Things you can't unsee...

Den of the Beastly Bear

Hi Folks!

It's been warm and muggy here the last week or so, the kind where even fans seem to have no effect.

Momma Bear and I had some shopping to do for a nephew's birthday, and even the a/c in the stores seemed to offer little relief.

As we were heading home, I noticed that a bar/restaurant we used to frequent had been turned into a Fireworks store. Not really all that surprising as it had been sitting vacant for a year or more...

Fireworks stores are all the rage here in Michigan as of late...the state has recently lifted it's near-ban on anything and everything fireworks related that was any fun at all!

Oh sure we were allowed sparklers, and smoke bombs, and those stupid little ash "snakes". But anything else that: 

1) moved 

2) exploded 

or 

3) left the ground 

was forbidden.

This is not to say we didn't have them, just that they were illegal as Hell!

Inevitably there would be some characters that made the pilgrimage South every year, loaded up their pick-up or hoopty or whatever else would roll and load up. Come back to Michigan and resell them at a huge profit. Such is the way of the Black Market.

One such purveyor of illicit fireworks was a guy named "Sam".

Sam was a regular customer at Gell's, the sporting goods store I worked at all through High School and beyond.

Of middling years, Sam was a swarthy fellow of Russian/Ukrainian decent. Salt had started to leak into his dark hair. A large, balding yet hairy guy of about six feet. He weighed in the neighborhood of 350 lbs. if he weighed an ounce. He was not large "all over" as some big men (like myself) are. No, Sam looked like a normal person you stuck an enormous belly on! He wore what hair he had left slicked down, and every time I saw him he had a red bandanna rolled up and tied around his neck, knot to the side...which always made me think "Gypsy". That, and he always had the stub of a fat cigar in the corner of his mouth, never lit.

Sam had a live-in girlfriend named "Christi"...and a couple kids between them.

Christi's hair was blonde, which she wore long with squared off bangs. Where Sam was swarthy, she was pale as meringue, blue veins visible beneath the skin...

A turned up nose and tiny deep-set eyes lent her face a certain "porcine" appearance. In fact, some of the cruder guys used to call her "Miss Piggy".

She was of a height with Sam, and truthfully looked like she could take him in a fair fight. Christi was a big woman...everywhere.

She had enormous breasts that never sagged. Why? There was nowhere for them to go!!! Like Sam, she had an extremely large, protuberant belly that left them nowhere to go.

One day Sam and Christi sauntered in... 
I say sauntered, because wherever he went...when Sam walked in a place, he walked in like he owned it! 

"Hey Kid!" he called in greeting though he was still halfway across the store. He knew my name, but only resorted to using it in the direst of circumstances.

"Hey Sam!" I called back...

"I gots a question for you and da guyz...you like fireworks?"

"Hell yeah!" I replied with youthful enthusiasm.

"Haz I got a deal for you guyz!" Sam stopped and looked over both shoulders to make sure he wouldn't be overheard. This always made me laugh. For even whispering, Sam was about as quiet as a freight train.

Satisfied he wasn't under any unwanted scrutiny, he continued.

"Had a guy, put in an order for a ton a shit. I go gets it all, and when I get back he starts the "I didn't know it'd be so much" and "I ain't got that kind o'money" so I tells him to piss off....Mother Scratcher!"

("Mother Scratcher" being Sam's coined, personal phrase....never heard it before or since.) 

"How much did he order?" I asked.

"Three bills worth! Now I ain't got time to sell it proper, get all my money out of it. But you guyz wants it, I'll let ya have it for $150 which is what I got into it." Sam said.

Well for guys that were making $65 a week part time...that was a lot of scratch.

"I'll talk to the guys Sam, see what they say...when do you need to know by?"

"You ask around, give me a call at this number..." He picked up one of the many notepads lying around, produced a pen and wrote down his number. "Let me know by Friday, or I'll have to make other arrangements."

So, I talked with the guys...my Assistant Manager Bruce was throwing a 4th. of July party and said he'd go in half if we could come up with the rest. I was able to, so I called Sam.

Sam gave me directions to his house, and a time to meet him...I got volunteered to make the "buy", as I was still a minor. I know, for a guy that planned to go into Law Enforcement this was not necessarily moral high ground....but it wasn't smuggling heroin either! Lol

I found the house easy enough, it was in a slightly less than middle-class neighborhood. Two stories of brick with white siding and black trim and faux shutters. It was HOT that day, and I was thankful I'd had the a/c recharged on my car.

The heat and humidity were like a slap in the face as I opened my door and made my way up the walk, and I felt a bead of sweat roll down between my shoulder blades.  A screen door was all that barred my entrance and I rapped loudly, as I could hear a television on in the back of the house.

My mind and eyesight wandered as I waited...watching the heat mirage boil up off the street.

"Hi Joe," a female voice said.

I turned back to the door and almost fell off the stoop in shock.

There stood Christi in nothing but a matching set of nude silk bra and panties!!! The largest of which I'd ever seen!

Her hair was matted to her head with sweat, and her face glistened with perspiration. The bottom of the bra was discolored with wetness, and salt stains showed it had at least retreated somewhat.

Sweat had also leaked from between her ample cleavage and down her belly to dampen the top of the panties just below her exposed belly button.

I averted my eyes immediately...blushing.

"I'll let Sam know you're here, come on in..." she said holding the door for me. As soon as I was inside she started for the back of the house, and I could see that dampness had also darkened the back of the panties around the waistline...and they were a little "low" if you catch my drift.

"SAM!!! JOE'S HERE!!! GET HIM HIS STUFF!!!" she bellowed as she went. 

"I'M COMING GOD DAMMIT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SCREAM!!!" He bellowed back.

Sam appeared from a hallway off to the left and I was again taken aback. For there stood Sam in nothing but a pair of dingy, once white "tightie whities", bandanna and slippers. Holding a bottle of beer, cigar stub stuck in his mouth.

He was undoubtedly the hairiest man I had ever seen! The hair stood 3" above his shoulders and across his chest. Slicked down the center of his chest and wet from his man boobs to his belly button with sweat. He moved his beer to his left hand, wiped his right on his underwear and stuck it out for me to shake.

"Hey Kid, how ya doin'? Hotter'n a Mother Scratcher ain't it?"

Not wanting to give offense to a man in his own home, I shook the proffered hand.

"Sure as Hell is!" I replied, trying to look anywhere but at Sam.

I wiped my own hand on my pants discretely after the shake. 

"I got most of it in two grocery bags, the rest is in dis box," He said, kicking a box next to the couch with one slippered foot. "You got my money, yeah?"

"Sure do..." I took it out and counted it, giving me somewhere else to look. Sam took the cash and tucked it into the waistband of his underwear.

Christi came in with two, handled paper grocery bags and handed them to me.

"I told you to get his stuff..." She admonished Sam.

"I had a beer..." He told her, to me Sam said.

"You take the bags, and I'll carry the box for you..." 

"Ummmm I can come back up for it Sam, you don't have to come out..." I said.

"Nonsense," He replied "you guyz really helped me out taking all this off my hands...least I can do is help ya carry it."

With that he set down his beer, and squatted down to pick up the box.

"You're coming out like that?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Uhhh, never mind"

We walked out to my car, I opened the trunk and set the bags inside.

Then I turned to Sam, took the box and placed it in the trunk. I slammed the lid closed and turned back to Sam...and got another shock!

When Sam had squatted, the fabric of the underwear already straining at it's load...had gaped open to allow Mr. Winky to make a run for it!!!!

Sam, of course was oblivious...hanging out for God and all the world to see!

"Hey, Um...Ah, Sam..." I stammered, pointing towards his crotch.

He looked puzzled for a moment then looked down.

"Oh, Jesus Christ!!!" He exclaimed, tucking himself back in with his right hand.

"Sorry bout that..." He said

"Well, I best get going..." I said.

"Sure, sure..." Sam said. "And thank the guyz for me again."

He stuck out his hand again...I just looked at it for a second.

"Not this time..."

"Oh, yeah....right!!!" He laughed uproariously, and gave me a pat on the shoulder that rocked me. "Enjoy!"

With that he made his way back inside, his slippers slapping as he went.

He and Christi waved from the door as I backed out the drive.

I drove over to the store to divvy up the fireworks, feeling guilty and more than a little unclean...

When I got to the store, the guys wanted a full rundown on where Sam lived, what the house was like...everything.

I started the story with this:

"You know, there are just some things you can't unsee..."

Hope you Mother Scratchers are having a great Weekend!!!

Keep cool!

Be Well Folks!!!

Consequences...

Den of the Beastly Bear

Hiya Folks!

Having casually strolled past the half century mark in my life, it's only natural to look back and wonder:

"How in the HELL did I get HERE?

I think I owe where I am, or can blame it all on one thing...a woman!

From the time I was but a tyke I had one job, one plan in mind for how my adult life would be. I was gonna be a cop.

I grew up on a steady diet of Adam-12, Dragnet, Barretta, Ironsides...yep definitely gonna be a cop.

By the time I hit High School there was a refined notion that either the FBI, or the Marshals service was the place for me.

And I had a plan to effect this notion.

Out of school I would join the Marine Corp. like dear old Dad, but I would be an MP. Take my college classes while in...apply to the FBI or Marshals upon discharge.

One thing was for sure...I was NEVER working for GM!

Then the " woman" happened...

Her name was Barb.

She went to my school, a year older than me. She was friends with one of the cashiers at my part time job, Carol. Carol and I were friends from school and Drama club.

When one of our other cashiers left, they hired Barb.

Built like a brick shithouse, with eyes the color of the sea during a storm. She wore her medium brown hair in a Dorothy Hamil bob that perfectly complimented her full lips and cute little upturned nose.

I was infatuated...

She had only one flaw...as told to me by her friend Carol, she was BAT SHIT CRAZY!!!

I was too young to understand the full import of that statement!

When a guy tells you a woman is crazy, chances are she's shot him down. When a woman tells you another woman is crazy, she's probably jealous of her. When a woman tells you her friend is crazy, brother you better believe that shit!!!

Barb was depressive and a cutter back before we had really identified those things. I didn't care, I could fix her!

One Saturday night after work, as we headed out to our cars...Barb and I were chatting. I walked her to her blue metallic '72 Nova, as everyone else left we stood there talking. I felt I was making good progress...

After a while Barb said "Well, I should be going..."

In that wishy washy way girls do when they want you to beg them to stay.

"Ah, come on Barb you don't really have to go do ya?"

"Well...I should..." She said.

"Five more minutes...surely you can stay 5 more minutes?" 

In my head it didn't sound as desperate as it does now.

"Nope, gotta go...see you Monday." And she hoped in her car after a quick hug.

Being a playful, silly guy I hoped up on the fender of her car and said "You can't leave if I'm sitting on your car! Hahaha"

Without a word, she smiled at me...started the car, dropped it in gear...and FLOORED IT!!!!

As those 300 horses roared their fury I realized I was in trouble...thrown back against the windshield.

What had started out as being silly, had suddenly turned into a very dangerous situation!

I didn't even have time to hop off before we were going dangerously fast, the hood on a '72 Nova is flush so there was nothing to grab a hold of...as she headed towards the exit she had to make a sharp right hand turn. Without slowing she juked the wheel to the right and I went sailing off the hood at almost 35 miles an hour!

Though I landed on my feet, I certainly could not run 35 miles an hour...so as I tumbled towards the asphalt I instinctively put out my hands to keep from face planting the parking lot. As I hit I was able to tuck a shoulder under me and roll to a stop...more or less in a heap!

As I lay there trying to figure out what was broken I heard her back up, roll down her window and in a giggly sing songy voice said: 

"That's what ya get...hahahaha!"

And in a squeal of tires, off she went...

As I unfolded myself and stood up, my clothes were ripped and my left arm wasn't working quite right. Not broken, but not right either...and limped to my car.

"Bat shit crazy?" I thought "Fucking INSANE is more like it!!!"

The infatuation was over...

So my wounded pride, screwed up arm, and broken crush took our stupid ass home.

By the next day I had no wrist...my left arm was the same size elbow to hand...and I had Popeye forearms before this, so this was not good. That, and any movement caused immense pain!

Off to Emergency...

Torn ligament's and a fractured ulna bought me strap-on cast, made in two halves and held together by an ACE bandage. I would need to wear this for 8 weeks.

Not the end of the world, it was early in my junior year...I'd survive.

What I had no way of knowing...

This one simple act of flirtation would set in motion a string of events.

Events that would cause me to almost fail my junior year, keep me out of the military, ruin my chances of going into law enforcement and almost cost me my life, twice.

But that is a story for another day...

Anyway, my point...and yes there is one, lol.

Is that the simplest of decisions can forever alter your life...

I've tried to instill this notion in my daughter.

That there are always consequences. 

They may not be immediate or easily identified but they are always there.

That, and be very careful who you let into your life...

Of course had it not been for the happily insane Barb, I'd never have met Mama Bear, and Princess Bear would not exist. So I DO have things to thank Barb for.

But I'd like to kick her ass for costing me my career, cause working for GM is just not cutting it!!! Lol

Well, there's always the lottery...

:-)

Happy Friday Folks!

Be Well!

Beastly Bear

Not what I expected...

Den of the Beastly Bear

Hi Folks!

Another tale from the "Ghost Files" from my days working at Waterford Kettering High School.

A few months after the girls broke into the Cheerleader locker room (read about that here), it was the Drama teacher that sought me out.

Patti Looman, the Legendary Drama teacher at Kettering had retired the year previously...and this new teacher was struggling to distinguish herself from the shadow of her predecessor! She must not have done that great a job, as her name slips my mind...lol!

Anyway, she came to me to say that someone was getting into the prop/costume room above the stage.

She had found cigarette butts and things were moved.

Costumes had been thrown on the floor into a "pile", evidently to sit on as there was no furniture up there.

Her very real fear was of these kids accidentally starting a fire up there, and it going full bore before anyone knew it!!!

Again, this is a locked room and she had the only key save for the custodial staff, principals, and hall monitor/security. She never is without her key or loaned it out...it was a mystery. I LOVE a mystery!

I discussed the situation with the other monitors and the principals and it was decided I'd pull another covert vigil to see what I could find out. Because the room was so rarely visited she had no idea when this was occurring so I could be in for a long wait.

The stage, like at most High schools of the day was in the Gymnasium. Not long after I'd graduated the school went from gender specific gym classes to a coed format. Normally my suspicions would have run to the girls, as the stage was on their "side" of the gym, now it could be anyone.

Drama club was preparing for their final play of the year, and the stage proper was in somewhat of a disarray. Luckily for me there was a couch not being used for their production at the back (read darkest part) of the stage. By rearranging a couple screens, I had a little "blind" built with a clear view of the prop room door. I set up outside, so I could see exactly how they were getting in.

Because of my previous experiences I thoroughly examined the door to make sure it was in fact locked, the mesh vent at the bottom was secure, in short there was no way they should be being able to get in there.

So, I sat my blind right after the beginning of first period. Got comfortable on my couch and sat in the dark to wait...just like deer hunting! Lol

It was almost lunchtime before my quarry appeared.

There were 2 of them, that much I was sure of, it was too dark to tell if they were boys or girls...they were of a height, about the same size and weight...other than that I had no idea who they were.

They came in around the side of the curtain, walked quickly and quietly right to the door and within seconds were inside. WHAT?

I checked that damn door, it was definitely locked!

Through the vent screen I saw the light come on...it stayed on long enough for them to navigate their way up the stairs, and then the light went out.

Just like the girls in the locker room.

I gave them about five minutes to get settled and comfy before making my way to the door.

Silently as possible I tried the door, still locked!

I quietly slid my key in, one tumbler at a time until I could open the door. I ghosted silently through the door and closed it quietly behind me.

I could hear relaxed voices at the top of the stairs, I was undetected.

Now it was up the stairs, one at a time...gently setting down my gum soled shoes as to make minimum noise.

My eyes were well adjusted to the dark, but I could see nothing...no glow from the lit end of a cigarette though I could smell one recently burned. I didn't know what they were up to, but I no longer heard talking.

I searched behind me to find the light switch, I had no idea where in the room they were, but it was not an overlarge room.

I hit the switch and said "Hi guys!!!"

The surprise was mine this time, as what I saw before me was a couple "In Flagrante Delicto"!!! YIKES!!!

A certain scene from the movie "Porky's" flashed through my head an instant before the young lady screamed like her skin was being peeled!

There was a mad scrambling for anything with which to cover themselves from the pile of costumes they were using for a bed...their clothing, in a pile not far from my feet being unobtainable.

"Ummm, sorry guys..." I stammered out "but how in the hell did you two get in here?!?"

"It was open..." Said the young man.

"No it wasn't...I checked before you guys ever come up on stage, see I was sitting up there waiting for you."

"For us???" The girl, obviously terrified said.

"Well, not you specifically...but whoever was sneaking up here." They looked at each other "So again, how'd you get in here?" 

"I told you, it was open...can we get dressed" the guy, over the initial shock was getting cocky.

"Sure," I said. " unless you want to walk down to the office like that."

I tossed the girl her gym clothes and turned my back so she could get dressed and gestured to the guys clothes indicating he should get dressed as well.

Had I not been in such complete shock I would have thought to search their clothing before allowing them access. 

As the boy picked up his clothes, something went into his hand and right into his mouth! I was across the distance between us in a second, grabbed his throat and told him "SPIT IT OUT...NOW!!!" 

But I was too late while I caught a flash of gold he had already swallowed whatever it was.

"Well, that was stupid..." I told him "what was it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, a triumphant smile on his lips.

"I wouldn't be too cocky there boss, just because you swallowed it...it's still 'on you'..."

When I got them down to the office, I discovered that the young man was the son of one of the night custodians. It also turned out there had been multiple thefts from otherwise locked rooms throughout the school.

This prompted the inclusion of the Waterford PD Liaison officer. And a trip to Emergency for the young man as I was not certain what he swallowed.

X-rays determined he had swallowed a key. Laying the master key over the x-ray proved it was a "master" key. His mother the custodian was called and she produced her key. While talking with the police the young man admitted to stealing his mothers key as she slept, and having a copy made.

Making a deal with our young felon, the school promised not to prosecute if the stolen property was returned.

Our young lady got a week suspension and I'm sure had plenty of explaining to do at home.

The young man fared far worse, while not prosecuted he was expelled from the ENTIRE school system.

So he finished his schooling, the rest of junior and then senior year elsewhere!

Mom was given an official reprimand for not keeping track of her keys.

All in all a lot of misery for a little bit of fun...

Let's hope your fun is nowhere near as costly!

Be Well!

Beastly Bear

You're a freak...

Den of the Beastly Bear

Hi Folks!

Around the same time I was working as a bouncer, I had a daytime job working at my old High School.

As a "Betcha didn't know this about me..." for friends from school, get this...I was a Hall Monitor/Security at good old Waterford Kettering!!! I even worked with Bonita and "Grumpy", the monitors that were there when we went there.

Something just not right about my old Geometry teacher Mr. Raspberry telling me:

"Just call me Tom, after all you work here too now!"

The schools in Waterford, were beginning to have drug and alcohol problems as well as trying to keep smoking off campus.

I fell into the job as I was unemployed, the Sporting goods store I'd worked at having gone out of business when the owners retired. My buddy's Mom was a lunch lady there and told me I should go apply.

Mr. Fry was still Principal, Mr. Bennett still vice principal...they had both liked me while I was in school and they were happy to hire someone they felt they already knew.

I took to the job like a fish to water...even though I wore a full beard I looked young enough that I still passed among the students easily with many not paying attention to my presence until it was much too late.

I took my job seriously. Smoking cigarettes I didn't care too much about...it was the drugs and alcohol I was tough on. My theory, and it holds for work as well as school is this: If you can't leave that shit alone for the 6 hours of school or 8 at work, guess what pal?

You got a problem!!!

I've got a ton of drug bust stories I could tell, but it's the couple that had nothing to do with drugs that stick out the most in my mind.

One day the Chorus teacher, portly bespectacled Mrs. Hunt came to see me.

"Someone is breaking into the cheerleaders locker room across the hall from me. They are smoking, and God knows what else in there and I want it stopped!"

"When do you think they are getting in there?" I asked.

"Sometime between 2nd. period and lunch..."

"How are they getting in?"

"Well, if I knew that, I wouldn't really need your help now would I?" That was Mrs. Hunt, "abrasive" was her default setting.

"Ok Mrs. Hunt(SHE never offered to have me call her by her first name, lol) I'll see if I can't find out what's going on and put a stop to it!"

"See that you do!!!" She said as she lumbered off.

So I devised a plan...

The next day, I'd start my day as normal...watch the buses unload, watch the kids until they were safely in the building, run bathroom checks after first period started. Make myself seen all over the place between classes, and after the kids were all in their rooms I'd slip into the cheerleader locker room and wait.

The cheerleader locker room was separate from the gym locker room, in fact nowhere near it! It was in fact across the hall from the chorus and band rooms and adjacent to the stage. It was locked during the day, a thick hardwood door with an 18" X 12" metal mesh vent in the lower quarter.

I let myself in with my master key, the door opened in, turned on the light and surveyed the room. The main space was perhaps 20 ft. long by 12 ft. wide. Lockers along the walls, two 2" X 12" wooden plank benches ran parallel down the center of the room. At the far end of the room was a sink to the left, a single stall toilet in the center, and an opening on the right to a 2 place open shower room.

Seeing everything there was to see, I turned off the light, sat on the bench facing the door and waited.

2nd. period passed uneventfully, as did the third.

4th. period was the last before lunch, if my visitor was coming it would be this period...or I'd have to try again tomorrow.

About fifteen minutes into class, I heard voices near the door. The upper right corner of the vent pushed in, and a thin arm reached up to turn the doorknob from the inside! So that's how they were getting in!!!

Quickly and silently I moved down the room and into the shower room out of sight. Did I mention I'm quite stealthy?

 I wanted to know exactly what was going on...so I decided to wait and see what would happen.

The lights came on, I heard giggling...female giggling.

At least 4 girls, maybe five.

They spoke in whispers, once they were all inside they shut the lights off again.

When the lights went out I heard a cigarette pack rustle, the flick of a Bic...once, twice, five times.

Hearing no more, I stuck my head around the corner.

Two were on one bench, the other three facing them on the opposite. I watched the pulsing glow of the hots bobbing as they smoked and talked quietly.

My eyes were much more accustomed to the dark than theirs were, and the little light coming from the mesh in the door gave me plenty of light of circumnavigate the room and end up with my back against the door.

Waiting for an opportune moment I flipped on the lights and said "HELLO LADIES!"

Like turning over a board in a field...the mice scattered!!! Well, they tried to....

Cigarettes flew left and right, bounced off the walls and ceiling!

Mostly blind in the bright light from sitting in the dark, they leapt up off the bench at tried to run!

Got tangled up with each other and toppled as a group to the floor...up in an instant like rabbits they attempted to scatter, trying to confuse the predator in their midst! It took a couple seconds of mass confusion and blind panic to realize they were in a closed room with one heavily built man leaning against their only means of escape, they were trapped!

Accepting their fate at last, they came to a halt as a group at the far end of the room. And started to cry.

"Here now, there's no need for all that...have a seat and we'll have a nice little chat." I told them.

Sniffling, they reluctantly came and sat on the bench facing me, side by side.

"OK, better," I started "first things first...do you know what I'm doing in here?"

Silent head shakes.

"Mrs. Hunt tells me someone has been breaking in here smoking and who knows what else...I'm guessing I'm looking at those someones?"

Silent nods.

"This was my first time..." The little brunette on the end offered.

"Well, this is just not your day." I said to her. 

"Can I assume by your dress that you are ALL

supposed to be in gym right now?"

More nods and a couple quiet "yeahs".

"Alright, names..."

"We won't do it again..."

"Please don't turn us in.."

"It wasn't even my idea.."

They all tried to talk at once.

"Names....you," I pointed to the first girl on the bench.

"what's your name?"

One by one I wrote down their names.

"Ok, we're all gonna walk down to the principals office, I've got your names so if I don't arrive with five girls I'll know who to come get! One more thing, which one of you is wearing purple nail polish?"

"Why?" The spokesman for the group wanted to know.

"Because that's the hand that reached in and opened the door! I just want to be clear on who did what..."

Low and behold it was the spokesman.

As I opened the door to let them out to start their walk of shame, one of them said to me:

"How long were you in there waiting for us?"

"Since the end of first period...." 

They looked at me like I had a third eye.

"patience is a virtue you know." 

I shrugged

"Yeah, well you're a freak...You know THAT?!?" She said.

"Oh sweetheart, you have no idea...."

The door was repaired, 4 girls got a days suspension,

the ringleader/spokesman/purple nail polish wearer got 2.

Word got around I was a sneaky bastard....and the kids started calling me "The Ghost" for my habit of appearing out of nowhere!

I kind of enjoyed that!!!  :-)

Be Well Folks!!!

Beastly Bear