the one hand, he was outside of the law. He should have only used the gun if his home or property were in jeopardy. On the other hand, in too many cities have politicians openly disrespected all police, good and bad, or told the police force to stand down. In Chicago, Portland, and other cities, mayors and governor...

People had really gotten on my nerves this week. First, you have toilet matter masquerading as humans still attacking police officers who are just doing their jobs when they come to stop them from illegally destroying property, such as the Christopher Columbus statue Then Mayor Lighthead (you read me) ordered the overnight removal of the statue that police had injured themselves protecting to placate the samboes. (PS: read the last post to know what I am talking about.  Mind you, I don't like mass murderers like Columbus. It disgusts me that a halfway civilized society would have statues celebrating Columbus or General Sheridan. Regardless, she did not remove the statue because of how she felt about him. She did it for publicity. Now calls herself trying to defy the President when he threatened to send federal agents to Chicago to do the job she will not do: quell the riots and stop the shooting.  Ms. Mayor, more people are being shot this weekend like all weekends, and what a...

Black Lives Don’t Matter That caught you by horrid surprise Did it not? Do you think this is written By a murderous Klansman Or an ignorant Karen? No, I am a Black man A frustrated Black man A tired Black man A Black man who sees the hypocrisy Of all of the Black Lives Matter posters In the windows of houses and businesses Because of the lack of justice For dozens of Blacks Murdered by Klansmen in Blue Where the hell was your indignation On Friday and Saturday nights When hundreds of brothers, sisters And even babies Are shot to death By other brothers? Where was it When sisters place their millions Of unborn children On the altars of Margaret Sanger Who only wanted to see the Black nation Wither away and die? Where was it When hardworking Black brothers and sisters Watched the businesses they struggled to build Burned to the ground Because Black lives supposedly matter? What about Black police officers Who were br...

Another eventful week. First, America is seeing an increase in states turning into hotspots. Except for New York, these are states that did not take the pandemic seriously. So far, thankfully, this is not much of an issue in Illinois. We are still in Phase 4, which allows us to enjoy the summer provided we use social distancing (or, as The Wife calls it, "physical distancing"). In fact, we went to a restaurant for the first time in months yesterday! Another beacon of hope: scientists found a COVID-19 vaccine this week, and it passed its first test! Sure, nothing is final, but a glimmer of hope is still hope. We are closer to the end of this pandemic now than we were months ago. Rejoice! Now for some unpleasant news. The savage rioters are at it again. They have destroyed church statues, Confederate statues, and they are now going after Christopher Columbus statues--specifically, the one in Chicago's Grant Park. Personally, I despise Christopher Columbus, and I ...

This was another humid day. I really hope they find this vaccine soon because I am tired of wearing masks. I cannot wear them outside because I start wheezing. There are even stories of people fainting from ingesting too much carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide is lethal, but a certain amount of carbon dioxide, dear friends, is also lethal. I keep seeing people outside wearing masks when they do not need to, such as when they are by themselves or the closest person to them is well over 6 feet away. This is not the right weather for prolonged use of masks! When I went out today, I only donned my mask when I entered a store or confronted a stranger. This is the only time we need these masks. It seems like we are darned if we do and darned if we don't. So, it is the middle of the weekend. How many Chicagoans will be shot by Monday? How many will be killed? How many of these will be children? Pardon the sarcasm, but is that not what we have come to in Illinois, where no one can enjoy a s...

Things are getting gradually better COVID-19 wise. In addition to the Phase 4 beginning, the governor decided to reopen schools for the fall semester. As for the states that did not take this seriously, they are raising restrictions again. Indeed, we should be taking this seriously, but we should not use this virus to oppress others and limit their freedom. We should also not be so afraid that we surrender our rights and freedoms. If we give up our rights and freedoms for security, all three will eventually be taken from us, and rightly so. It would appear that we are getting the repercussions from the riots which I knew would come. First, there are stories of police officers and private individuals who advocate killing, even via massacre, of African Americans. Furthermore, there was a news story of teachers taking a photograph whilst holding a noose, plus nooses just happening to appear in broad daylight. Then, there was the story of a young biracial woman who was attacked in her ca...

I am back from my retreat refreshed and able to tackle the world better. I guess I missed a few things while I was gone. First, I learned that over 80 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, and about a dozen of those died, including a few children. One girl was sitting in her house and a bullet came in from her window. A man killed two teenagers for, wait for it, asking how tall he was. Black Lives Matter, indeed. Let the record show, friends, that those who murdered Black people over the weekend were Black! Not cops, not even rednecks or good old boys, but Black civilians! I read how supposed Black activists are offended when a person, usually White, mentions that there are good cops, show dissent for the looking and rioting, say all lives matter, or mention the deaths and random shootings in African-American neighborhoods. If that is the route they choose, then they should change their name Barbaric Black and Intellectually Stupid White Lives Matter. So, to them, Black L...

Summer began today! Though the rain and the clouds made it difficult to notice, today was the longest day of the year. Tomorrow, I plan to go to church and then hurry home so The Wife can take me to the train station. Then, it's off to the monastery. I am really looking forward to the serenity and spiritual healing. Again, I plan to continue writing my blog while I am gone, internet access permitting. Good news and bad news for Chicago. First the good news. Starting Monday, the bars will be open, and indoor seating will be allowed once again--with restrictions. Is it possible that Olive Garden will break down and take reservations? Now, the bad news. A three-year-old boy was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in the Austin neighborhood tonight. Disgusting. It does not even matter that the boy was not the target. If you are going to kill someone, at least be a man, get out of the car, and face your target. Don't open fire from a moving vehicle! What, do you think a bul...

It's vacation time! I was even able to leave early today. Hurrah! It's also Juneteenth! I arose this morning, added the red, black, and green flag just below the American flag on my car antenna, and I said the African-American pledge of allegiance. I am sure people are wondering what the African-American Pledge of Allegiance is and why we have it. First, here is the the answer to the first question. The African-American Pledge of Allegiance We pledge allegiance of the red, black and green Our flag, the symbol of our eternal struggle and to the land we must obtain. As for the second question, such a pledge, which is one of several for the same purpose, is mean to unify people for the sake of a common need and a common identity. Alas, African-Americans have a rich culture that is different from African or even Caribbean cultures. There are certain things that African Americans understand about each other that are foreign to all others, while there are things ...

"And so Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years to marry Rachel. But do you know what happened? Laban tricked Jacob and gave him his ugly daughter, Leah, so that to marry Rachel, he had to work for Laban another 7 years. So you see, children, the Bible clearly teaches us, you can never trust an employer!" That is my favorite quote from my favorite play, "Fiddler on the Roof." When I first saw this, I thought it was funny, but my humor about it keeps getting dryer and dryer. Why? Because, with the exception of some employers, like She Sits by the Fire, employers are untrustworthy. Loyalty and dependence means very little to them. I have been at my current job for over 10 years. In that first year, I worked extra hard. I worked even harder when I had a client with cancer. I worked extra hours and spend almost 90% of my documentable time with her. I went more that above and beyond. I did things for clients that my colleagues wouldn't even dream of doing. As this woman...

Went to my Saturday job this morning after months of furlough. It was very nice to be back. I actually started to feel normal again. She Sits by the Fire and I talked about how the protesters wanted to defund the police force and how that would not work. She told me about her experiences growing up in a small Swedish sub-neighborhood in Grand Crossing and how she grew up seeing only people and potential friends, and race matters were not really an issue. I am glad that she had this experience and that she was taught decent respect for others. Unfortunately, not everyone is taught to be so tolerant. Some parents indirectly tell their children discriminatory things just by ranting in anger or joking with a friend. Some deliberate bigots will make it a point to teach their bigotry to their children. On the other hand, most African-American parents have "the talk" with their children when they get to be a certain age. It happens when a child is treated differently from other ch...

I am so glad it is Friday and that the weekend is coming. Just two more weeks until my much-needed vacation. For those who may ask, I will still do my posts when I am in the monastery. They might be a little late if there is little to no internet. When the monks are working, I plan to use that time writing my book. This was a ridiculous day. Since my program director wanted me to get groceries at Costco for a while until I can take clients grocery shopping again, I spent practically two hours in that place because their setup was out of order, and so was the shopping list. On top of that, the store was surprisingly busy for a Friday morning, and I hate crowds like that; they make me nervous! Social distancing helped nothing either. When, oh, when, will these restrictions end?! It was in the 90's today, and I was so hot wearing that stupid mask. My agency had better give us some concrete answers soon; this is driving me bloody insane! Before I go further, a big thank you to Past...

Another rough day. They had this call-in meeting at work, and we talked about the latest events with a few speakers and the CEO. The meeting was okay for a while, but then this speaker, an educated woman, said that the riots had to happen. When she said this, I ended the call. I could not bear to listen to her anymore. I have heard people trivialize the damages and losses of those whose businesses were looted and vandalized by bringing up the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. I have no patience for such people. Let me tell you about the Tulsa Race Massacre that started on June 1st, 1921. A group of armed veterans tried to protect themselves from an angry lynch mob. As a result, the lynch mob shot and killed African-Americans randomly, burning down the entire neighborhood. This lynch mob hated the fact that Blacks were doing better than them and needed the slightest excuse take away all they have earned. I have done much research on this, and I wrote a novel about it . The ...

Another sad day. As I went to an outreach client's house, I saw people boarding up their businesses on Division Street. On Division and Paulina, I saw that the Target was boarding their windows a few hours too late. I also saw on Ashland, where my client gets his medicine and household goods, with all of its windows shattered. On the I-90/94, there was an influx of graffiti, especially the initial VTC, which I have learned means Vandalize the City. I had to pull over to restrain my emotions. Alas, I was on the job, and I am tired, damn tired, of shedding tears. Yes, today I wept for Lady Chicago. I have always loved her, even though I had to leave her. Lady Chicago has a unique beauty, a style, a flair, and an abundance of class. Sadly over the years, corporations, corrupt politicians, and rebels with false causes have seduced my first love, promising her power and eternal fame. So, she turned away from the family that built and nurtured her and the lover that protected her and l...