Guy W. Meyer, Jr. -- Rock and Roll

Where is that Breakthrough?

2012-01-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

That is where you go to see what I've been talking about lately. Trying to make some headway on getting this website an active site and in the meantime trying to figure out where my next step takes me. As of today January 7 I am still working on an edit of the HoneyDust Halloween show which puts me up against Technology which I know is a counterproductive attitude but... there seems to be a law about this Computer world and Me. It basically says whatever can be frustrating and find ways.. reasonable ways I am sure, it's not metaphysics, (are you sure Guy?) that things will not only be frustrating but find new surprising ways to block whatever the heck you think you want to achieve.

Anyways something going on with Librans this year still according to my Astrologer, Minerva.

Cab driving can not sustain me much longer I must find an alternative even though yes I do love it.

Trying to do too much and not succeeding. Don't know where to say no to the things in my life that are simply not working. Anyways had a waking dream in the morning hours about opening a Storefront in Marin I don't know what I would be selling... something about Healing I called it in my mind Sweet Life and it had to do with some type of epiphany, some type of mental insight about how much of life,my life, is wasted in struggle, needless struggle
over everything and that I could regain my contact with the inner happy soul who is just happy to share being, with everyone and somehow everything might work so easily. I can't express properly the sense of aha, and that well you had to get to be 60 years of age you miserable old fool to figure it out. Of course I haven't really figured out anything.

I stumbled out of my room in the Tenderloin Hotel in San Rafael to head for the bathroom down the hall. No different than a thousand other times cotton balls still stuffed in my ears hair looking like old Ludwig Van Frightwig, hoping to not bump into any of my assortment of ne'er do wells and under appreciated geniuses who share these old walls and anyways here comes loudmouth Mike striding down the hallway wide awake. 'Good Morning Sunshine' he loudly broadcasts to me with a grin, knowing he is annoying. Yeah for a minute or two I had it figured out Something about that mysterious Universe I mean Mike doesn't come saying 'Good Morning Sunshine' every day in fact it never happened before. And yet I am having this evanescent revelation that I can now say goodbye to my old life and graduate to Sweet Life and their to greet me. Mike who when he isn't busy mowing down imaginary people
with his imaginary machine gun, when he is frustrated you know about it. Good old Mike so in synch with the greater Universe that ... Does the world ever amaze you? That he knows... Maybe we all know, just can't quite get that breakthrough yet.

What's up with wasted energy and computers and my life.

December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

Today in Marin County California, a non-profit agency Marin Services for Women receives a grant for $975,000 from the federal government. "To boost services for pregnant and postpartum mothers and their families.' Richest county in California of course their are poor people here. Marin County is a hard scrabble blue collar mess buried under a heap of people with money and the landlords who want to charge the rest of us like we are wealthy too.
I think of the $17 Trillion dollars in federal debt that some people believe is nothing to be concerned with and the so called battle between Democrats and Republicans to find places to cut the budget.
The Occupation apparently shut down the port of Oakland. Don't get it.
The leaderless Occupation reminds me of the leaderless TParty at least that was the initial 'power' of the TParty. That being we are of the people and we don't need leaders.
So of course the Arch Conservative Republicans moved in to guide the herd. The Occupation army proud of it's leaderless state but with 'facillataters'(sic). The Democrats want it to stay that way Obama and Robert Reich and that whole Spend our way to great health crew who can always say the word Republican or now TParty and get the proper Pavlovian response. Yes indeedy I see no alternative, our Guy is so much better than their Guy.
I could go on about Republicans too it's so easy though. The disgusting voting laws across America to make people provide State picture ID in order to vote. The pathetic drive to build that oil pipeline across the heartland of America. With the utter capper of Aliens Rule the People of the USA under the Republicans Emminent Domain. Where farmers from Montana to Louisiana must sell their land to a foreign owned corporation or be in violation of Federal Law.
And Obama's army of Feds shuts down the local Pot Club in Fairfax. The news story of
Drones flying over America for security purposes passed my gaze. Sigh. THe DOD under Obama currently classifies in their DOD manual of domestic disturbances 'Protestors' as low-level terrorists.
Come on Guy what makes you happy? Rock and Roll, all forms of music, a good night's sleep, money in my pocket... the thought of traveling.

The Road to Success

2011-11-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

'the road to success has no speed limits' or maybe even no enforceable minimums.
I just passed the above little inspirational message on my way to the Library where I am here to write. Every where you look in this world is a story.
My own is of course the most interesting and important.
You can use that prior sentence with complete honesty and conviction also. It's OK with me.

I am trying to reorient myself to becoming a daylight working human more or less aligned with the sun. This after too many years of driving a taxi cab into the wee hours. Many of you know I have other aspirations and that I have had some difficulties getting anything else ever on track. Probably because their is so much that seems important and exciting to do. The Road to Success becomes more important as you get older because goldarn it you want to own that Road. That .. is the Road I need to be my Home.

So world with this half-hour time slot at the SR Library about up. I've been 'occupied' with my world of late. I shot some down and dirty Honey Dust Video
from their Halloween show. I'm telling myself this maybe the last time. I had some help on the shoot. Maybe I will get to an Occupy rally somewhere someday. Maybe I'll where my button that says TParty just to bring out the Love. Just kidding all my friends of the jabbing finger and bulging eyes if you mention TParty. Hah! Still looking for the 3rd Party the Country Party.. as in oh excuse me just rush right ahead we are country people. Take it slow. Bill Clinton says when in doubt more Action presumably he means Governmental Action. As I say just right ahead about two miles up the road you can't miss it. Of course Cliff's are hard to see when you are racing ahead but you'll know it when you get that great freefalllllling feeling.

Election Endorsements

2011-11-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

San Rafael: Greg Brockbank for Mayor he voted against Target in San Rafael. He represents an opportunity to slow down 'the big money developers' in San Rafael or maybe even (optimistically speaking)change our big city into a cool and humane place.

For Council: Connally, Hoyt or Sargeant they all have spoken out against Target and Connally already as a councilmember voted against the "Target' developement. That as far as I know is still moving towards construction someone is free to let me know if that is not the status. Yes I know you can only vote for two

San Anselmo: Council Doug Kelly. I can't vote for Ford Greene. The newcomer Lori Lopin
maybe just 'fluff' as an aquantance described her after listening to a debate with her in it. Cointoss here.

Fairfax Council: Bragman and Ryan.

Chris Lange is inspirational to me to just do it why worry about 'baggage'. Be yourself and get out there and run. I have known Chris for probably 30 years. He's part of our community. You can't get many votes by advocatng Sting operations by the police though.

I am late as usual for just about everything.
Peace,
Guy

Follow the Music

2011-10-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hey there beautiful Chelsea and Elena visiting from San Diego at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. This was the only real photo moment for me on that Friday. There is Love in the Universe people and it's there to Lift us all. Sometimes it seems that way.

So where was I? What a year!
And its election time.
Back on this Blogspot/Blogger site. This entry will probably be like many of my videos. Get a tripod Guy! So many people have said in exasperation with my spontaneous videos over the years. I come from where I am and I'll do my best in that moment.

Thank you Julio for the awesome website design for
www.LIFESIGNSPHOTO.com of last year. Which it seems I never could get a handle on. The journal function of that site proved (all my fault) to be too aggravating. I just couldn't figure it out. The whole web world passed me by in terms of technology.

Community Sovereignty. What does that mean?

I have been back in San Rafael since John Bowman's great annual Bluegrass event in his backyard. The Splinter Group was most memorable.
Working at the Community Media Center of Marin where I am typing from now trying to pick up the pieces of my video archives that might still get out on Community Access Public TV.

As I was saying it's been a really challenging year in so many ways. It's just Life and it's OK though I have been bouncing around from The East Coast to Marin to Oregon back to Marin and who knows where next. I have lost some great material, photos and videos of my East Coast stay as well as Oregon. It's hard to fathom how I could be so .. inept. Dealing with tendonitis, getting closer to being a player with my music but now maybe I should try to take some time off. Some psychic in the back seat of my cab said don't try to start anything this year just... 'Follow the Music'.

Here is the Bluegrass Jam up in Eugene.
This is a classic Guy Video with panning that gets lost, lowlight situations, audio less than high quality (Mic onstage please). I love it. PS Hey Mike or Jack this Bluegrass Jam takes place every Tuesday for at least 5 years now at Sam Bond's and the place is generally packed. Might be worth a try in Fairfax.

Back In=

2011-05-09T14:27:00.003-07:00

Back in California

2011-05-09T14:27:00.001-07:00

'At least I am not in New York' said a friend of mine about an hour ago who grew up near Albany. The conversation had gone to Hudson Valley miseries and maybe delights...
Well at least you got your good business here I am saying too him with his shop that he has owned for more than 30 years(?). Got it working? Got it together.. he snorts 'Life is a A F'n struggle.' Talking about financial survival. Despite his great landlord. Can we have a day to honor decent Landlords everywhere that's about..
not about Landlord Slavery but about the Landlords that actually give people some freedom to live and make a living... Sigh.

I am pretty unsettled back in Marin. Still looking to work with Morse's directive..
...Pay no Rent!' I maybe buying a tent from Big 5 anyday. Been sleeping in Kevin and Gary's basement for the past couple of days, as well as back to night time cab driving. Sigh. A lot of sighing Guy? Always. If you want to pitch a tent at a California State Park, a place owned by the public for the public, it costs $35 a night. Sigh. I can look for some hidden little patch of green to hide a tent. Phew...

Back at the Wilkins Hotel where I had lived much of then last couple of years, an old-fashioned boarding House - disaster has struck in the form of the City of San Rafael. They have condemned 11 rooms and a bunch of poor men are out on the street.
The City says every room must have two exits. Where I had stayed the humble 8 x 10 room with the bathroom down the hall had a nice skylight up top. Not safe enough says
the fire department. Despite the owners offers of ladders and exits through the skylights or exits into adjacent rooms and doors that open automatically No way says the City. !! units of true affordable housing gone. I asked the owners if the local media had reported on this. No she says. You don't want to mess with City Hall someone said ' they just will make things harder on you.'

'The Nanny State' my dispatcher at the cab company says re:this story. I'm afraid our state is becoming worse than a Nanny State. As security becomes the force to screw with small businesses, farmers any one who wants some degree of independence
and in the meantime the 'T Party' in the Bay Area is completely lost as it is nationwide as they are busy trumpeting the Berkeley Lawyer Dr. Yu who authored Bush's Torture Policy apparently he is speaking in Berkeley coming up and the T party
is trying to fill the Hall so that the dreaded Left Wing isn't there and we can cheer for a world safe for Government Torture. So it goes.. so it goes.. so it goes.. so it goes..but where it's going no one knows. Thank you Nick Lowe.

Methodically Going Nowhere

2011-03-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

There must be some rhyme or reason.
Watching another changing of the season.
Knowing only going slow
and going nowhere cause there's nowhere to go.
Stuck in Newburgh, wheels just spin.
The bugs in my computer are the coming
of the end.
springtime's joyful glow,
The end is always near,
the tale of a LifeSigns drifter, gently drifting
with the wind.

Afternoon at Windfall

2011-03-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

There's a cold wind blowing and the sun is sinking down here at Windfall on this Wednesday Afternoon. There is mud, there is ice, there is shivering if you step outside. Lucky you in California.

I am sitting at the computer at the Farmhouse. It is very quiet here as it is a market day in the city. Hector stopped to tell me of his recent trip to Mexico, it's hard living when families are separated by such a distance. Darin was in to show me where the light switch is in this room. My friend Morse has really built a magnificent little operation through the years here at Windfall. He provides excellent greens and root vegetables to NYC residents throughout the year. His contribution as simply a good hearted human being who provides a nucleus for many friends in the Hudson Valley is awesome.

He can be found somewhere on Facebook but I don't think he checks in very often.

My computer is sitting outside, plugged in, just trying to get the bugs out.

Yeah I caught some strange bug of sorts probably while I was up in Maine. Maybe I am about through with that. Not much to say about that this last month has been a major test of my sanity as well as my optimism.. but knock on wood..

Frustrating that my computer is still not quite functional.. more or less like me.

'The people are taking care of their business.' Some quote from Libya.

In Wisconsin
a lot of people are really angry at Republicans. Semi, to Barely informed here, but it seems to me that we do need to think about what it is to work for the Government as opposed to a private company. There is not going to be money from that Golden Goose someday, seems like that day is coming sooner than later. The right to organize Unions to bargain with the government over contracts... I don't have the answer. The Government is supposed to represent the People in our ultimate Union, that more perfect Union our Democratic Nation. Do we have a Union for all government workers, maybe just the million in Homeland Security should have the right to strike?
I know that Teacher's deserve to be treated like the force for internal security in this nation that they are and it's very sad to see teacher's laid off anywhere. I believe I read that the Governor of Wisconsin exempted Police and Firemen from his bill and got their support in his bid for election.

Somewhere the people of Noam Chomsky and the people of Ross Perot need to begin some more dialogue. We are going to have to find a creative way through some financial hard times up ahead.

New York Winter 2011

2011-02-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

So this fine afternoon I am at the Windfall Farm in NY. Darin just back from NYC market. Hubert shot a deer, now it's draining. Mom tried to cheer me up by telling me about meditation and non-attachment... sigh. I appreciate her efforts but for this 59 years old you don't really need much instruction. Just say 'Guy you Bozo be Here Now!

I am getting a little tired of being Here now and would like to be Somewhere else Now. However if you think like that you miss out on the Joys of being here now.
Someday I'll write the book. The book (my book) has hit some strange twists here in 2011 and my own inner narrative is being replaced against my will with a complete mystery narrative. Enough of that stuff. Life is. Forget the Narrative.

That sure is a fine song by Patti Smith on the airwaves if you can find the right airwaves. What's it called? You might want to Seach under: The People Have the Power

The Arizona Tragedy

2011-01-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

We are in difficult times. We are in times of high stress that are not comparable to anything in previous American history.

The tragedy in Arizona is the worst case manifest.

We are all connected in this angry age and it is humbling for someone who has frequently vented and occasionally has tossed out some communication that afterwards - had me pause to consider what atmosphere we create with language. Everyone should know that we have some very shaky personalities in our broad community. They exist in the realm of the Right, they exist in the realm of the Left. They are a small minority but they can be stirred to movement, to violence by a wide variety of forces.

As I sit in this fine little country home and watch TV, a TV that I have been without for about 2 1/2 years though for some reason it seems far longer. In the weeks before I watch the bombs thrown from Left to Right and from Right to Left. I appreciate the local news team at their desks in Portland Maine not that I get my national and world news from them, but they broadcast to the greater community. They have not sided with one arbitrary notion of the political spectrum and foster fear and disrespect of the other. The world has changed since Huntley-Brinkly and Walter Cronkite.

Maybe there will be an awakening, maybe the American's who lost their lives in one of the rarest and worthy exercises in Democracy, this Congress at your Corner in Arizona, will serve the greater purpose of turning us all to a more civil approach to one another and our right's to our political opinions. A correction in our National drift and a cause for all of us to realize that no we are not going to fall into lawlessness and disrespect for life. That all Americans are part of a greater calling and we maybe called on to stand peacefully together despite our Politics on a National level and the politics that may live in our brains.

Ben Bernanke - The Economy

2011-01-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

January 8, 2011

I saw Ben Bernanke on CSPAN for maybe 20 minutes last night. Intelligent man, intelligent senators questioning him. Lot's to be concerned about, mortgages, bankrupt state governments, currency issues etc. A lot of it is over my head.

Talk about American Manufacturing and getting these foreign countries to open up their markets to our products. I guess I need to get on the internet and find out what we make these days. It seems like everything is made in China or somewhere in Asia. That's why we have Walmarts and Targets so we can get the best of cheap labor and then cheap products for us. Then we wonder why so many Americans are out of work. But we all flock to these cheap superstores, where we get our China fix. One senator said he thought we were still the greatest manufacturing country in the world. Senator's should know this stuff.

There was a day that the American Economy was an engine unto itself, sure there were exports and imports, but within the borders of this nation an engine was fueling itself. That's history but I wonder if it's a history we should look at and wonder why not? Sometimes you make mistakes and you grow and learn. I am not an expert in much of anything, I just am not feeling very good about the place we have grown to be. I think domestic manufacture should be part of the fabric of society, all societies. I think rather than wasting energy trying to 'open up markets' abroad we should be living with our market. Every nation on the Earth might gain strength by having as strong a domestic manufacturing base as possible. That runs counter to the American vision where we have seen all the developing countries of the world as new markets for our products... McDonald's, Coca Cola all of our corporate glory through the years. Now for me to use the word Greed, I am sure that must be just an emotional inflammatory word that has no basis in the truth. Somewhere our captain's of industry have gotten blinded by something and our politicians, excuse me, our elected Representatives believe them that enhancing their wealth machines benefits Americans.

Like Population and many other aspects of Civilization's journey much of it is simply evolution that is beyond human control. However I think this 'helpless' resigned state in the face of destructive forces... Greed, benefits no one and in fact perpetuates a spiraling state where the loss of individual freedoms and dignity will continue until we decide that yes we can fulfill our Country's founders mandate and vision. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness plus a desire for all the nations of the world to share that same high standard without fear of foreign armies ours included.

From Out of the Sky

2011-01-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2010

How can I ignore the birds?

I imagined a world where the skies were crowded with birds, birds and bugs, maybe the land was crowded with all kinds of creatures - except Humans. So crowded that birds fell out of the sky.

That is the opposite of our world. It's we humans who are teeming. Then birds fall out of the sky.

It's we humans who rule everything in our blundering way that has nothing to do with ruling ...
Sometimes you blunder into good things. Yes I keep a door open for humanity.

The sky is not falling just some birds. That was really weird weren't their 3 separate incidents. I am not internet connected at the moment so I can't do some quick research. Well at least two, one in Arkansas one I believe it was in the UK about a week later. I didn't hear a reason that seemed to logically explain this event. The big booms of New Years Eve, the sound panicked the birds and they what? They all had collective Heart Attacks and died. Is that what they said? I don't know. Maybe they panicked and flew too high... I am not a scientist. Hopefully someone is still working on it.

It made me think of the HAARP program that the defense department is running and I wondered if there was a connection. I don't know. Have you heard of the HAARP program brought to you by our defense department? Read some of this www.HAARP.net. Sounds pretty sick to me. It makes you wonder just how much stupidity can pass as intelligence in this world. Quite a lot no doubt. I will try to muster up the energy to write a letter to My Congressperson who ever that maybe here in Maine as well as back in California.

American Community II

2011-01-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2011

The United States of America is very much a community. There is not much to debate about that, most all definitions of community would agree . Whether we are running on empty, running on two cylinders instead of eight, running against the wind no matter the level by which we fall short of some idealized version held by ourselves or others, we exist because we are a community.

Sometimes we refer to the fabric of society, that's us, as we shop, as we work, as we drive and engage with day to day life.

As we move on with our lives in the year 2011 many of us feel a deep anxiety about our direction, we see the trends and notice that for all the modern advances, for all the brilliance of our technology, our community has become a tougher place to live and thrive. Why is that?
If we are a free people with the ability to chart our own course why are we so helpless when it comes to improving this fabric, tightening up the weave instead of watching it unravel.

Maybe ' it is what it is ' ... isn't a good enough answer. Maybe we need to address our situation
and let go of this ongoing sense of drift and helplessness. Is that possible? Do we have the
ability to see through the 'mystery clouds a pouring, confusion to the ground' as John Fogerty sang back in the 1960's and maybe is still singing today. To attempt to address our situation may seem on the outset hopeless but to go out in this lifetime with this 'helpless' feeling inside us is not a good way to go.

What are the forces that unravel the thread?

Population Growth, New Immigrants, Politics, Wealth and Poverty, the Media, Enemies Abroad, Human Stupidity ... I am looking at some likely suspects, maybe there will be some
common ground of experience as I survey our 2011 landscape.

Population Growth. Most everybody has seen the graph of human population growth particularly over the long stretch, say a thousand years, the straight horizontal line that suddenly seems to take a 90 degree turn straight up at the start of the 20th century. What impact has that had on your life? The impact maybe experienced differently for someone 60 years old and someone 13 years old. When I was about 13 years old the population of the US was somewhere about 160 Million to 180 Million. Now we stand over 300 million, in about 50 years our country's population has doubled. The experience can vary state to state, if you are a resident of South Dakota you might say no problem in fact come on over I could use a few more neighbors. Most of the people of the US who have been around awhile have seen their streets get more crowded, watched as treasured pockets of nature, get swallowed up as more of humanity moves in. Generally as the US density of population has grown there is a corresponding reduction of something and I believe that something is quality of life.

Does more traffic encountered in your daily travel enhance your day or diminish it? Maybe you don't let it bother you. Bravo, but let's say you had a choice. Let's say you had a choice and you had a choice as to what the next generation might experience. Your next generation, your kids who you have struggled to do your best for. How do you cast your vote?

How do you feel about bumping into someone you know during the course of the day? Someone who says hello to you with a smile. Not bad really, kind of brightens your day for
a minute. Some of us may be fortunate than others having this a common occurrence. A lot of Americans are restless people, I am one, in writing about 6 paragraphs i have gotten up, been to the refrigerator about 7 times, have stopped to pick up the guitar 3 times, checked the outdoor thermometer 2 or maybe 3 times (It seems a little off, too high). Turned the vacuum on at least 3 times it still sits waiting for me to find another patch of dust, swore to give up caffein about three times, and so on and of course where do I move next. Where in America? What are we looking for? Well we are restless but let's get back to that experience. Bumping into someone you know while you are out and about and sharing a smile for a minute or two. It's not bad at all, sometimes maybe I take it for granted. Do I want more for me or the next generation of that type of experience? Much of that goodness will come from my or our own nature and the people who I or we have met over the years from living in one place. However that experience can be expanded or diminished with the increase of population in your community. Let's say we have a choice. Where do you stand? Do you have a community that you can call your own? I am writing from a small village in Maine. I am not sure I know where home is anymore.

I recall the governor of what might be my home state, California saying in his annual state of the state address about 2 years ago, right before things went right in the crapper. Governor Arnold with his warm smile informed Californians that the Golden State's population would reach 5o million by about 2050 from it's present 37 million. Therefore let's keep building, woohoo.. we have an economy to grow. He didn't say that exactly but for Governor Scwarzenegger and most political leaders, developers and many others that straight up projection of population growth means more money.

There has got to be a better way of living. Life is short humans, you know this there isn't a lot of time to enjoy yourself. What do I leave my children or your children since I don't have any of my own? Do we have a choice? It seems most of our elected Representatives would have us believe that population growth is inevitable and even desirable. The alternative, decreasing or achieving an equilibrium seems impossible yet the latest census suggested it might be happening on its own.

Maybe if the people of America agreed that slowing this population growth down quite a bit is a good thing perhaps thats how progress might happen. Maybe we if we think of ourselves as a planet of one people maybe we can share this planetary knowledge small families are a good thing, adoption is a good path for those who want the large family.

I hope we are at the crest of the great Population Spike. I hope that historically in 100 years 200 years or 500 years from now we will talk about the days in the first half of the 21st century,
when this country the USA and the World began to adjust to the new vision where the health of Community and the health of our Natural World became more important than the accumulation of wealth.

An American Community

2011-01-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

As I sit and write from the small village in Maine where I am practicing 'Me Here Now', I recall my last year here in 1974 when after dropping out of college in NY state I moved up to Maine.
Somewhere in my youthful mind, I took some of the Fire my Father had endowed me with and tried to put together my philosophy of Life. This was not a disciplined undertaking, there are no
papers that I wrote on the subject or even tried to write. I pieced together what I had taken from observation, with an eye on my father Reverend Meyer's persistent vision of a 'New World Movement'. A vision that he tirelessly strove to launch, his philosophy of World Community, World Government, World Peace a vision fashioned by his times, his parents (from the World War I experience in their revulsion of the massive loss of lives on all sides with with the accompanying National patriotic -----) his heroes (Ghandi, Thoreau), his geography New England (Transcendentalism, the spiritual fervor of the Puritan Heritage in it's best representations, think - Roger Williams founder of Rhode Island Colony). From his own mind just as I filtered all that came to me in a philosophy, a framework of understanding, in my mind.

What I came up with, influenced somehow, by my teenage years in the 1960's in America, was that in my country, the US, the only country that I had experience of, there was nothing as important as community, for the health of society, for the health of individuals. That any movement to expand the greater good for the World is better served and might best achieve positive lasting results if it is rooted in our own sense of Community and not just an intellectual response but of the tangible connections that keep us alive. Connections that translate into the work of individuals, our neighbors, whether we know them or not.

In the more than half a century of my life, the American Community has stubbornly resisted
as well as practically adapted to the forces of change. We are a living entity, most of us behave as humans trying to to what's best for us and our families. The American people may not all be like myself, or at least sometimes as how I perceive myself, ready for ranting and raving, even in a polite civilized manner, striving to change the world to his or her imagined sense of a greater justice as we all slide to a greater injustice. The young man who tells me sure he would take the money and build some monstrous mansion on top of a scenic hill for the happiness of some exceedingly wealthy human. Sure he would, and we will build more roads, and pave more marshes and fields as we strive to grow the economy not for some altruistic goal or vision but to simply provide for what seems our immediate needs. We are in a tough bind in the US and throughout the world with the pressures of population and with our economic system grown as it has into this centralized wealth machine where the ordinary American can aspire to acquire vast holdings of property for his own betterment. In my opinion at the cost of local communities and individuals. Everything is a commodity, everything can be monetized and if you can control the distribution of any goods you can become rich.

Is that bad? Are their alternatives? Where are we going with our economy and will a 'new currency' emerge at the local level if our centralized system collapses.
The American Community exists we are who we are. It is what it is. The language of our times accurately says we are here, yet what we are and what we are going through .. can we find some common ground of agreement that describes roughly where we are and what we are faced with? Many people try, many books are written, many articles are written. It's a challenge and here I am trying to throw my two cents in there as well....

In Maine

2010-12-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

Just letting you know am greatly enjoying the change of Coast. Christmas in Maine was great, the blizzard was a thrill though a little overrated. I'll be here for a few more weeks.

Still working on my website Lifesignsphoto, trying to get my computer and internet connections together. Writing from the Skidompha Library in Damariscotta. I just turned around to find one of my nieces behind me, Nice! A little good Family vibe goes a long way for the old bachelor.

'La la la Life goes on. '

The Value of Words

2010-12-15T01:43:00.000-08:00

Words have value, that's my opinion. Maybe most of you agree, maybe I am wrong, I think I am right.
So that's why we try, communication works, it can be pleasurable in reinforcing positive connections, it's a major form of interracting with the world. We all are humans on this planet, a Life Form not to be confused with Parrots, Whales, Dophins, Goldfish.

I apologize for the years of wasting words here, because words have value.

Yet who knows, maybe there was something somewhere said of value. I have tried to put a high value on every time
I have ever set down to write something. To make the power of words to really work, somehow they must penetrate the
reader's sense of truth, that shouldn't be hard if all one had to say was the truth. To say the truth, to think about the truth,
to tell someone else that ... This is the truth. A bunch of words that's all, but what do we have the power of doing? I would
say that if you are behind, as in part of the foundation of what you describe, If it's real to your best intentions and intelligence
then you might be communicating with the best tools of a Human, using this ancient miracle, language, .... the Truth.

It happens every day. All kinds of people tell the truth in a million ways. Maybe there are plenty of instances lost in present, past and future tenses we lose something of the truth. I guess, what I am saying is... I am not a complete cynic. Or -- if you noticed, what that sentence implied - then I am apparently an optimist, or at least have an annoying thread of the same.

Many people likely think, that I, Guy Jr, writes quite possibly the worse sentences in our horrible (wink;) ... modern Civilization. That's possibly true. Beyond the structure of sentences, beyond all else did you get it or not? Not that big a deal when you get it with someone, it's just Life. You shared something. I shared something it happens. It's a great thing. It happens. No big deal, yes there is still hope for us Humans. We communicate.

...Wikileaks

2010-11-29T19:13:00.000-08:00

It looks like there must have been some law broken by whoever released these documents.

However the indignation engendered by that act so far pales compared to what at a cursory headline glance is revealed by these leaks and what seems when you think that our own government can't stoop any lower -- then there you go, take another look.

The asking of US diplomats to obtain personal information of individuals from other countries 'credit card numbers(?), frequent flyer numbers...'. Weirdly shocking to me, but probably not to most of the world who are hip to the pragmatic realities of security. It seems to me it should be cause for a congressional committee inquiry and diplomats as well as Hilary Clinton and Condoleeza Rice should testify to the American People as to the why and the what and the how of it.

It would be a dream beyond all the practical restraints of our pragmatic world:That our Nations and our Leaders could live with simple honesty.
The USA specifically - what a world it would be if some one in charge had honesty and truth as their foundation. But we don't and that has lead your average person on the street or anywhere to have a very cynical view of mankind's future.

'To a philosopher all news as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea." H.D. Thoreau 'Walden'

I am not much of a philosopher as I spend far too much time looking at the news.

Maybe I don't entirely agree with Henry Thoreau or wonder what he was doing in his jail cell if he didn't partake in some search for the news.

I found the above quote in a piece of shared internet communication and can't verify that it is accurate.

Guy's Web News

2010-11-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's been almost two weeks since my MacBook Pro crashed. It took me awhile to get to my local pro who did the major due diligence, voodoo too, 'J' got inside through all this black screen mumbo jumbo text and went through some type of analysis that I have pretty much total faith in and he says 'forget it' my video card is destroyed and the Mac Motherboard / Video Card connections are so essential connected, that I need to move on and look for my next computer. I bought this computer 'used' a mistake I shall not make again. (I'll make new mistakes.)

My next computer is my 10 year old Mac that I thought I had retired. I just have to get WiFi on it and at least I will have an internet tool. Tonight I am finally at the local public library on one of their working computers. What more do I need? Maybe not much.

My new website www.lifesignsphoto.com that a friend has been working on pro/bono is moving in slow motion, it's all my fault. I can't give firmer direction until I take the steps necessary behind the scenes like finally getting the Hardly Strictly 2 months ago photos up in a gallery. That goes as well for photos of the Giants World Series game 5, clinching celebration at Peri's Bar (wildly weird photos have to do) as well as the Chrome Johnson show on November 5 (?) at Peri's as well as Vikki Lee and Rambling Jack and The Funny Farmers at the Station House in Point Reyes.

What about video? I haven't shot new video since Earth Day with Jazz Roots. My second video camera,(a Canon Vixia) died after my 10 year old Canon GL1 camera
Motor Burn Out... and so right now I am waiting to put some more money in my pocket
somehow and get going again. I know I have archived video that needs to be surfaced
and released.

Someone on the street said to me earlier to day. It's hopeless just do what makes you happy in Life. I guess I'll just keep pushing my Rube Goldberg world on.

Obama and ... Where are we?

2010-11-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

So we had the elections and President Obama was humbled but that's old news.
It was good news to me.

The flow of events and human history that goes on at a daily basis is a pretty overwhelming experience for anybody to
claim they understand.

I am just another set of eyes on the Planet seeking some sense that we are heading in the right direction and to say we are heading in the right direction as President Obama does just doesn't seem to work for me. It doesn't compute.
'Be patient Change doesn't happen overnight' to paraphrase what I think I heard our President was reiterating as he tried
to muster his troops leading up to the election.

I thought it was good news (the election results) even though... and this will be difficult for many of you to accept that if the Federal Government goes through a meltdown that maybe the best thing for the establishment of a nation founded on the principals of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Yes I am an optimist in the face of Titanic Idiocy and an angry culture of Red Vs. Blue and a cynical younger generation that sees - forget the younger generation just because of a few idiots I/we don't need to make sweeping generalizations.

I thought the insurgent force of revulsion against a President who ran on the repetitive mantra of a new kind of politics
the kinder gentler Obama would set himself up as a man who would seek to end divisiveness in the same old Washington..
that was obviously forgotten the day after his election. Woohoo I won. Bleep you Republicans it's our Turn! What a vacuos ethos for governing a nation. It's our Turn. ...

So I thought this resurgent force call it what you will, might just prevent Obama from doing again what failed to destroy our country the first time. Just blow away a trillion dollars to stimulate the economy. I thought well there goes that plan he will thankfully, not get another stimulus through congress. And now we unveil the $600 Billion buying of Bonds to stimulate the economy. One week after the election in which he was humbled. I thought he got it.. Nope. Frankly I don't understand what is going on with a $600 Billion buying of bonds, but $600 Billion is getting pretty close to a Trillion. Most of the other countries on the PLanet don't get it either apparently, probably they are just jealous. When the Fed acts on this will it need a vote of Congress? Nope.

What does it actually mean? I don't know.. I am in the dark. It seems like US Currency as in like everything else this country is supposed to be about... that being of the People. Our money will purchase what for what purpose? I guess I better read the Wall Street Journal this week. Just last month Obama was full of self congratulation as in .. The recession is over and we the Democrats under my decisive leadership saved our nation from a dreadful depression. To lightly paraphrase our President.

Well if the recession is over why are we printing up another $600 Billion for what purpose?

Guy.. Guy.. Guy .....

2010-11-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

..... Why why why why... ?

Can't I sleep.

Just start writing about all those things that drive you crazy maybe it would make you less crazy.

I got a Giants parade today to go to I need to leave in about 4 1/2 hours. Boo-hoo... I hate being tired during the day.

Right now my biggest ire... it doesn't mean I am angry at someone it's more like just ignorance in general and how people are so easily manipulated and are so fearful and if you say 'Republican' thousands of my dearest friends will panic get real anxious and say Oh Horrors Oh My what can we do to help... I know I need to vote for a 'Democrat'. Why because they are not Republicans and besides they keep telling me that Republicans are the cause of all things evil in this world.

Knowingly lie, men are sent to war ... George Bush Jr - treason ( to put it bluntly) - I don't want a return to his policies..
But holding the Republican Menace up as your perpetual Straw Dog is manipulation. There is nothing pragmatic about
Obama or Jerry Brown they pick and choose how deep they want to look at the truth, not very if you please and they don't have to because so many of my good friends buy so deeply that they represent something 'Progressive'. What they represent is the State what the quote Liberal political world represents is faith in the State. Now I wish I had faith in the state like they have and like many Americans did in the 40's and 50's. I think we are floundering under the weight of good ideas and good intentions gone bad.. I think real bad and heading worse every year we have either Democrats or Republicans in office.

We really need to find a new force for the independent minded Americans who get that the 'taoist' principle that a government governs best who governs least.. or at least lightest. (Why is that a Taoist principle and not an American
principal?) Trust in the people and the people in return must/might grow into being responsible beings. Well Americans are lazy and irresponsible you might say so it would be irresponsible to trust in them. Therefore we need more government and besides Government is not Corporations and more Government means the People are taking over. I don't think so. I don't think Obama's vision has anything to do with People power.. it has every thing to do with manipulation and an increasing from the top down vision of helping all the victims of greed.. us good liberals and oppressed minorities of the world.. you see we provide for you. We take care of you... not those bad Republicans. A warped world and we are heading into it at a pretty fast rate.

Now John Stewart and Colbert these great leaders of Progressive thought don't want you to get outraged. Too much outrage. No we had Bush.. Outrage good. Now we have Obama Outrage bad. Everybody let's rally around our favorite Color Blue yicky Red let's don't listen to what any of the voices from those Angry people. Bad people angry people... bad -- calm happy people ... good. Happy is great I don't deny that and am I happy right now? Why am I smiling at 6:09 AM?
Suffering succotash Guy! You aren't happy, tell the truth. I'm miserable maybe yet smiling without even knowing why.

It's all God's will, God's way. I wish I could sleep like a happy puppy. I guess my suffering is pretty irrelevant to the coming American Renaissance after we have a complete financial meltdown, not caused by the banks but by our own Federal Government under Barack Obama when it keeps it's mad pace up of throwing Money in the Fire. Finally the world just has no choice the USA is too deep in debt we can no longer accept your dollars. It could happen to you and me as individuals why can't it happen to our Government? Same principle you can't live in dreamland you have to get your feet on the ground someday. I know believe me and it may be a life long process for an individual.
Nope, when your borrowing outpaces your revenue then you are in deep trouble. So do we get an American Renaissance or is that dreamland too. The American meltdown is coming, leading to the American Renaissance where in, we build a great independent Nation that can truly lead the planet in humility and respect for nature and Life. Young people don't be frightened you are going to live through a time that you will be so proud of as it reveals itself. It will make all nostalgia about 'the Sixties' pale. You got to believe. Go Giants!!! Oh you guys did it already. Go all you other Giants. 'Merican Giants!

Giants!

2010-11-02T00:51:00.000-07:00

Exhilarating. It's way late after the winning game of the World Series.

Old 'rent-a-wreck' as some Red Sox fans unmercifully called him in his one season in Boston came through. Edgar Renteria...
'I want to be the guy." He said later describing his approach to the Series.
Of course... as Tim Lincecum the Freak said. 'Everyone stepped up to be a hero'
again and again. This team got in the post season by winning the last game of the year against the Padres. Tip your hat to 'the Guy'... Jonathan Sanchez whose last two starts in the post season were flops but whose effort on that last Sunday of the season brought them the pass into the great baseball post season drama and into the winner's circle.

I read back when the postseason began. ESPN polled 30 (or was it 32) sportswriters as to who would win it all.
Two of them picked the Giants. I was amazed at that. Who would pick the Giants unless you had followed them this season
and knew what this team was about? I think a lot of fans in the Bay Area were believers from the first game on. I was really hoping that the Yankees would make it just so they could get slapped by the Giants.

San Francisco Vs. Texas. What a cosmic match-up. With The George Bushes behind the batter's box witnessing the Glory of Texas going down so decisively to the rebellious Bay Area. Fear the Beard indeed who could have seen anything as nutty as Brian Wilson with his Beard dyed black and his sidekick Sergio Romo with his 'Fidel Castro beard' as announcer Mike Krukow described it just dominating. In fact it was all rather insane for all the talk of 'Torture' which broadcaster Duane Kuiper was the responsible voice who aptly described Giants baseball as Torture. A team who could hardly ever score more than 3 or 4 runs whiteknuckled it through July, August and September. From what were they... a game over .500 at the midpoint? This team Powered there way through the Braves, the Phillies and then the Rangers. A dominant confidence was there and baseball with it's momentum that can shift 180 degrees at one swing of the bat... it prevailed.

Torture. They provided the Torture and their opponents writhed and swung emptily.

I just had a picture of the Israelites marching across the Red Sea as the Waters parted. It seems like the waters parted for the Giants. Of course every game they executed.. it wasn't a gift, they had to perform at the highest levels of their career and they did.

Fantastic pitching by Tim Lincecum I think the MVP could have just as well rested in his lap. Then you read about the underlying force that was Edgar Renteria in his veteran leadership.

Cain, Bumgarner, Uribe, Ross, Huff, Torres, Posey a 23 year old rookie catcher! Hats off to them all and the guys unmentioned who didn't get to contribute as much as they would have wished, they contributed by their support even from the bench.

A special salute to their Manager Bruce Bochy who guided them so steadily and made so many prompt and efficient moves. Awesome job! To the great Giants fans that rocked Peri's for three weeks and all over the Bay Area what a great ride to share
with you. Luther you rocked. I can't imagine a better place to be then at Peri's watching this unfold. Luther back and forth from the patio to the barroom. Let's Go Giants!! Bum Bum... Bum Bum Bum!!! The infamous Rally thong. I didn't think I had any words in me when I finally started to write something tonight.

Another tip of the cap to the Giants fans I heard calling in to Giants Talkshow guy Marty Lurie. There were a good number calling to publicly apologize, this after the Phillies series, for ripping the Giants management for all their bad moves early on in the season over the air. Common practice in most sports towns with sports fans but I had never heard fans calling to apologize to say 'That was me. earlier this year. I was wrong. '

Great fans in the Bay Area.

One more time send us out smiling Ashkon!

Bandwagon

2010-10-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

To join or not to join. It's OK not to or It's OK to enjoy the ride. But Just hold on if the going gets rough.
Don't forget in our celebration ... that it ain't over till it's over.

Keep the fire burning.

Go Giants Holy $^%#@ Cow!!

2010-10-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

I know they haven't won it yet. I don't think this team can be jinxed.

Torture... so far ... this is not Torture for Giants fans just Braves, Phils and now the Rangers.

Relax Guy ... it's out of control.
Elections, World blah blah...

Don't stop believing. Cain't Touch It.

Jerry Brown Attorney General of California

2010-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Mr. Jerry Brown,
I am not inclined to vote for you for governor because of the state of California Justice which you have presided over.
Would you care to respond and explain what is your responsibilities regarding the California Correction System and what
you have done in your years of office to address such situations as parole Stings and in particular this one event recently
held in Oakland where you recently held office as Mayor.

Follow this link.
http://www.examiner.com/community-in-san-francisco/feedback-on-oakland-sting-offensive-and-costly-to-all-california

Thank You,
Guy Meyer

California Governor's Debate 2010 - With Ironic Twist

2010-10-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

I was going to write a book, it crossed my mind a few times. About California I am not sure why that has fallen so back in the pack of what I should do.
You and me we can only do so much in life. You can't do everything.

Debacle or a debate. What was that event held in San Rafael last week, Yes I was going to be there... yeah yeah yeahhh...

What did they argue over for an hour? I glimpsed some internet where I guess the highlight of the event was
the word 'whore'. Which I am not sure why it can't be evenly applied to each candidate as they play the political dance
of 'vote for me.' I believe in democracy. It should work.

I wouldn't vote for either of the official candidates. Law and Order in California is becoming more and more of a crime
against the people and I say that with a great deal of respect for Law Enforcement personnel. They keep getting loaded down with a heavier and heavier web of rules that they are supposedly bound to enforce against us, much of it simply away to increase
tax revenue for the government these candidates... ho and hum, or just plain revulsion.

The symbolic intensity of their duly wieghted down with illions

Get Happy!

2010-10-13T01:04:00.000-07:00

Allright Like Dr. Bob says.

Decide to be Happy!

Is it that easy? Can you just do that? Good Luck to us All. May the Sunnyside catch you everyday.

But I liked Bob Parsons VLog so here it is. It ain't brain surgery probably quite a bit cheaper.

I can't figure out how to embed a video so here's the link on for some cheery advice from Uncle Bob.

http://www.bobparsons.me/index.php?ci=13338&id=-1

Put out a Fire ?...

2010-10-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

Front cover of ABC News dot com has the story about the Tennessee home that burned to the ground for lack of paying a $75 annual fee. What a sucker punch in the gut of all Americans. Oh yeah it makes perfect sense. Practical people run this world. Get with the program.

There's some inklings of a thread that maybe is there. It is a tough world and we have to be responsible. Somebody messed up with his bill, who really thinks that your house or home is going to up in flames next week? Most humans don't believe this is the future --- we have greater worries than our house actually burning down.

It is a manifestation of how lost we are bearings that our practical American minds can accept that this is OK. Who's fault is this, Republicans or Democrats? How did we get so lost.

No fireman wants to sit there and watch a home burn down. It is unacceptable state and rural America better figure this out.

Maybe we all need to go back to Volunteer Fire Departments. Just in case your local government decides it's run out of money. Firemen are the Backbone of a Selfless commitment to our Community no questions asked. They are our community inspirations. That's the way it needs to be. How about you repeal this un-civilized law in Tennessee and attach a $1000 fine for being late on your bill if we have to put out a fire in your darn house.

In the meantime I see that Rush Limbaugh calls Obama a Jackass. That made the front page of ABC. I don't know what Obama did lately but yes I tend to agree with Rush. I see another story that goes after The American Tea Party where someone says the American Tea Party 'is like bedbugs' I didn't view the full video clip.

Here's our choice. Democrats with their unwavering compassion for America will spend and create joyfully a fresh web of poorly thought out if thought out at all unsustainable programs for 'the poor working people'. Ya see we are just like Roosevelt
awww that's so heart warming. Building the level of debt to the Federal breaking point. (Might not be all bad) The Republicans who have across the nation tried to gain control of the fledgling Tea Party and despite a few blow ups in their faces have successfully done so. The Republicans are all set for another round of rapacious screw and dominate the Earth and ..

OK OK Ok calm down Guy.. you are frustrated because you feel alone and wish you had your own party. That's true. But you aren't able to organize anything.. true. You think you are still part of the Tea Party? Just try to relax. It's music time.

Hardly Strictly... Oh My!

2010-10-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

I will try a few words, it is now 11PM on Sunday Evening of what was a beautiful Fall weekend.

'The Long Shadows of October' thank you Jon Miller as he described the scene on the field ye old baseball Diamond as the great San Francisco Giants. The great San Francisco Giants of 2010 won the west coast Division and made the playoffs. Yes I know about the Red Sox.. shhh .. I'm with the Giants!

I wrapped up the season with Jon Miller on the radio of the 72' VW Bug on the way to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass for the second day in a row though I actually slept in after Saturday Night till ..3:13 PM. That's right - can we add that to the American Bill of Rights? a Man gets to sleep in as long as he wants or needs in the morning(afternoon). You got the right boy. You just may never find a woman to put up with my lazy arse.... Whoops...! Who said that! Sleep is medicine! I say...

Sunday 4 PM arrival time stopped to soak in some Wow! Cool Surprise Patti Smith. I lingered on the footpath highway. Soaked in some great Stones, Don't Play With me Cause You're Playing With Fire !' F***! she said I ruined the ending.. heck.. know every great song performance has a moment... anyways she resang that ending the band never paused.. Perfect! The tune was preceded as I walked up very strong powerful sounds sweet chorus something about 'we all come round again' or something. Country Spirit type thing from this Punk Rock young rebel soul of the 70's. It was great but I had too move on and probably waited too long to get to the Banjo stage and maybe meet some friends like the Shook Twins (fat chance) or my new friends from Canada who did say make your way back tomorrow to that place under the trees where the comfortable stumps where maybe we'll see you...

I would have liked to have made it back there again.

Anyways I got delayed at the Rooster Stage where the aging young rock idol Nick Lowe, a Power Pop kinda thing and a man whose Rock Music I loved back during his heyday midlate 70's and 80's. I always loved Nick Lowe's music. It was his moment and he was setting up and I said to myself go get a picture of this Man. See what he looks like. You never even new when he was a young man maybe only saw his face once or twice in Rolling Stone maybe never on the cover of Rolling Stone.
The music... great... smooth as.. and what do I remember? I'd actually forgotten what his hits from days gone by as I stood there..
But how about "You Got to be Cruel to be Kind'

You Got to be Cruel to be Kind
in the right measure.
Cruel to be kind it's a very, very fine line.
But ba a a by you Got to be Cruel to be Kind
How does it go? .... to take care of love ...

Nick says... after the audience roused and gave him a strong ovation for the tune. 'What... You only came for the Hits?'

Anyways too late to go on about the Great Nick Lowe or the great Trombone Shorty and Hot Tuna from yesterday early
and the bit of ethereal Joan Baez and the strong music flavor of Conor Oberst, David Grisman, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris
Sharon Jones - From Augusta, Georgia y'all and the Dap Kings.. ripped the place apart.. (maybe they glued it together Guy)... a funk version of 'This Land is Your Land'. I met this dude with these two beautiful Twins, no they were just sisters! They looked like twins and anyways after interrupting this patient man to barge in to conversation with these two almost twins with the great smiles. I felt some community moral obligation
to say hello to this Guy who didn't mind me crashing his party. BTW What a great outpouring of Fantastic Cool and Beautiful People. For the first time in a Long Time I really to myself ...said what a Great Community this Bay Area! Me always grinding my teeth about the whole scene. Arggghh! California Disaster.. yes but there are so many great People!

Anyways so the lovely sisters and this humble dude named Binky. Yes.

.....Binky is flying out tonight after the show. Binky great, great Band! Awesome playing I need a lesson or two,
hate to admit it but Funk Soul is not where I have much knowledge on guitar, I wouldn't mind some next time email me up
in the Bay Area. Bink Master guitarist for the Dap Kings I invite you over and will introduce you to some of my favorite
players in the North Bay there is a cool scene up here!

Cheers everyone! 5 rolls of film shot over 2 Days look for a slideshow real soon (I hope).

That whole Woodstock thing never kind of ended.... it is what it is and it's kind of a friendly... experience. The party goes on.
I Mean What is So funny about Peace Love and Understanding? Soul Wind ... something about a Soul Wind ... as Nick said in one of his songs.

Dennis Fishwick (1946-2010) Marin County 'Of the People'

2010-09-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dennis Fishwick was a cab driver and a dispatcher at the Marin County Cab Company where I also work. I wish I had taken a good portrait of him. In my photo you would have seen a man with a mischievous, and delightful smile with his eyes full of laughing sparkle. Dennis always had a smile, he was always in on the greater cosmic mystery .. why worry. Of course Dennis was human and that was just the side that I saw usually only once or twice a week when our schedules coincided.

He was a short, rather round man with that grey hair that comes along with living long enough. He often came to work with his nutty paranoid Scotch Terrier named Raymond who was the antithesis of Dennis, ready to defend Dennis at the drop of a hat. Actually if you were wearing a hat you were really in trouble. Raymond didn't like hats. Dennis would laugh at everything.

What separated Dennis from almost all human beings that I have met in my 35 years of living in Marin County was will and confidence and courage to address our community and stand up against the 'powers that be' that we in California
face daily.

Dennis ran for public office more than twice. I don't know the full story. But he was an elected member of the Novato City Council at the time of the impending sale of Hamilton Air Force Base to private developers. I know he opposed much of that development for a variety of sound reasons. He ran for office again just in the last year and lost a race to serve on the Novato Sanitary District being motivated by the City's plan to outsource the running of the public Sanitation district to a private firm.
I don't know how Dennis could maintain his persistent, confident and good spirited engagement with this realm we call our government on behalf of the well-being of our community and the protection of our natural environment.

Dennis's contribution to the preservation of Marin County's quality of life stands like a golden flame. Yes I am being free with my compliments here. I hope the other towns of Marin besides Novato are as fortunate to have a citizen as dedicated as Dennis was to public service. Natural courage and knowledge that his life mattered was as intrinsic as the friendliness of his spirit. A lot of people who were your good friends here at this cab company and in your surrounding world aren't going to forget you. Your warm spirit lives with us even now.

Next time take it easy with the cheeseburgers. : )

I know I let myself get annoyed with your dispatching sometimes, I know you know, and I know we new.. that that was nothing compared to sharing a smile.

Thank You Dennis,
Guy #9

From Thank You to Marin Counties largest and only daily
Newspaper the Marin Independent Journal and journalist Rob Rogers for this tribute.

September 2, 2010
Section: Marin

Novato
News

Former Novato Councilman Dennis Fishwick dies at 64

Rob Rogers

Friends and colleagues this week mourned the death of former Novato Councilman Dennis Fishwick, a longtime Novato civic activist who died Tuesday after suffering an apparent heart attack, according to a close friend. He was 64. "He was kind of a gadfly, but he really did love Novato and cared for its quality of life," said former councilwoman Gail Wilhelm. "He was an environmentalist. He did his homework, and he frequently caught public officials making mistakes. On occasion, he would take the city to court, though he didn't win. He was an interesting fellow and politically active to the end."

Mr. Fishwick, who served on the Novato council from 1991 to 1995 and later ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Novato Sanitary District board, suffered a heart attack Tuesday after driving a limousine to a Bay Area airport, said close friend Lydia Haggerty. A spokeswoman for the Marin County Coroner's Office confirmed that Mr. Fishwick had died, but declined to provide details, saying the death had occurred in another county.

Although Mr. Fishwick had worked as a dispatcher and sometime driver for Bel Aire Cab of San Rafael, he was not driving for the company on Tuesday, operations manager Robert DeWalt said.
"He was a good guy and a nice guy," said DeWalt, who said Mr. Fishwick had worked for the company since December 2003. "People liked him here."

Born in Chicago, Mr. Fishwick attended the University of Illinois there, graduating in 1970. He moved to Novato in 1974.
Mr. Fishwick served as a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission and the Measures F & G Committee, helping to draft the bond that later built the city's Margaret Todd Senior Center. He also participated in the Save Scottsdale Marsh Committee and helped form the Novato Adult Soccer League.

Mr. Fishwick's career was characterized by support for youth sports, opposition to large-scale development and lengthy battles with politicians or proposals he opposed. In 1989, he led an effort to recall Novato City Council members Bill Cope, Christine Knight and Hugh Turner, but failed to gather enough signatures to support the recall.

Mr. Fishwick continued his advocacy efforts as a member of the Novato City Council. During his tenure, the council partnered with the county of Marin and the state Department of Fish and Game to purchase 31 acres of marshland around Novato's Scottsdale Pond, a measure Mr. Fishwick had long advocated.

"Dennis was a real character, someone you could never forget," said former Marin County supervisor Cynthia Murray, who served with Mr. Fishwick on the Novato council. "He liked to think of himself as a man of the people, and he was very interested in issues concerning the environment, labor and quality of life. He had a big role in saving Scottsdale Marsh, even before he came to the council."

Mr. Fishwick contested the November 2008 election that favored the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District project, arguing its results should not stand because while two-thirds of overall voters supported the train, two-thirds of Marin County voters did not.

In 2009, Mr. Fishwick ran for one of three seats on the Novato Sanitary District board, protesting what he called the "gross mismanagement of the current directors." He came in sixth, earning 12 percent of the vote. After losing the election, Mr. Fishwick spearheaded a lawsuit against one of his opponents and the Marin County registrar of voters, claiming that a number of voters living outside the Novato city limits had been unable to participate in the election.

"He was an amazing person with the energy to work on many, many issues," said San Rafael attorney Dotty LeMieux, who worked with Mr. Fishwick on his suit against the county. "He didn't shy away from a fight if he thought it was necessary, and he deserves a lot of credit for taking on issues other people didn't, and bringing them to the attention of people who could do something about it."

The Novato City Council plans to adjourn its Sept. 14 meeting in Mr. Fishwick's memory, Mayor Jeanne MacLeamy said Thursday. Funeral details are pending.
Read more Novato stories at the IJ's Novato section.
Contact Rob Rogers via e-mail at rrogers@marinij.com

Try Talking

2010-09-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Phew!!!

You know you have one good day and the next you are back in fall apart mode.

I'm allright just been lying in bed trying too sleep for the last few hours. This should be prime time for me to be in dreamland,
but no. My plans of being in the city - for photography, music and a visit to the SF Library may still materialize.

Maybe rather than think how I can offer to throw a log off the soul of a woman I sort of fancy, after almost a year of knowing her
and fruitless desire mixed with ....

Or think about Obama and the emptiness vacuosness of Political Leadership in the Democratic and Republican fold. Or think about the Tea Party. Oh I see they threw you out of the Tea Party said a cab driver friend who reads my babble here. God Bless you all.. one or two of you at least. No Kev, they didn't throw me out of the Tea Party just because I had to delete and email exchange I had with local leadership of the Tea Party who didn't understand that I am trying to make a public dialogue of the direction of the Tea Party. God Bless the Tea Party again whether I agree with everything that all those who feel apart of some Rebellious urge that is overtaking this country or not. Thank You God so be it Ride this wave too.

Of course the Republicans are Hell Bent on sucking in the people of The Tea Party and the Media wants that as well marginalizing it still as the 'conservative' response to such leaders as Rush Limbaugh, Michael W. 'Savage' or Glenn Beck people who I don't listen to and wouldn't recognize n the street. Rush I would recognize.

In the meantime apparently we have something called a Federal Deficit Reduction Act... good work gentleman and ladies and then you have the next round of Federal Stimulus coming at us another $50 Billion here or there. The sick War in Afghanistan..
'but Guy... we must defeat Evil' . Defeat yourself. That's what we are doing.

OK am I ready to go to sleep now.. have I got something off my chest. Barely. No. Not enough.

Talk about the real world, Guy. I don't know I see a lot of deer running around on the streets of Marin at night. A lot of nutty humans. I saw a coyote on a street in Mill Valley at 2 AM (no not the 2AM Club) it watched me from the side of the road I stopped the cab and he stayed there looking at me about 10 feet away, yes what do you want he said to me and ambled off after about 10 seconds, I hadn't seen that relaxed a coyote before. I have seen plenty of Foxes usually they are quick to disappear. A fellow cab driver described the scene as he was leaving work about the usual time of 3 AM and as he came off the
exit curve from 101 to SFD westbound before the Bon Air Shellhe said he saw an Owl in the middle of the road with fresh kill
as he drove past slowly in his flashy black Accura he said the Owl would not budge from it's spot in the road and he drove away. I checked out the kill a few days later after seeing the carcass lying in the road. About 2AM I slowed my cab to a just about a dead stop , a fairly reckless move and opened the door as I passed by the 3 or four day old lump of animal that was..
to take a good look. It was what I thought - a bunch of beautiful big feathers still attached. That was not the Owls kill that was in all likelihood a fellow Owl probably it's mate. What do you know humans? Does the pompous arrogant blindness of being a Human reduce us to being a lesser species of Life on the Planet Earth. As Walruses seek land now that there is no Ice.

You still want to send your teenager to High School how many miles away because the one next to you isn't good enough. YOu still drive insane commutes wasting your lives way in traffic jams and cars. You still think it's OK to Jet Set around the PLanet
burning it up on a daily basis. Just slow it down some as Odell said. Slow it down some. I am not responsible that is what we have a government for you say. Slow it down some. Get your bicycle working. Trains are great. Leave your car in the parking lot two days a week. It's in our hands.

Circulation of Money

2010-09-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Circulation of Money in an economy is a natural form of survival. The Government's misguided attempts
at stimulating 'the economy' continue and threaten a major collapse of the government in general.

So be it... I guess. Maybe the Government is beyond redempion.

A collapse of the government would not be a collapse of the People.

The circulation of money keeps us connected and basically in survival mode. Survival mode does not mean one has to live in a
an anxiety state but rather means in a heightened awareness of who I feed when I send money in some direction.

Every Community, across the Planet would do well to keep survival mode their daily life. Support the most independent, local elements of your world.

'out of the alley'

2010-09-03T02:57:00.000-07:00

Hah Hah.... said Tomas,. "Guy's out of the alley!'
Well it did have a nice ring to it, That idea. Simply because I walked out of the back alley with a lit joint
looking for anyone t share it with me on Broadway in Fairfax. Quit hiding out. Tomas took me up on the proposal
the best things in Life are usually the moments that are shared.

Great night of music at the Sleeping Lady with the great Rusty Evans and his son Danny on guitar and Carrick on Bass.
'High energy night' as Biambu, the bartender told Rusty after the show. As if Rusty didn't know that. Another night in the land of 'What It Is!'

That's it in The Right Ear and out The Other. I'll figure out the Federal Reserve another day.

Honesty Till It Hurts...

2010-09-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know maybe you and I are not ready for that much.

I wish to be an intelligent voice speaking for the alternate vision, what might be said to be the Peaceful Revolution
what some might have wanted to call a Green Revolution that many of us in our younger days believed possible.
Remember Charles Reich's Book 'The Greening of America'. It all seemed possible.

I get in my own way and maybe the world's when I take myself to seriously... which is most of the time.

So last night I made a mistake and drank the Blue Ocean. It got me nowhere but Now Here and maybe that was all in all OK?...

I had a miserable night's sleep and thought I could just hide all day.

The Vodka drink didn't work well with the Xanax for some reason. Mainly because of me being a sufferer from 'Tiny Tim Syndrome' absent Miss Vikki. Here's my mental state.. ..........

OK Let's put it this way. My mental state is Verb like in Nature as opposed to being a Noun. If I tell you it's this then...
Words ...it's a battle ... This month began my 4 or 5 month entrance into Xanax an anti depressant use that it seemed I needed because of my inability to sleep. I can't turn back the clock and make myself younger. My Heart has been weird, hurting for some time and I tore down my body over the past few years with insomnia as a way of Life. This whole entry into modern medical pharmacology instead of dealing with deeper emotional issues years ago is not to be recommended. I am trying to deal with everything and mainly make myself a responsible and capable human being who can shed whatever levels of shame or regret I may have for past or current failings. Is this too honest? Not really, but I am not going to continue to spill my guts to you and all the internet and Planet. Humans take care of yourselves. I know it seems a tough task for some of us.

I am trying to get down to eliminating Xanax completely from my life by October. I am going against the Doctors wishes in eliminating Prozac first from my life. I know that many people have found this a very helpful aid to Mental Health and dealing with life and there is no shame in doing what one has to do to stay afloat in this world. Maybe I will never get away from any of this stuff. I don't know. Is there a place left for a couple of hits of weed and a great IPA? I hope so sometimes I think I need to go even further in embracing a boring lifestyle. Rock and Roll and Music in general and this insane mess this planet has become will keep me from ever getting too bored. Meantime I will try to get over myself, out from myself, out from under and
be a Human who is willing to lend a hand or try to Muster up the courage to speak out about what i see going down like I have absolutely nothing to fear on this Planet. I'll try. Don't get your hopes up too high in my regards. Life isn't a spectator sport.

Cmon you Punk! I say to myself. (semi-affectionately)

The Blue Ocean

2010-09-01T00:55:00.000-07:00

The drink of the night prepared by the young bartender.. What's it called?
' I think I'll call it The Blue Ocean.' she said.
Vodka and this and that and something called Blue Curacao.

In preparing the drink she dropped a glass and it broke...

I took that personally.... why me God? She has probably never dropped a glass in her short bartending career. (She's young)
I thought of changing my mind. Maybe that was a sign maybe I don't need this drink nor need to be here.

I didn't change my mind I Let it Be... so she answered my question and called it the Blue Ocean. It was pretty good though
It needed something maybe real blueberries or a sprig of mint from Maine. That was the scene beneath the Wilkins Hotel
with the DJ playing some Hip Hop and colored lights dancing and the young crowd of whom I knew no one.

Not my scene.

I had planned on making it to Fairfax to hear the Tuesday Night Uzilevsky Korty Session of which there is nothing in the Marin
Music scene comparable. Mill Valley doesn't have a scene it has a few venues off and on.
Fairfax has a scene. I didn't make it. It would have been a bicycle ride round trip.

I canceled my big plans to make it back East on the 18th. The signs were self evident.
My friend from Windfall Farms said with what seemed finality 'California has claimed you.'
Energy sustainability. Streamline my life.

....How Are You?'

2010-08-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted. Nothing new there.
Back in Marin County, restless travel spirit still. Next.

Working a few days as a landscaper. A carryover from Post Hole digging with Glenn out there by Spencer Creek and then
helping Li'l Denny up in Portland dig out his back yard.

How lucky to be where I am right now in Life. Forget the heartache and falling apart and growing old.
Pretty damn lucky what a cool coast to coast set-up I have and Right here. 4th street San Rafael!

I sang a song at the open Mic down at George's Mystery Bar a couple of weeks ago. City of New Orleans did I already tell you,
just when it became apparent that that 'cool' Guy with the guitar is struggling and can barely keep a tune together. Did I already post this story?.... Just when I get to the chorus careening, stumbling, fumbling, croaking... 'Good Morning America Hpw Are You?' Those beautiful young girls answered (sang) back in Unison. ' OK!! ' Laughing at me.

That was the sweetest most astonishing thing. It made me so happy I have to consider that performance a Triumph!

OK.. The Red, White and Blue Tea Party Lives!

2010-07-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

Inside you it's fundamentals are about local power and responsibility. Individual Freedoms. An end to the American Empire on the Planet Earth. An end to the rule of a doomed Wall Street Model off LLC 'Limited Liability Corporations' scraping the Earth
for scarce resources. A return to a philosophy of it's up to me, woven into a philosophy of a higher power, Divine Providence.
A 40% decrease in the existing amount of asphalt and pavement dumped over the landscape of the expanding suburban wastelend. A can do spirit with less crap. We need a new party in America one that takes contributions nly from individuals and caps it at $100 per person. Fiscally Conservative and Environmentally Conservative. A Zero Waste planetary goal aided with a massive tree and freedom of meadows and wildness to regain Nature's strength to suck up the Carbon Waste that we pour forth. Solutions are waiting, evolution is coming fast the whole thing resides in positive people merely satisfying there own innate quest for a good life.

I could go on but I am late for wrk as a cab driver back in Marin County. My visit to Oregon was short and sweet, mostly sweet
that is. I may return shortly. God knows.

Ms Zelikovsky has asked me to remove her communications from my website which I have done. So be it.

On the Road - Report from Or-i-Gn (Somewhere up North)

2010-07-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

Traveling along the Interstate 5. From Eugene up to Portland.
The Willamette Valley in July, it's hayfields and trucks and Haybalers, Some mountains off in the distance to my right a bit of the coastal range way off to my left. The colors are Gold and Green.

I stayed for a full week with Genie, Glenn and Emma with their Chickens and Goats and Garden and Cats. I got my magical experiences every day. Life is something else isn't it?!

Just amazing, what a great little niche to have carved out for themselves. Knowing every neighbor, walking the wooded paths. There was the Oregon Country Fair on Friday...

Highlights... the physical space carved out of the woods, the multigenerational party of Hippie Oregonian or whatever it was or I am. Lot's of beautiful young ladies of great beauty and yes there are topless chicks still usually the ones you might really not be interested in ogling not that I would be interested in that type of immature behaviour. Just have the courage to say something friendly to anyone That's all and yeah I came through a bit, though I was a bit put off by the no beer no drugs admonitions of security, and of course the party starts when the show ends but maybe another year for that.

Highlights Guy!

Oh yes.... Music well I really enjoyed this band at the main stage that I happen to just catch as they were winding down. I think they were called Cast of Clowns, there lead singer seemed to have a certain sort of talent that reminded me of the good singers of the 60's, like I am thinking Quicksilver or Moby Grape.
Then of course I recognized half of his band, as being Marin locals (almost) Greg Anton on Drums formerly of Zero etc., Barry Sless on Pedal Steel of Iron Springs Brewery fame having some special brew named after you is no small honor. Barry in return was wearing his Iron Springs Brewery TShirt. There was Damien Erskine on Bass who used to play in a Fairfax Band 'Garnish' but has been living in the the Northwest for some time now. Anyways I wasn't able to contact any of them Damien might be the only one who might actually know me or remember me.

Great band again my timing was off, caught the last three tunes from The Shook Twins standing almost outside the small stage area trying to peer over shoulders.
These Girls Shook me Up! Hot Hot Hot!!!! Not necessarily Hollywood Movie Star hot - just Hot for being so good and country beautiful as well Google them on youtube or myspace.
Awesome... fun band I want to see them again Soon!

Then the locally famous Girls Circus that my sister persevered in getting us to see. A bunch of Eugene locals during there own unique circus gymnastics with backing, jazz band orchestra, girls chorus ... Cirque de Soleil with vaudevillian humor. They were Marvelous!

So much more.... The dude making Fire was cool, helping stretch deerskin and rubbing it down with Pumice, that was cool.

Eugene was cool, Digging Post Holes with Glenn was cool, visiting Gerald with his Garcia and John Lennon art work on the wall, the yoga class with Nancy Gulp! That was cool. Argghh! Didn't yoga used to be easy? Oh yeah that was when I was in my twenties. Sam Bonds Bar was cool! Nice Bluegrass Jam on Tuesday night.

The Spencer Creek Grange Post #855 ... awesome. A manifestation of the Just Folks revolution working it's magic while some of us ponder could the industrial age really just collapse?

Nahh I doubt it but this other stuff is happening every day. Coming through the cracks in it's own magical way. Wall Street? Sorry boys that's your business. If you have money invest in your local community, with something that doesn't increase the Human Footprint -- that's gotten pretty ugly over the years. Out of cars into bikes... well just a bit more here and there and it all adds up.

In America

2010-06-23T01:22:00.000-07:00

That's where I am.
My heart hurts for various reasons.

It's OK to slow it down some.
It's OK to go through economic pain.
It's OK to face the unknown. We can improvise. Do the best we can.

There really is no other option. Leave the car at home --- a few days a week.

Journey to Farmville

2010-06-15T23:31:00.008-07:00

America's mythical, ancestral Back to a Future that hasn't been born yet must be born.

Don't mess with God or God's Creation...

I feel good about my stainless steel water bottle. I finally bought one a couple of weeks

ago I am trying to eliminate all Plastic beverage usage waste. No one's perfect. Carrying a canteeen makes sense.

Cars make very little sense as far as long term personal survival strategies go in my opinion.

Today I used the car for the first time in two days. I'll try to keep it rested over the summer.

You want to streamline, get a walking relationship with the world as soon as possible.

Food, entertainment people...

Darn Fool that I am to believe we can make it through this great transition. That's my opinion.

Where's Farmville? Where people take it easy, get good at making their own, want to be left alone, can make it through year after year, respected and nourished by local agriculture.

Dying for Connection

2010-06-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

Who?

Me?

I am quoting someone 'dying for connection' she said speaking of our human world in a broad manner. Yeah we are. Perhaps literally as I think of the living Earth and how so many people

don't quite get that Life is something bigger than us. Yet here we all are. Stuck like Brer Rabbit to a Tar Baby. Can't quite stop driving that damn car. Everywhere. Flying everywhere.

Who me? Bad BP Bad Bad Bad!!! Naughty Naughty. Horrible BP. So let's drive out to the country again like we did last year. Sure thing honey... should we take the kids? Good God Almighty. Just breathe brothers and sisters and if we can take a few more days to just slow it down some. That will be allright. Just slow it down some and if Wall Street has a .... , we got's to slow it down some cause we got no choice when you got no money. It's bigger than all of us.

Besides on an optimistic note Rock and Roll is not Dead. Though the Dead did play at the Seafood Peddler's ballroom in San Rafael last week. Out here in sweet, gentle, lovely, mellow (Om... Aiiiieeee!) California we have Honey Dust and Chrome Johnson, shout outs to The Royal Deuces, Buddy Owens, Jules Broussard, Stevie Wonder, GailMuldrow to name a few local rockers and more of my own music and a few 5150's to play with.

Sully Sullenberger showed us how.. on a wing and a Prayer floating down the River. Just doing his job. Faith baby.

Great Regards - Try Peace

2010-05-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my Father, Guy Sr. again for his abundant love and life. A peaceful presence as I am writing from Point Reyes this Sunday afternoon.

A solid, warm man. Holding a candle next to him, is humbling.

Thank you, Joyce, for the refuge out here in West Marin.

Cool down Junior, to everyone on the Planet let me apologize for sometimes harsh rhetoric

found in some of my entries, Dad would have never been that way. Thanks to all friends and family whoever stopped in here to wonder what Jr. was up to. I am alive and looking for some

inner Peace today. God Knows it's spread all around on this Beautiful Planet. Peace in my

Heart. A difficult day for Mr. Big Shot, web voice dude, know it all ...

A Sunday Evening of cab driving ahead. Tests for the soul and just breathe Guy...

one of those days.

The Tea Party

2010-05-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

I personally advocate a 3rd Party approach and would like to see a new Union

formed of what some would say are intractable foes.

People who know and acknowledge that our Human civilization has it's

Foundation in Nature, and object to the destruction of Nature on the massive scale

that continues and threatens the health and wealth of future generations as well as

our own lives. The current Gulf Spill is a pretty impressive example of our plight.

People who know and acknowledge that accountability in the framework of our Democratic

Government needs to reflect the accountability of our own lives. What am I trying to say

and why is it so hard for me? Conservatives and Liberals the game is up... I want a Red, White and Blue Revolution.

We are headed for accountability whether we want to run away from it or not and it is coming soon. With the financial pit that Obama has buried us in. With the Earth in revolt from our Human waste and destruction of Life itself.

So be it. It is going to be a New World up ahead. I see 'Country People' taking over and I can't exactly tell you what that means, but it's people who are willing to slow it down some and don't need massive wealth to be wealthy --- Anyhow lately it has all been too deep for me. I don't know why I even try. Life is so simple get your Guitar and play more and more. Nothing works out the way you plan or think, Nature and Freedom work hand in hand.

Riding it Out...

2010-05-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

70 years ago, at the time of his birth, according to a fired up Marin County author and activist in the subject of drinking water on the Planet Earth, that's us, this Ball of Life this beautiful adventure this, 'just another day in Paradox' as another friend described life yesterday. Life, Us particularly we the Winners. Humans. 70 years ago when he was born, the human population of the Earth was 2 Billion. Today it stands at somewhere over 7 Billion when the aforementioned fired up author, Jim Zidell says the insurance actuarial tables tell him that when he dies as they predict at age 85, the Earth will hold somewhere over 9 Billion Humans.

Sort of a phenomenon that we are living through. Nature at work. As much as we fight to save lives as Jim has done in inspiring form on a global level. We are busy destroying Nature.

Much of it on behalf of humanity or so some think. Slow it Down Some as Odell says. Not Obama, God Bless all the Obama faithful still with your proud bumperstickers. Of course they are tough to peel off. The Obama faithful are my friends I can't help it they seem to think

he is not responsible for where we are going. He has a good heart. I hear that a lot. ' I still think he has a good Heart'. OK. My heart is not so good. Not as strong as it once was. It's got a few beats left, I like to think ... forget that.. I know! I know (humbly Guy) it's got some Love Power.

Not a whole heck of a lot, but there is something going on in there.

So I am going to release Obama for the moment for his role as leader of a country that believes that off-shore drilling and nuclear power is the correct path. I'll just say that I reinvested in getting my bicycle ready for the Spring. The Earth revelation, revolution Peaceful Journey continues. I had no real idea where I was going with this writing but we need to begin to hold

ourselves and our communities accountable and start with ourselves and when I say our Community I don't mean bugging your neighbors but becoming a force with our Elected officials --- Greenwash is unacceptable.

The New Age JetSet lifestyle needs to be reexamined. Yes you. Slow it down some.

The only reason I had to have my/our own Earth Day Celebration in San Anselmo when the 'official Marin County Earth Day celebration was being held at the College of Marin was... how to put it politely, the 'Hideous' 3 story tall 'Fine Arts' building built on the green quad --( where

so much destruction goes on coast to coast on once beautiful campuses across America where

College Presidents raking in Million Dollar salaries push to expand.) I didn't want to be on the green celebrating Earth Day in the presence of that growing structure. The area of grass and green and shrubs 'was underutilized' as a local artist tried to explain to me. Train kids to be artists, millions of artists. More money, more bodies more money, more bodies, more money, more bodies just keep up that Mantra and you will have the philosophy of California understood. Om... let me see wasn't going to say something more positive on behalf of the world. Nothing really... we are part of a Natural Conspiracy that is beyond our comprehension

but overall will find 'us' on a solid foundation of Respect and Peace with Nature . I guess I best not predict how long that might take.

Recovery Act Number 7,589 (I'm going to start keeping track)

2010-04-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Not a problem. What's good for America is good for me. I haven't seen that much good for America lately besides/except ... the incredible importance of getting it more more and more accepted that it will take serious 'magic' of the kind our forefathers called 'Divine Providence' to get us through it all.

My latest foray into production, probably ill-advised and it definitely raised some stress levels

for me and who needs that but sometimes you got to take it on. Can't run from stress. Guy's Earth Day BeIn in the Park Creek Park which was a major triumph if you discount the actual audience turnout which dropped below my modest expectations. Yet the musicians rose to the occasion,

the stellar Dickey Gee & Jan opened things up with Peace and musical Grace and they are great.

I was scrambling around trying to get the raffle together and got there way early and drew every last dime (just about)from my personal bank account to make sure that the important people get paid. And my two fine helpers who pretty much bailed on me over the last week because of personal life stress reasons did show to share hugs and positive vibes and somehow I still believe that it could work someday. Life is such a fine river and it keeps on flowing and there was the HoneyDust record release Party on Friday NIght which was great and I hung out late torn between the need to shut up and honor Honey Dust and the need to Speak up and let

my friends know about this event. I can't talk about it it needs a novel.

Hat's off to Brian Fischer's All Stars the High Tops and the Continentals... great thanks for letting me sitting in for 'Golden Rocket' a tune I will forever love and probably take on as if it was my own. That's me. Fire that Golden Rocket... !

Sad that Aza got left out in the 3 PM set change cause it could have worked but we were dealing with The Jazz Roots and these three guys who I had never met and I just had to make it work for them. God bless the young star Aza she could have been the hit but was very graceful and soulful when she said no problem Guy next time. The Jazz Roots think of them as Manhattan Pro's cause that's what they were played for two hours, they didn't have to in front of the scattered happy souls who were there in the Park. Delicious. Just a musical world I have not visited for a long time. Driving groovy space jazz magnificent keyboard work from Ken Roy Berry...beautiful guitar work of Barry Finnerty. The solid sweet power of Chris Braun on Drums...

Deelish the audio track is supposed to be a keeper according t JB our crack sound guy. The stage looked great. What an honor to have such pros in Creek Park and so humble playing for the REdwoods, their tip jar, selling a few CD's. I consider the whole event a triumph which I know I am nearly certifiable. 5150. Speaking of which the entire 5150 band showed up and each of the members one a prize in the raffle .... what are the odds!? of that. particularly when I am the Guy in charge. Completely legit. Oh and some people say i am a member of the band, just because I look forward to every Tuesday night when the band gets together and we take some very beginning steps of Rock and Roll 101.

Then later that night in Fairfax I can't keep talking Humans I Can't tell you the whole magnificent story it just keeps going on and on,, from the delicious Salmon Dinner at the Sleeping Lady where my friend the great Kevin Brennan played a completely extra stellar set, he back in California to marry his sweetheart of 11 years Leigh (Sp?) this coming weekend at the San Gregorio General Store where Kevi tells me that the best musicians on the planet are flying in to join this great Glob of Love as he described it will be taking place. It will go on and the so very lovely Shana Morrison, (Lord!).. was there playing with the band it was just too great. I could not tear myself away (liar) and still being exhausted to the bone.. I stop in next door..Peri's, where it just so happens Chrome Johnson is playing, still playing after all these years. They were just a trio as keyboard player Jon was somewhere else but, their magic their power as still the best unsigned Rock Band in America is just mind boggling as they went through their list of old favorites where their down on my luck soulful 30's and 40's jump style delta blues seedy world songs that seem to build into some magic epic into my one of my favorite s their tune Shadowspell where the chorus goes 'ooooh oooh you can't save from my self' ' ooooh oooh ooooh.... and all the loyal Chrome Fans that I have seen and known and hung with for more than 10 years were just flying. Hallelujah's come in many forms.

And bowed out and Sunday rather than recovery I had a gig solo, out in POint Reyes with lovely Alice and a handful of POint Reyes gray haired artist types and In played my guitar instrumentals despite exhaustion as usual. And drove to work as a cab driver khowing that am in deep doo doo again with lack of money. Yet it was the opening of the bay and though the cab company itself always seems in immmnent collapse I was having a pretty good night when shortly after midnight I picked up this fellow from the Silver Peso who says are you ready for a long drive. And I say Heck Yeah! Something like that. I take him over to his house he packs his belongings I stretch I have my guitar in the front seat he brings his guitar we set forth for Boulder Creek about 20 miles deep in the woods north of Santa Cruz and on the way he tells me he wants to play his new CD for me. I brace myself because everyone on the planet has a CD these days and I tend to get easily bored. Anyways I have to do one more night f cab driving and find a new place to live real soon ands I have no money.

Mark's CD was stunning and almost getting choked up again thinking about that late night ride to some magic cabin deep i the woods where his magic angel waited for him. His CD has a t least three or 4 tunes that are. Highest level. Playing with Bay area all stars. The tune about one more bone... Just give me one more chance, toss me one more bone God I'll do it right this time. (I' m not being accurate with the words.) Great evening great to make big money on one night. Flow With the River humans. that's what we are here for as Chris Brown sings in Fairfax 'These Days won't Last too Long.'

Onwards.

Peace

Every Day is Not a Crisis

2010-04-14T02:12:00.000-07:00

Sigh..... (sound effect)

I was told yesterday by a friend of mine of perhaps a year or two of extra age on me that

by sighing loudly as I sat down with him that I perhaps was not comporting myself with

the dignity that I deserved. Somehow that if a younger person had overheard me they

might think that I was a falling apart old guy. My friend a soul with

silver hair and radiant laugh lines I think was trying to give me good advice. Come on man, we

are a brotherhood, let's try to act like we can handle everything.

I think everyone is trying to give me good advice these days. I have been under the belief That Everything is God Talking to me. I have been trying to rein in that old heart on Fire that gets

so stressed out about things that can only be God's Plan or if that offends you or you

question my intelligence for using the word God then I could say things that are out of

my control. If I was able to hold a Faith so secure in God's Plan then obviously I wouldn't

be in the shape I am in today.... yet in fact I can easily with a simple self conscious nudge

think at this late moment with my cold feet on the wood floor, when I should be in bed, still believe it to be just as it needs to be.. that even all my wobbly, perilous moments of self inflicted doubt, torment and fear are merely the stages of a Life that must be passed through

always to get me to the place of Great Connection, if you will.

Another friend gave me a book on Existentialists. He suggested it might relax my mind.

Day by day. A friend came up to me at 19 Broadway this marvelous Tuesday evening Probably the best evening to go into Fairfax of the week just for the Jam Thing that the Danny Uzilevsky and Jon Korty 'Duo' (Hah!) provide, extra transcendence. I cannot believe that so many dance troupes in Marin County don't come out and find the real stuff, forget your recorded tapes.

Anyways this female friend she says 'thank you Guy... you let me go through the stop sign first, at the intersection ' somewhere in the last few days, 'you didn't see it was me'. I guess she was right and thank you.. for me I continue to try to drive relaxed and just kind of joy of pointing at someone and telling them it's their turn, you go! Naturally that barely balances the moments of the opposite but still I breathe I try.. drive relaxed. But as fate would have it the next moment we got caught up in dancing this song that had no exit. 'Turn on Your Love Lights' I really wasn't that I have gotten to be a good dancer or am full 0f energy but the music forced us, lifted us, demanded us and no my heart was not on fire for her love though it seems a shame

that somehow even more could have happened but we both recognized that we had just shared a Great Gift of magic as our souls shared honestly 'when you get a lonely in the middle of the night, and you need someone to hold you tight. Come on Baby. Baby it's for sure. Turn on your Love Light, let it shine on me. Let it shine, let it shine! Let it Shine! ' We danced it together and gave our souls some good love out their on the dance floor where sometimes that's where great love happens.

I talked to Tommy, at the bar now 21, and able to bring his guitar out now and join with the Jams and the places of music. 'Everything else is Bullshit he says' Music is the only real thing in the world for him. He sees his path as a poor musician. You never know I say I just believe that some talents are such that you have no choice. Some musicians drop away and find a job and get the relief the satisfaction maybe a home, maybe a wife not for Tommy not that all that might come his way. Who KNows What's Ahead. Plenty of music.

Say Something Positive TGFM 'Karma'

2010-04-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

TGFM Thank God for Music as well as a few other aspects of existence.

Stop that Guy! Don't minimize... TGFE! Thank God for Everything.

The opportunity to face a lifetime challenge.. creating an Ecologically Based Community.

Out of my control. The creator has a Master Plan ... Peace and Happiness for every Man

(and woman). The Creator makes but one demand, Peace and Happiness across the Land.

Cheers again to the great Pharoah Sanders, alto sax, (or was it soprano?) with Leon Thomas on the vocals the album 'Karma', release date about 1969. Worth checking out. Turn it up.

At One With The Universe in a Blue Flame Rage

2010-04-06T03:28:00.001-07:00

That's me.

Unbelievable so peaceful. How peaceful I am. Om...

How hot can one Heart be in a rage and survive. En fuego.

Right now it's 3:30 AM 4 nights of en fuego cab driving is over. My cat purrs peacefully in my lap. I have taken a swig of Tequila from the bottle in the fridge, taking my cab driving buddies advice as we checked out about an hour ago. The modest intake of alcohol on a regular basis may have beneficial results as many people well know. Still I was ready to punch a Mexican in the nose for little reason earlier in the evening.

Nothing works for me maybe everything works for me. This civilization is doomed just try to keep an eye on the one that is growing beneath our feet, beneath our radar. The Obama administration in conjunction with a timid 'free' press and a confused population US is driving us to a complete disaster. 'Vile Republicans and Democrats with their Heads up Their Ass' was my good friend's take on our situation. I have less scorn for the Republicans these days in fact I join the jerk Congressman who shouted at Obama from the Congressional floor 'Liar!' outrageous it was Vile Republicans. I completely agree with the man that was about a year ago.

I watched as the media launched into their stories about nasty Republicans in Rolling Stone Magazine, nasty Republicans in Esquire Magazine, an angry young man stared at me from check out counters from Mother Jones. OMG this man hates Obama. Oh lord an age of treason! Oh poor liberals what can we do! It's awful these people just hate Obama. They are so mean. I considered the impact of walking into The Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax and shouting '**** You Obama!' Just sort of as an art project, just to you know see what might happen. Didn't go there.

I haven't read this story saw the headlines. SF Chronicle today

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/05/MNI21COVR1.DTL

Unbelievable! Unbelievable! No It's not unbelievable that's what's been unfolding in front of our eyes for this idiot's first year of Presidency. What's unbelievable is that the CBO and the American press have taken so long to do the math! What did he major in in Harvard? Political Ambition. You made it baby. No there are no hidden people pulling the strings and Obama is just a good guy who is a victim of hidden corporate forces... No wrong. Obama is the Man the buck stops there. He is the Dick Cheney of his administration. Not a leader but a damn good driver... drive the herd. Oh well Earth Day is Coming Up. Can we avoid the Green Fraud revolution and find something that actually might sustain our brand new civilization that must find a way to grow through the cracks of our disastrous old one?

Steering Wheel (get a grip)

2010-03-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Positive transformation. We are all in this together.

Anxiety must be released. A higher plan exists.

Just Faith...

Clean my desk. I have to focus on Movies and Music.

Who Pays? 'Voting Blind'

2010-03-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

I had a 95 year old in my taxi a few days back returning from an emergency room visit.

She sat with me in the front seat on the ride home to Mill Valley from Terra Linda.

She was bright and engaging even at 11PM or maybe midnight.

She said she was ready to die. She was just bored she said, ready to go. Despite her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She had her wits about her, she could still walk.

I told her she had a beautiful heart not just commenting on the strong sense of her personality

but just her ... actual Heart for keeping her so well and vital for so long.

None of this makes her opinion any more valid than anyone else's.

' Voting Blind' is what she said two days before our new Health Insurance program where

We apparently insure the insurers. A master coup for Obama, a week ago it looked dead.

People can get upset at angry Republicans all they want. Michael Moore can rant and beat their straw dog backsides all he wants. Yes it's ugly, people can be pretty unpleasant when angered. Obama can strut, it will take sometime before the emptiness of this victory is apparent. Of course I would love to be insured and I would love for everyone to be insured no matter what there problem was nor how expensive the remedy. Where does wealth come from?

Manipulating money?

Was the head of the CBO ( Congressional Budget Office) in Obama's office in the days leading up to this? I don't mean to be paranoid but last week the Health Care Bill was going to cost the US nearly a Trillion dollars, seems like just a couple of days ago... magic! Suddenly Wow.. cool this will actually save us money.

Done deal... sold to the American! Slam the gavel down... quick.

American Health Care

2010-03-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to speak. Night time cab driving can put one in an early grave.

There is a memorial service for a fellow cab driver for our company next Saturday in the East Bay 'congestive heart failure' whatever that is. A sweet guy who worked the really late or long hours but had a preexisting condition I am told an 'enlarged heart'. I generally get off by 3 AM.

I work only 4 nights a week. I don't have insurance.

In this ball of confusion which is the health care debate and the 2700 page bill (hey 2700 pages doesn't make it wrong!) It just makes it a huge mystery. Suddenly the CBO claims that it will lessen the deficit, Dennis Kucinich who I was starting to think was a true hero gave in to Obama's arm twisting. (I imagine Obama going on for a half hour maybe an hour with such a barrage of self certain verbiage mixed with selective facts that poor Dennis out of exhaustion and confusion says OK I guess you are right.) Suddenly the momentum seems like it's going the Democrats way.

The Bank Bailout now The Health Care Bail Out with the American people left holding the bag and all the 20 to 30 year olds who will now be forced by law to buy Health Care making them outlaws if they don't. While the great mass of American Humanity greying, stressed,

sedentary creatures with bad eating habits will drain the US Trust even more as they cling to Life. I don't blame any one for clinging to Life. Life is awesome. But we live in a sick civilization

that is preying on itself, destroying itself. There is no respect for the coming generations as we dump our inability to be accountable on their shoulders.

A tow truck driver was talking with cab drivers at the company office as I arrived at work

I barely paid attention because I know the conversation so well and the feelings. Nothing but a Ponzi scheme he said just keep bringing in enough wealth to maintain the illusion of financial integrity while you squander it on your immediate desires somehow hoping 'Hope' that this coming generation somehow will be wealthier than we are.... when in fact it is becoming more plain by the day that likely will not be the case. Clinton/Bush looted our assets shipping off manufacturing to overseas we make money by Trickle Down.. Reagan started it the Real Estate Boom shot everyone into dreamland wow I am a millionaire- Obama back to the Trickle down only now it's your Noble Government trickling it down as they pull it out of our pockets.

Sorry I am going on. So Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein, Congresswoman Woolsey I ask you to say no to this Ill thought out concoction called the Health Care Bill.

Marin County Tea Party

2010-03-17T01:04:00.000-07:00

There was an event in Marin County last Sunday, March 7 in Mill Valley in the afternoon at the town Rec Center. I went there with my video camera to see what was up. The local paper wrote it up both before the event and after. Before the event there was an interesting story that included a woman's opinion that it shouldn't be held as she thought there was something 'seditious' about the goings on.

The event was not really a Tea Party event I would say. It was an opportunity for conservative

organizations and a variety of candidates for office to set up tables and meet people. Mostly I didn't find too much at the at the tables to interest me. I am not for ROTC in High Schools. NOt for a world that thinks enjoying driving your Hummer on Earth Day is great fun. It doesn't upset me, it doesn't shock me, it doesn't interest me. I think the separation of Church and State should be held up as a Sacred guarantee against government and religious tyranny. It didn't exactly seem like I was with 'my' people whatever that means, probably I mean the folks having a cigarette (I don't smoke) or a drink out on Peri's or 19 Broadway's patio.

I went searching to see if I could find out what the Tea Party is and why or how a frequent Tree Hugger (a good pat works, touch some rough bark, maybe a high five to a Redwood or a Buckeye any tree will do) like me thinks I belong. I found some inspiration and did find some people I feel a good affinity with. I believe there maybe a video clip up as ASAP.

... as soon as I finally finish up the Adventures in Biodiesel Video that is so painfully long overdue. A fascinating piece of cinema verite if I do say so myself or as Bill Belichik would say 'It is what it is.' Another example of why thank God I am not a candidate for any public office anywhere. Get it done Guy. Two fresh clips are up with maybe just two or three more clips. Then maybe Tom will invite me out to Virginia again where we can do something fresh again and not wait 1 and 1/2 years for completion.

The Health Care Package

Psychic

2010-03-16T02:03:00.000-07:00

That was an interesting day. Toast... Fried... Me. Oh well and just fine in it's way.

So. No I never did get out to Point Reyes for my sleep medicine. I got fired up from whatever it was I wrote yesterday morning and took a morning hike instead up the hill behind the Deer Park School. I guess it did me some good took me out of my Worry zone. The wildflowers are looking great. I was going to move my VW Bug so it wouldn't get ticketed but the car wouldn't start so I stopped in at the Fairfax PD to ask them for mercy on their street sweeping ticket patrol every Monday 9AM to 10AM, it's a $50 ticket. The Fairfax PD has been super on my two visits to their dispatch office. No problem on the waiver but when I got back from the hike just about 9AM, the Bug started up and also the windshield wipers that have been broken since before Christmas! ... started up. What do you know?

I guess I got a wee bit of sleep that day but pretty much ran on fumes, and probably looked a complete wreck, but hey! Just a cab driver. This pretty young waitress who was telling me she planned to teach clairvoyance or psychic stuff as a career move said to me did you say you were 'a complete failure'? No what I said was 'I was a complete fan of yours.' Well she was psychic apparently and heard the other, so I told her... definitely I am not a complete failure, I have a bit of success, there, about a 5 or 10% ratio. I gave her my new card as a photographer.

I felt really bad that I didn't just find a way to run for Governor of California. There are always about 20 crackpots running and there was no reason not to join them (I would only run to win) but the deadline came and went, I just couldn't do it. I gave a ride home to an elder Lady and we commiserated about California, yup it will just keep slogging on towards disaster. I felt ashamed that at almost 60 years of age with what once was my whole life in front of me that I couldn't have gotten myself in a slightly more responsible position but.... It's Allright!

'It's Allright Ma, It's Life and Life Only!' as Bob Dylan sang.

The cats purring alongside the computer, it's 2:30 AM. It's been a Hard Day's Night.

Heart

2010-03-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am writing to describe my heart. It is a fragile little fellow that I wish to keep beating on.

I haven't begun to do what I can on this Earth. Yet I have been here some good while...

58 years plus almost another 1/2.

My heart are you weak or strong? Well... what do you think Guy? I ask myself.

The organ of Love. How does that work? Amazing isn't it. It works somehow right from that

beating 'Heart' of ourselves comes Love.

It's about 7 AM this Monday morning. I am in the midst of quite a bit of anxiety in my personal self... again. Last night that being Saturday night Sunday Morning I took my last anti-depression/sleeping pill Temazapan which was prescribed for me back about the first week of December from the Point Reyes Clinic. I intend to start my car about an hour from now and drive out there this MOnday Morning and get a fresh prescription filled. I would like some other medicine but I guess this stuff worked. I haven't slept yet and now I don't believe I can.

I am worried about my Heart. (Peace old buddy.... Good Boy!) I had nothing to put myself to sleep with despite my good cheer coming home at 3 AM with my good buddy fellow cab driver, who silver haired of my generation shared that he wanted a home with some Hippie Chicks to retire too. Maybe that was me who first offered up that notion anyways we both are dreaming fools as we laughed our goodnights.

This was the winter of my 'Breakdown' it was a psychological crisis that brought me to the ER

a couple of months ago. I still haven't opened up the bill from December, I have decided to try to write something out rather than go now to the ER and get another scary bill. I might open up the bill right now but am hoping working on breathing Peace into my heart so that I will still be here on this Planet, beautiful Planet, with you. Last week Monday I had some rather frightening episode of Fibrillation. It was pretty intense and I haven't been the same since. I think it might take a good while to get strong again. I want to get strong again. I don't wish to dwell on the negative this writing is a prayer for my heart so I will do my best as I have tried always, to bring Peace and Honesty to the narrative . I hoped after the New Year despite my previous visit to the Point Reyes Clinic to survive and thrive through a completely natural approach. I put the Paxil and Temazapan in the closet and with the help of some natural healers and God's manifestation of my path in front of me I tried to get my self on to firmer ground.

The 'Breakdown' the 'Beautiful Breakdown' as a friend told me that was what I would have

that back in October when I explained to a dear Musician friend of mine why I was canceling the music performances at the San Anselmo Coffee Shop. It has been beautiful all of Life It's funny how the Presence or real Possibility of Death.... yes Guy. Well it's humbling. God. I want to shout out loud. Lord I want to manifest your Power not be humbling mumbling petty fears.

Lord I WANT TO MANIFEST YOUR POWER. The caps were an accident that I decided to leave on. God bless you all for patience through the years with me. How do you manifest the Power of The Lord Guy? Die Gracefully or Live with Faith.

Upside Down and Backwards

2010-03-09T23:32:00.000-08:00

'Upside down and backwards'... the GGT bus driver told me as I put the transfer into the

fare box. I tried it again and still it didn't work, one more time and I was good.

It's been a tough week. These past few weeks I found myself thinking about being the next California Governor. Here I am, a cabdriver, all last week in damage control over my overdrawn bank account. And there was, a week ago Monday night when I was a suspected bicycle thief by the sheriff's department. My friend Gary whose 72' (approx.) Ford Ranger pick-up truck, hand painted, had been pulled over at 3:30 AM in San Anselmo. My bicycle was in the back and the Sheriff's had thought they had broken the big bicycle theft ring. I didn't get why they needed to ask the passenger for ID as well, 'Why?' I said starting me off on the wrong foot with the guys. We got out of that and I am leaving out the juicy details but if Gary doesn't want to file a complaint, that's OK then.

So Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman with their millions of dollars war chests will likely battle it out. Poor California. When you have received millions of dollars means you owe people big favors. Nice people I wish I had gotten my life a bit more together. We just don't have a strong Independent candidate.

(Guy, maybe show some leadership in your own world.) Hmmm..

Three in the California Platform.

Moratorium on all new water hookups unless from an independent supply. (Yes I realize it's raining again tonight). We have to build a future for the coming generations, not destroy it. Every year the personal freedom of California residents is diminished as we bring

more and more new residents in. Every year we increase the danger to our community our families will face difficult water rationing. Still the California development model continues..

more bodies means more money. Wrong. Just more bodies.

Legalize Marijuana. Let's step up and do what's right. We can't deny freedom any longer to

all those who choose to use Marijuana for Meditation, Medicine or Recreation. Plus we all know what it would do for the California Economy.

Immigration relief. Let's get the illegal immigrant population down. Offer free transportation south of the border in safety. From Mexico to El Salvador and Guatemala.

Let's get the Mexican government to kick in some money. The Governor needs to visit Mexico and let the Mexican people and it's Government know it's over. California and the USA have much work to do getting ourselves back together. Offer legal Guest Worker status for all those who currently have jobs. Help get thousands back to their native land.

California

2010-02-28T06:58:00.000-08:00

How can anyone know Peace living in California as it is? Yet Peace is the only way to bring our state to a place of Wholesome Sustainability. If Wholesome Sustainability sounds unattainable, as if some unrealistic dreamer is merely playing with words to create false hope where no hope exists. I recognize your skepticism. I know it well as it very frequently is my perspective too.

We must at least attempt through our Democracy as people of real concern for our welfare and the health of future generations, to alter the direction that we have been heading. Here is a list

of points I hope someone will be representing in California's upcoming general election.

1.) An immediate moratorium on all new water hookups residential or commercial.

2.) An end to the Public Proposition. Billions have been spent on projects that may not be essential. The passage of no laws in the Assembly or House is preferable to bad laws.

3.) A thorough review of the California Correction Authority. Inmates in most cases of victimless crimes should be released. Elected Representatives of the people need to refuse

financial donations from the Correction Union. A corruption of the spirit of justice occurs when

expansion of our Prison System seems to be tied to Political Contributions.

4.) A tax on landlord's holding 30 or more units of property to be modified by Tenant rent reductions.

5.) Legalization of Marijuana

6.) Joint local and state tax relief for new California Manufacturing

7.) The protection of Teacher's Jobs is a necessity, particularly in our poorest communities.

8.) A statewide initiative lead by communities and property owners to create Green Belts and Strips and in every location as possible. To create where currently none exists: A rich Carbon Sink (the action of green plants soaking up the CO2 from autos and industry) that can help lead the way towards a Zero Waste society.

9.) California leads the way for the Planet in creating a sustainable civilization not based on

state decree but on the initiatives of local communities and individuals.

Here's a starting 9. The ideas can be fleshed out a bit more, there is much more I could write about, but early this Sunday AM I hope getting something out in the public, even if it is to 5 people, will be at least a step. Maybe it will help me get some sleep knowing I've said something. Yes we can.

Vision is a Good Thing - No Nuclear

2010-02-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

The nuclear option is a bitter pill. Driven by fear and some rosy glow of 'Hope' - if those mean old Republicans are for it - then it can't hurt to be for it too, throw in offshore oil drilling as well.' How can our President get just about everything so wrong?

Slapped hard in Massachusetts and lacking in any strength of vision for a necessary American Transition towards a sustainable and independent future - The President seeks to strengthen his hold on the center by adopting Republican strategies.

American Powered USA. We could be (I believe we will be - eventually) a model for the Planet. The reality is full speed ahead with the Corporate, Federal partnership as if our life depended on it. Get that GDP growth line pointed up at our reassuring 45 degree arc onward into the future. Life depends on it. That's the way it is and has always been - some believe.

Many people think we are trapped in a system, that we have no choice, we must stay the course. It was (freshly) pointed out to me just a day ago by a friend that Slowing Down is not an option for Wall Street. If we slow down then stock values fall, falling stock values is a disaster for those who have attained their great wealth which is quite a few. As a matter of fact the American Dream quite obviously morphed over the last 40 years in America. McMansions have sprouted up along with millions of poor quality (crap) sub divisions. It's a divided America with the few, controlling the wealth and pretty much controlling the type of People who become our elected representatives. With the rest of us scuffling scraping by. The Democrats make their way as the party of the People by way of what seems an institutionalizing of compassion. As if our victimhood is only relieved by the beneficence of a Non-Profit world backed by all our wonderful non-profit organizations mostly backed by Corporate largesse.

A vastly different vision is needed and I think is and will emerge. I believe the Tea Party movement contains many of the positive seeds that offer hope for America in a Transition out of Foreign dependence, Federal Dependence, Corporate Dependence. Of course Life is Interdependent, no man or woman is an Island. We are social creatures and we need social co-operation to survive. Every home in America can be energy generators. Every home in America can be generating a small trickle of wealth to it's inhabitants and sending back energy to the grid. A four day work week is completely attainable and is needed some people can get by on a 3 day week. We need an immediate moratorium on Immigration into America. We have a serious transition ahead and we no longer accept an infinitely expanding population as a good thing. The goal is leaving our children the world and country in better shape than where it is now. Space is survival - the congestion of population in the USA and the world diminishes our Freedom. The world of gambling on Wall Street is.. what it is - but it needs to be seen as the abstract game playing it is. It has nothing to do with real wealth. The American People need to experience real wealth, a solid home of our own in safe and friendly communities, good work and a healthy environment that allows nature to be as rich as we are. That's the good life. Life is a mystery and a most challenging endeavor. It could be seen as a game though not to be taken cynically I hope, and like the temporary players that we are, we all will relinquish our time on the field to the next generation. We can't be destroying the play ground on our time on Earth. The children must have a great future. On the coins of America note the words 'Liberty' and 'In God We Trust' as frequently appearing as a friend of mine said back around Christmas, there are lots for words for God, it doesn't matter what you use.. Life, Love, Allah, Krishna. There is one uniting uplifting spiritual power on Earth. If we have Faith in that Power then we can experience Liberty. If we have Faith then we don't need to be running around in a Security State. We have the freedom to choose, we can slow down our lives and make them richer. Yes there are hard times unavoidably ahead, because of our ignorance, 'the momentum of blindness'

but we have to, make that I have to, stay positive.. Yes We Can Can.

Valentine

2010-02-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

It's all about the Heart.

Stumbling, mumbling through life. Me.

Love, Marriage, Soul, Passion, Company ... the daily desire.

Ready to raise the Flag. Faith.

'The demons have been defeated. The Gods win.' a Tibetan quote a unique, fellow cab driver's Valentine card exclaims.

Life is ...

As one of the magical healers who brought me through some pretty tough straits over this past winter signs off on her correspondence.

In Love,

A Quick One.. Two.

2010-02-10T02:45:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know I am still here. It's late.

Now the American people need to stop this last ditch attempt by our esteemed President to get his Health Care Bill past the Republicans.

The problem is not just that this is a bad Bill that confuses everyone (2,700 pages !?), and will even make it a crime (of sorts) not to have insurance and not to get your lives entangled in this mess. The problem is as a dear lady of what seemed obvious liberal background, (don't make assumptions Guy) said to me at the Community Media Center of Marin earlier on what was Tuesday night... 'it's about the economy' that's what focus and energy and the mental power of congress and the President needs to be dealing with.

We can't afford to cover every one as President Obama seems set on doing. As good as that seems I don't think it would be good. I think it's pure BS. Just smoke, mirrors & dreams.

About 6 months ago a woman said to me in the cab that her Health INsurance provider dropped her under this pre-existing condition, she suffers from Psoriasis and was paying a hefty (to my point of view) $700 a month premium - however her medicine cost about $2,500 per month. I don't know anything about psoriasis, no doubt the suffering and pain is difficult to bare. However she must understand, (I think she did) the American People can't cover that. We are not that wealthy at the moment. We have problems, major problems - we must not saddle future generations with a debt based on our needs now. We have to be accountable the people of 2010 have to be stand up and deal with our problems in the present not leave it to the next generation to clean up our mess.

I heard a few minutes of a local hero on the radio a couple of nights ago in the taxi. Stewart Brand who, I believe, was the founder and editor publisher of the Whole Earth Catalog. A man many of us hold in the highest regard for his work passing on knowledge about The Earth and the Environment. Maybe if we acted responsibly back in the 1970's when the work of Stewart Brand and others warned us of Ecological disaster, maybe we wouldn't be approaching it now.

Maybe it's not too late to act responsibly. Stewart has gotten himself some notoriety lately as being an advocate of Nuclear Power. He joins President Obama and a host of engineers and scientists who have faith in Man's ability to handle the most toxic substances ever created by mankind. It takes 50,000 years to become safe, it will be stored in concrete canisters deep beneath the US somewhere. We don't have to worry about the process, the shipping, the packing, the burying, Science has got that figured out. Stewart you sounded a little glib, when you talked with Michael Krazny on the radio. I found it interesting that he thought we would be better off not making warning signs pointing to our Dumping grounds, he said to the effect that maybe that would just invite curiosity and we could have some future civilization rooting around causing more damage then if we just not mention it to whoever inherits the Earth.

Just one more thing that humans, what a proud species are, we leave for future generations to deal with or not. Alter our ways of gross consumption? Become honest accountable people?Who would get hurt if we slowed down the engine of growth and development? 'Slow it down some' as Odell from Virginia said, if you're on the bottom you don't have far too fall. Those who control the wealth, they are afraid. Life is going to get real tough no matter what in the years ahead, those in Power will do anything to keep the people from realizing that we can live free and independent without the Corporate Civilization and it's Siamese twin a strong Federal Government committed to doing everything for the Poor and Unfortunate.

Great changes are afoot. Great stuff across America. This Tea Party has legs. 'The Peaceful Revolution isn't over yet,' I told two cute teenage girls I took home last weekend after playing the Moody Blues 'Tuesday Afternoon' loud in the cab just for them... that's what we listened to 40 years ago on the way to hang out in the Park.

'Guy Hates Obama' Ouch!

2010-01-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Now hey... That's not what I am about. Angry yes, and I know anger can make you blind.

I know I am just a cab driver .. still. (At the cusp of knowing what I want to do with my life.)

A friend said to another friend yesterday, 'Hey, Guy hates Obama.' I think he said it in a form of good-natured conversation creation. I instantly think sheesh, dammit somebody is going to discover my blogging activity someday and does it really sound like I hate Obama? Anyways more proof that some people, one or two read my stuff.

I should want to kiss him, President Obama for being the glorious instrument he is of God's Plan to bring about the Second American Revolution, the Peaceful One, as I once used to say. One way or another.

'Hard to know. Aim High.' This another comment from a friend speaking about his Life's plans

and I instantly think I should take it to heart. Instead of rolling in the dust with the esteemed President Obama and Democrats or Republicans. 'I hope he does something.' a comment regarding the economy from a person who looked on Obama's efforts with favor. 'The Republicans are so negative.' she added I told her I missed the Republicans spot. Reminds me of my other friends response. She had given me one of my favorite quotes from the second or third week of this still new administration, when I had already written his administration off as ... clueless. 'Hey you with your head up your ass...' It went on, I forget now how it went, as she severely reprimanded me for allowing doubting thoughts to enter my head or the world via the blog. Now she turns to me after hearing Kevin's laughing comment about 'Guy hating Obama' 'Well at least he got the being Black part right.' Yes he did.

From listening to NPR those folks commentaters, Washington DC and so forth seem to have been thrilled by the speech. Common Ground for Republicans and Democrats is a good thing they say. Hooray. I don't know what's wrong with me. The thrill is long gone. As far as the economy turning around, I am rooting for a Second American Revolution I think a native born Alaskan Polar Bear might be a good candidate for 2012 President. Somebody has to fight for them. Besides he wouldn't need heat in the White House and it is a White House and he's a White Bear and no... how did this get into color Guy? Let's hear for all the people who are slowly discovering that a Government that does nothing might just be the best option for us getting our Planet and Country back together.

We do have work to do and mine is being a cab driver again tonight..

Happy Trails.

The Obama Show AKA State of the Union

2010-01-27T22:23:00.000-08:00

Just deep breath I tell myself as I try to find the place to begin.. I guess I found it.

Maybe I will say that I saw about 20 to 30 minutes of the event over the NYTimes.com.

I was sober then. I found myself reacting angrily. I wasn't even sure why.. maybe because the rhetoric is / seems a wash of verbiage all designed to take special note of how fabulous this President and his programs, particularly The Recovery Act, performed in the past year. I wonder how This State of the Union address arrived at this stage of stagecraft. When did these punchlines become the standard form of address, as with a grand declaratory vocal utterance everyone rises to their feet? Have we always been subject to such shallow and humility absent presentations? I don't remember, I think they have reached the pinnacle. Frankly it made me sick, and I wonder how it is to invite your 5Th or 6Th grade child to sit down and watch our President, pump his chest over how excellent a job he is doing, you see children this is how you Govern : Talk a lot, continue to tell people how great a job you are doing, present some cool new items with declamatory flourishes .. \I think we need a brass band or some orchestral soundtrack, and now Dear Americans behind this curtain we Will Bring You!! Ooohhhh... And then Dear Americans we will ooohhhh and reduce the budget and double exports in 5 years Ooohh...

Sorry going on about this, I am utterly lost from our present form of government. A THIRD PARTY must emerge ( about the caps, an accident that I leave).

How would I suggest a State of the Union be run? Serious as if one is genuinely assessing the State of our Union as opposed to being a Campaign Speech. How many operating Steel Mills exist in our Country? H0w many people earn their living in textiles? Compared to 10 years ago? How many people who work can't afford a home? How many people have no work? How many farms did we lose last year? How many acres of God's green Earth got paved over last year?

What is the deficit? What is the debt? These should be absolutes every President should speak on this. How has the population changed? That's the basics it goes on it should be short enough not to bore us but should show some real attention of whoever is in charge actually cares or even knows. If a President has a vision for the Nation then he should use the opportunity to share it with the people and so to inspire us through the coming year.

I'll plow through some of my notes from the event.

You remember when he was talking about some new banking bill something about and 'if the bill isn't good enough then I'll send it back til' they get it right.' With a flourish and a standing ovation by Democrats. My thoughts go to the ill thought out and hopefully ill fated Health Care Bill when back in August he was doing his best to push through the bill before our Senate and House members took their summer vacations. Just remembering what a rush he was in then, it seemed he would have declared with all his Stateliness as the bill cleared passage we have a 'Good' bill as if he knew or cared what was in the Bill, just get me my Bill. It didn't happen and we are temporarily spared another Trillion Dollars of debt over 10 years (maybe it was 8hundred something billion - one Trillion in 10 years probably pretty safe bet.)

How is it that 'optimistic assumptions' are OK for the future of coming generations. The President claim's to be a pragmatist but not a pragmatist when it comes to the debt on the future of our children. Pie in the Sky Dreamer, 'rosy predictions', as long as you don't look past appearances, as long as you don't care to look, as long as it will help get him elected again.. He is a pragmatist. This year is the year of the Populist Obama, watch him get angry at banks.

'A new generation of safe clean nuclear power plants is to be built...' standing ovation. 50 thousand years is a lot of future generations who will be praying that all the concrete canisters of Nuclear Waste that we created in the 21st Century don't fail sometime, somewhere, somehow. All for what... and yes I heard that the Nuclear Power Industry was the biggest contributor to the Presidents's past Illinois Senate campaign. All for what? So we can continue to have the great growth that we had during the 80's and 90's ... we don't need 'that great growth' ever again. This country has been and continues to be looted. Our assets are being dissolved as 'the money class' plays games with money to create money while in actuality destroying our connections to Life and Independence. Is that too big a mouthful?

I'll go on.. 're-think off-shore oil drilling' Standing Ovation. 'A Planet in Peril' he would state over and over again as he ran for the job of President. That's all he had to say. We got it, he knows what's going on. Now... It's all right, those Republicans must know something, Sarah Palin and all those angry Tea Party people kicked our ass in Massachusetts let's do it, I'm a pragmatist.

The thing is that the alternative is a Revolution in the way we live. A great Revolution, the revolution our spirits have been longing for. Forget your pitchforks and torches, there need not be any bloodshed. It's an energy Revolution and for their to be an Energy Revolution there will need to be a political Revolution. Revolution is an inflammatory word but 'rapid change' is absolutely in order and if it takes 30 years that will be plenty rapid. There is a direct connection between the Politics and the Energy as we demand, stand up, for greater Liberty, Independence and find a way to become a force. We are talking about accountability. What if every home in America was producing it's own energy? Not only producing it but selling it back to the grid. Every homeowner in America might be getting a paycheck for bringing energy to all he people. The days of big centralized providers of energy needs to end. That's how there world works, they separate you from your money, they provide your energy, they do not care about your community, they do not care about.... Sorry I am going on.

'we will double our exports in the next 5 years.' Standing Ovation. Sounds good. It's good to make money as long as you aren't hurting anyone with your success. We can't be hurting farmers around the world with our government subsidized cheap exports. That ends up destabilizing the world. Every Nation on the Earth should be encouraged to be sustainable unto themselves.

One more and there is plenty more. 'Seek new markets aggressively' I guess you better because this old market of ours, the US once a middle class nation is sputtering, are we a renter class and the people battling their excessive mortgage payments frequently dealing with

substandard aka 'Crap' developments that they bought into, renting from the banks. Where is the excess money to spend, well someone has some and I don't need to make it more grim than it is. I am an optimist in the long run. Obama is an agent of change as was George Bush Jr., it's just not a good place where they have been taking us.

Massachusetts / USA, Fragile Mess Going ... Where?

2010-01-21T23:40:00.000-08:00

Basically trying to think about politics without getting upset has been difficult lately.. and I have been seeing red. I am not a bona-fide red stater and am not interested in becoming one. I had never heard the name Scott Brown's name until yesterday.

That I could state that I would have voted for him knowing that he supports waterboarding

'enhanced interrogation techniques' is absolutely disgusting. I can't believe that anyone is still left in America who can come out and defend that crap and yet this is the man who won in Massachusetts. I could have voted for the independent candidate that got two percentage points in the election but that still would have been a vote for this gentleman who ever he is who thinks torture is OK and may or maynot have anymore intelligent ideas about anything than he does about the US being a torture friendly nation. To me that should be grounds for abrupt disqualification. Yet I believed Obama needed to be defeated.

I believed the best course for this country would be to have the people, the 60 senators... now 59, who are Democrats to ponder deeply the course they have set us on and really it is all about the great leader the man I voted for his course that he has set us on. Eight years of George Bush

and Dick Cheney and we celebrated the Presidential elections and Hope runs high yet I can't drop my guard. I've been around too long. Too many years of watching it all unfold. Obama ran a brilliant race. Tell people nothing as eloquently as imaginable, make sure you know that you are not 'them', and you represent Change. So allright, I swallowed my disbelief.. Have faith many said, 'you can't win if you tell people what you are going to do' you have to keep the cards real close to your chest.

He still keeps the cards close to his chest but it's all painfully apparent. His feet are on another plane, another planet, a dream planet (I've been a dreamer too I know.. it's human) where Governments drive economic recovery. It's all a state of mind and if you can convince the American People that everything is well then it's OK to have a bon-fire with assets of The People's Trust it will warm our hearts, and be just like coming out of WWII. We'll just get back to those fabulous projections that tickled our fancies just like Enron, the DotCom boom, the real estate market... woohoo we are just going back to Good old American

Economic growth. We are bullish on America. Obama's model for recovery is Enron, the Dot Com World, The Great Real Estate Boom. The arrows pointed up so it will always be up. We are America all we do is grow, grow big grow rich, of course grow compassionate, grow green, grow all the things of Progressive greatness. But when it comes to Money here's how the Government will grow your Economy while we wait to that great American Engine to finally....

I ran out of time last night and now here comes 4 nights of cab driving in a row. I'll get back to the post as soon as possible try top lay out my 'issues' with Obama over his first year..

Try to lay out some positive vision for California and the US because just being upset about things is not enough. In fact being upset about things maybe just flat out unhealthy for me... no upset please . Breathe ... Peace in, Stress out.

Just because someone follows you on a Blog doesn't mean they agree with everything someone says in the blog. Thanks to my first 'follower' if I was lucky enough to get a flock of people who were brave enough to join me here in my verbal adventures, I think I am trying to voice a view of the non-Red non-Blue, we are Independents who need a fresh sense of Identity.

Mass**** Solidarity

2010-01-20T02:11:00.000-08:00

I would have voted for him too, the gentleman from Massachussetts. It wouldn't have been easy yet it wouldn't have been hard. There would have been a great sense of satisfaction to be part of an uprising of any kind. Obama is .. (allright I will avoid inflammatory language) .. not good for the health and security of the US. Yes I voted for him. The man does not have a clue and and it's frustrating how the World .. Washington DC, the 'liberal' press and all the passionate dreamers of 'progressive' vision fail to recognize that we are not being lead, we are being driven. He's a master of the herd, but like his predecessor there seems to be no intellectual curiosity in his decision making only a drive to sell the product. The product... some muddled vision of 'Democratic' feel good Government to solve everything the end result of his abilities: to leave us with a bankrupt nation. I don't see where else we are going.

The Primal Call to Heaven

2010-01-08T01:11:00.000-08:00

I just saw Pharoah Sanders on stage at Yoshi's SF earlier tonight.
Previous to that the last time I saw him was in the old auditorium at New Paltz College in 1971.
He blew me away again. Blew me away. Next time only go to the late set I tell myself.

A tenor saxophone player from the Coltrane/Sun Ra school of Music. What is that school, the school of screeching saxophones ?..... no it's way more. It's a place where music seeks union.. nevermind It's late I can't explain. Thank you.

later tonight at Peri's with an entirely different band, The Dave Sparks Band with Trombone player Ed Early and friends. Numerous drunks and people dancing. 'God's handiwork is becoming more apparent everyday...' says Richard too me as we take in the scene.

! ........ Calm.

2010-01-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

What a holiday season!
Holiday Season...
'A Season for Holidays' , I am thinking.
Pondering. Where I am now. In the calmer waters of the first week of January.

Calm. Right now I really like that word.

I was in a terrific fix there for while joining the likes of Urban Meyer (not related) and Rush Limbaugh on the edge
of what seemed some rendevous with my maker. Just another over 50 dude who stress overtook and nearly brought down
at least in my mind...

Calm. Definitely not over the need to bring calm to the fore.. to not hold on to stress. Breathe it out.

This old body needs peace and recovery time. It will get it here in Fairfax, where I can wake up and walk up to the trails...
if I can make the time over at 'the Common Well' a little alternative healing emporium whose practitioners saved my life
a couple of times there in days before Christmas, as well as did half the town of Fairfax. Anyways I am plugging the Common Well as a wonderful place to stop in to have someone help get you back into being connected. Connected to Life.

Everyday is a prayer, needs a prayer ...

The Old Fashioned Lord's Prayer

2009-12-27T03:16:00.000-08:00

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.]
Amen.

So This is Christmas

2009-12-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

Do you know the feeling when you are certain you lost something... or minimally, you fear you lost something?

Then you discover that it isn't lost.

The Apple Pie fell onto the kitchen floor... yielding merriment.

The Angels won't quit. Despite our failings.

A few random words loosely connected.

Hope beyond a slogan, in a heart.
Faith as weak as a human might be... remains... Connected to that which is as great as great can be.

Let's Go! Love keep that heart a beating. Cab driving my life today.

Guy
Fairfax , Ca.

A Sweet Hallelujah

2009-12-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Richard in passing at a distance a couple of hours ago, raised his coffee cup and simply said 'Hallelujah' to me.

Om baby... God bless us all .. we can handle whatever comes our way.

Heart of Mine

2009-12-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

My Life. On Dad's birthday it is almost 7:00 AM in California.
I have not slept yet. There are repercussions to my lifestyle.. it's not a lifestyle it's a DisEase of a major magnitude.
From Ativan to Tylenol PM ... ER visit.... Psyche ER visit yukkk! Over the last few weeks. Building over the years.

This Heart of mine, may not last much longer.

Incredible love and help from my little healing community on every level. I can't take it home with me, I try -- all the inspiration,
the hugs the love. Last night cab driving I thought I had made it through the passage. Maybe it was the Rescue Remedy my Mom
recommended.. it cooled me out and my optimism gained strength through the night.

Let's talk.. I'm a mess. Major guilt complex. Dream big complete nothing. Run from love. Not good.

This blog is coming to an end. My voice if it survives will have to find another channel.

I described myself as a tough nut to someone last year what I meant by that was my shell.
That shell has to open up. Maybe it is time for God to take me back or maybe I will
find my way to be Guy Wheeler Meyer, Jr.

Our Predicament/My Predicament

2009-12-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

The consensus on the street is we are screwed. The consensus in Washington more..more.. more wasting lives, wasting money, wasting our Time on Earth. No problem.

Just a few weeks ago at a bar I told this bright dude I was an optimist. He looked at me quizzically. I just believed that we had to go through the '___ hitting the fan' experience and that we would be able to reorganize ourselves after along better lines as we faced the pressures of real survival. He was still skeptical and I cited 4th quarter Joe Montana as well as our few million beautiful children who we love dearly as grounds for optimism and that without optimism we are passing on nothing for their survival and future happiness.

Personally I am barely able to cope and if I was to say this country is hanging on or will be hanging on by a slender thread shortly so am I right now. As my 'alternative medicine' man told me today. You are going to have to fight for survival. I bring up the personal not for sympathy.. (thoughts & prayers welcome though) I am not sure why maybe for historical reference. Can you die from Heart Failure? Of course figuratively and literally it happens all the time. I have to breathe optimism when that seems like it's just an empty lie then I will be dead, maybe your optimism will live on. It's not one man show though I have for some reason never quite figured out this joining together thing, I love people, I love a good time, I don't know, I just end up retreating and now there's not much room at the end of my limb.

Everything I write needs to matter. We need to see that our whole culture our whole society needs to reset. We are not a nation
of Bleep You me first cynical yuppies, boomers, gen x, y or z. We must stand together our businesses must enrich communities not screw them. Right now what goes on on Wall Street and the whole sick contraption of our economy is how to suck up the most money from the Herd on the bottom. That's us. Their wealth is our poverty. Am I whining? Couldn't I have done just about anything well and found a way too make a decent living? Heck I could have been rich! Would I be complaining then, maybe not. Hard to believe that this (My Life) is the way it was 'supposed' to be.

When the world's economy takes the big fall someday when the sum total of bullshit that our country has become is too strong then we will see. That we must feed each other. That the cynical the greedy will move off to the side, sluffed off like an
old clo.. like shedding a bad dream. America will rediscover who we really are and there will be courage and goodness surging through us like a well from the center of the Earth or from Heaven if you will. We still have grounds to be optimists. We always new it was going to be rough many of us never believed we had a chance and therefore it justified all kinds of cynical behaviour. We will survive. Optimism is a tool for survival that we must use. Even if it seems you are a fool.

Love of the Land

2009-11-30T22:16:00.000-08:00

You can't stamp that out. Even as it is sold off, carted off, paved off, developed off. The Land - prime economic commodity.
Let's just sell it all to the highest bidder... Ten cents on the dollar? That's what's going on. Not yet actually but that's the path.

Unbelievable.
Maddening.
2019 can we make it through?

Obama The Titanic....

Get the vision and hold on tight. The USA will survive. Independent, corporate free (just about) let the dinosaurs fall,
we'll all have to find ways of survival. We will find a way. We must. A return to a manufacturing base, a return to an independent
and wholesome agriculture. A return to accountability and respectful ethics. Slender threads. God help us.

Afghanistan and the USA (A False Alliance)

2009-11-19T21:59:00.000-08:00

The President, our President Obama I have heard it said is going to announce his decision on further troop committments on his return from his FarEast mission. That I believe should be probably next week. If I was him I would put it off another couple of months.. why rush when making a bad decision? Take your time. (That's why I am a cabdriver.)

Well we must do something, so bad decisions or not, at least we're doing something. Reminds me of a good conversation at the Mayflower Pub last week I had with some young engineer on various worldly topics. We agreed upon quite a bit, which is a good and rare thing.. particularly for me. One thing we agreed on is that 'Nothing' has gotten a bad rap lately. As in we cannot sit here and do Nothing. That being the world will collapse unless we immediately authorize spending another (xxx) billion on ______ ______ , whatever.. you fill in the blanks, is next? The problem being is that I think we will soon encounter something really important where we have to come up with some real money and we are dangerously close to the magic point, where we have spent so much money that we don't have now, that people don't or won't trust the money that you don't have... and what will we do when we really need some money.

I was reading about Afghanistan.
It was interesting to read the NYTimes front page article on Secretary State Clinton's relationship with Karzai's.
Interesting article on so many levels as I once again decide to read and maybe refresh my knowledge of why this Afghanistan stuff smells like disaster. First off as I read I am taken that, by the way, fifth paragraph down where Karzai was sworn in earlier today, for another term as President of Afghanistan and I was thinking that's kind of interesting that the NYT editors didn't feel they needed an article on the actual inauguration of the President. Maybe there article is still being written and will be online by tomorrow AM. It is an intriguing article and has merit, brings forth some interesting tidbits, such as Obama's lack of
strong contact with Karzai delegating it as seems to HRC, which maybe is just fine. Strange little ......

Cool Water Flow

2009-11-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Pass the Peace. I need some right now. Pour the Peace over my brow...
In my heart, may it cool my soul. Let the Peace, let it Roll...
Roll through my bones..
Pass the Peace, breathe with me now
.......to find my Life, release my strife, cool water flow
Cool within to ease my soul, to ease my soul.
Night and day, Breathe out breathe in...
The waters flow...
In Peace, in Life, Holy Love to make me Whole.
Holy Love to make me Whole.
Cool water flow.

Take me back down where cool waters flow, yeah...

San Anselmo - Measure E -- The FAR Plan

2009-10-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

Regarding Measure E, the FAR proposal for the town of San Anselmo.

Is it a good plan? Could it be better? What is the truth about attics and cellars, I hear a direct contradiction in the candidates statements in the clip below? Can someone address this on behalf of San Anselmo citizens?

San Anselmo - Guy's Questions

2009-10-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Town Council election is coming in less than two weeks. There are 6 candidates for 3 seats in San Anselmo, I could have been one of them, perhaps that was for the best that I sit on the sidelines. Particularly since I still reside in San Rafael these days... (almost back-maybe.)

At the candidates forum which I attended and got permission from the Town Chamber of Commerce to videotape, questions were presented by the moderator Dick Spotswood to the candidates. It was a respectful cordial affair, as much of San Anselmo's politics have been for as long as I can remember being a witness (about 30 years). Sadly from my point of view, no questions were being taken directly from the audience, though cards were passed around for the audience to write their questions. The time at the end for audience questions was very short probably no more than 20 minutes, and the three questions I had jotted down were not among the few chosen to be presented to the candidates.

I was a little unsatisfied. I had some questions that I wanted answers for, it was a little late notice and unfortunately through the years I still haven't really got myself in the position

to be a respected voice of local journalism and that may likely never happen. So it was not surprising that candidates might declined to be interviewed by me and have themselves up on youtube. However two of the candidates have responded via email to answer my questions and I hope to post all 6 candidates answers by next Tuesday.

Here are the 4 questions I asked of them.

What lessons have we learned from the failed development on Red Hill?

    Knowing that the flood district is funded with millions of dollars and continues to do engineering studies what is your position on the future of The Corte Madera Creek  regarding a possible concrete channelization of the stream similar to Kentfield?

    A group of architects and citizens have put together a plan to redevelop the Southern end of San Anselmo. It has been a year since their public presentations at the town hall and in front of the Post Office. Are you in favor or opposed to the part of their plan that seeks to lease the green buffer median strip that separates San Anselmo Avenue from Sir Francis Drake to a developer shrinking  SFD southbound to one lane and build commercial and residential structures facing San Anselmo Avenue?

    Over the past 5 years as the town has battled budget short falls, reduced it's Town Hall operating time, reduced the Library Hours, the the budget for the Police Services has expanded.  Is the town becoming over-policed? Are you concerned?

In regards to the 4th question regarding police services perhaps if I had checked my email diligently and read the Town Manager's comments directly addressing the San Anselmo Police's

roll in our town I might have chosen not to include that question. None the less I think It is perhaps a good thing to weigh the situation in our town and decide what direction we want to go, to make sure we have the appropriate sized police force and one that gets that we are a small town, that friendliness and civility is what we would like. Which is the experience that most of us have gotten with perhaps a few exceptions.

Before I post what the Town Manager said, I will say that I disagree with the candidates answers to the question of possible consolidation of Police Services with the town of Fairfax. All were for consolidation with Ted Freeman giving slightly less emphatic endorsement than the others. A consolidation that is not going to happen because of the Fairfax's council being in apparent solid opposition to this event. Maybe some of the candidate's might give it some more thought - a consolidation though it might save some money lends itself to a loss of identity and accountability of our individual Towns, even though we being almost twice the size of Fairfax and would have a little less to lose we too would lose a little more of our identity. Let's keep thing's small and easily accountable. Moot point except it's all about what our representatives see for our future.

Here is Town Manager Debra Stutsman's report on our Police.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have heard a number of questions out in the community recently about the Police Department, so we’ve put

together some “Frequently Asked Questions” that I hope will be informative.

Q: How many police officers does San Anselmo currently have?

A: San Anselmo has 19 sworn police officers, two more officers than the department had in 1972.

Q: How do you determine how many police officers are needed for a town of our size?

A: Because of law enforcement's varied service requirements and functions, as well as the distinct demographic

traits and characteristics of jurisdictions (crime rates, calls for service, etc), the number of police officers per

1000 residents differs, but according to the FBI, the national average is 2.5 officers per 1000 residents. The

Marin County average is 2.14 officers per 1000 residents. San Anselmo has 1.58 officers per 1000 residents.

Q: What is the cost per resident in San Anselmo for police protection?

A: $351 per resident, the third lowest per resident cost in Marin County.

Q: How many vehicles does the police department have?

A: The department utilizes 5 front line patrol vehicles and 5 unmarked vehicles. We have 3 motorcycles for

traffic enforcement, a parking buggy and 1 vehicle for our community services officer. In 1978 the department

had 5 patrol vehicles, 3 unmarked cars and a motorcycle for traffic enforcement.

Q: Why do the police need a SUV?

A: The Ford Expedition is equipped as a command vehicle for major incident response as well as being utilized

each day as the field supervisor’s vehicle. An example of the equipment carried in this vehicle includes:

• Maps of the layout of each school in our jurisdiction in response to intruder on campus situations.

• Ballistic body shield, vests and helmets for use in the event of an intruder on campus situation.

• Evidence collection equipment.

• Traffic accident investigation equipment.

• Command Post including pull out white board and layouts of all banks in Town.

• Portable lap top computer and docking station enabling access to numerous data bases along with

departments records information system.

• Cameras, ladder, bull horn, and less lethal weaponry.

Republican Rage

2009-09-17T01:33:00.000-07:00

I try to figure out why the Republicans are so bent out of shape and then I start thinking .. that I sort of resemble a Republican of late.

As I try to make sense of the direction Obama is driving our Country, i try not to get angry too

particularly where I live in Marin County, California where Obama worship is possibly at it's highest. So if you don't know I come from a liberal background, anti-war young guy, Draft Dodger, marched in a few demonstrations back in the 60's when I was a teenager, smoked pot, went to Woodstock, I believe in Ecology as a way of life, of course I drive a car again lately and consume crap and create waste like the rest of us.

Anyways some how I have never strayed from being pretty deeply skeptical about many actions of government Republican and Democrat, national or local. I have tried to do better at being a participant in our system of government at least showing up at occasional town meetings where it seems like to often I am a day late and a penny short to do anything but watch things drift further down the stream of irresponsibility ('the never ending rape' as a female friend in the cab driving business describes it our actions toward the Planet Earth 'the pompous parasite' Kenneth Patchen american poet described us ...sorry don't mean to to offend sensibilities. I know you have to rush off tomorrow to jet away to explore some remote corner of the Earth that hardly anyone knows about. Cool. See ya. Maybe get a tattoo too while you're at it. Buy a condo there, real estate - always a good investment.)

So we had Bush and Cheney and yes I thought Bush might have been an alien sent to our country to destroy it. Profoundly nightmarish experience unless you love torture, or perhaps you think constitutional liberties are for sissies, maybe you think only terrorist sympathizers care about keeping the government at bay--

as a friend said to me just tonight.

Thank God Obama won.

I have to think about that. What is wrong with me? Why have I been so thoroughly unimpressed from the beginning? Well I thought the inaugurational speech was inspiring.

Since then I realize all his speeches are inspiring.

......

911 Peace

2009-09-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

In memory to all those who have lost their lives, beautiful souls whose time on Earth ended abruptly in the unwanted battles of the world. To honor all those who have done their duty against all odds to serve with courage and even sacrifice their own lives on behalf of their fellow human beings.

A pause to remember and seek inspiration.

Guy

Woodstock, Counter Culture to American Culture

2009-09-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

That title just added up top is a bit of a challenge. The fact that I went to Woodstock 40 years ago, doesn't make me a counter culture expert. 40 years ago... damn!

It makes me Lucky.

I finally caught up with the Heroes of Woodstock tour on their last show, almost caught them at Bethel back in August (well almost is a stretch but I wanted to be there but I had a shortened East Coast tour this year). I also wanted to have caught the Roadshow up in Livermore, Maine. I knew that that was going to be great. Maine is simply... put it this way ... a perfect venue in the summer. Dave Getz tells me (name dropper - hey I have friends in High Places...) that they had an awesome clambake there.

One of the things about Woodstock that I think is mostly self-evident but I'll just say it anyways.. it was all about the Music. Not that a thousand hippie type young people, freaks, as

was the preferred way of referring to someone who was really cool or somehow privy to the knowledge* etc.. would refuse the opportunity to come together for a 3 day giant camp out in the country where they could make their own rules and have fun... woo hoo! It does sound like great fun even without the music... however the Music was the force that brought us to our feet

that had us, salivating weeks before the concert .... Hendrix, The Airplane, Canned Heat, Janis Creedence, Sly and the Who. WOW! I for one wasn't going there to make any countercultural statement... just let me bathe in the Music, 17 years old and maybe in Love with Music

I just wanted that music. Everything else was just the magic of the times, I kind of took it for granted. I was just a kid. Suddenly Boom! it was all going to be mine. The kid who the previous summer was playing JV Football during the summer and dreaming and wondering why dammit was I born so late that I couldn't be out there part of that wild Rock and Roll scene in SF.

What am I getting at? I forget.

It was all about to come true. They were coming to me. Holy CMoly it did.

I have been a counter culture believer for a long time, maybe that event kicked it off for me.

Maybe that stuff was already deep in my bones just looking for a path of expression, just ride the music and we'll get there. The Gentle Spirit, was alive at Woodstock as well as the fragility of us all, the confidence in the construction and creation of the event, when I look at the photos in Barry Z Levine's and Linanne Scott's book.. The Woodstock Storybook.. incredibly moving.

I remember the sight of that magnificent stage. It wasn't ticky tacky it seemed like a marvelous piece of 'Freak' engineering. Genius.. maybe that is too strong. The stage stood through the downpours, the light towers stood through the rain and when the ground turned to a stew of mud by late Sunday afternoon --they stood strong and solid. Unlike me the cold and wet had me slept in on Sunday Night (we packed a tent) ah well Saturday Night was the night to never forget and God Bless YouTube and Michael Wadleigh the great cameraman, who I called up out of the blue about 10 years ago to talk filmmaking .. what a great artist. He went on to have a very successful career making incredible nature documentaries for National Geographic that some of you may have seen on TV though who would have guessed that some of the great and perfect beauty of those shows were made by the man who made 'Woodstock' the movie.

I am going on this subject always makes me go on too much.

I think I made a prediction somewhere back in my so called blogging career which goes back now maybe 10 years. It seemed like I had some revelation cab driving one night. I predicted that the Counter Culture with it's direct historic routes from Woodstock and from infinite places before and after will become the dominant culture of America, this USA. I believe this, I don't know what we will have to go through to get there but I still believe this.

Counter Culture!? What the heck do I mean by this. Define your terms sir. OK for me you can forget the drugs not necessary, forget the free love, cool if you can live it but everything has a price let me put it this way... TANSTAAFL As Kurt Vonnegut described it in Cat's Cradle or one of those 'counter cultural' classics. 'There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.'

Maybe I need not even connect the dots to Woodstock it doesn't matter.. What will triumph I believe.... Well let me backtrack. I was cab driving one night in Marin County here just north of the city of San Francisco, when the dispatcher gave me an unusual call he wanted me to drive across the Richmond Bridge to some hotel over in a neck of the woods of the East Bay and rescue some girls who wanted to get back to Marin County. It sounded a bit adventurous with some promise for a good fare and though technically illegal as cab companies have usually prescribed territories that we jealously protect. (You don't pick up in ours we won't pick up in your territory.) Pirates all of us.. so I got over there and it wasn't all that big a deal. I found the Hotel with the big tour bus out front and two girls came running out of the dark from somewhere and (It's about 3 or 4 AM) They seem incredibly anxious, and nervous and crazy happy to see me and the cab and they said something about how they let themselves be talked into hopping on to a tour bus with some Rock nRoll actually it was a Reggae band and said they were very disappointed that they hadn't gone to a fancy SF location as promised with the group but some cheap hotel in the East Bay and whatever the players in the Band expected and what these girls got themselves into apparently it was not what they wanted and all they wanted was to get back to Fairfax. They were kind of nuts for in there mind they had just escaped some very dire situation.. but before we fled .. around the corner was a Jack in the Box and they were starving so Burgers and Fries coming up. I don't know why this reminded me of Woodstock but there were a couple of young people at the window of the Jack In The Box I don't remember what nationalities or sex or creed or whatever. But in the few minutes it took to take the order it just seemed that those kids serving the food were as happy and having as good a time as these two getting the food in the back and somehow I had the vision... yes children I received the divine Revelation... This is it! This happiness in being, in sharing, in serving one another in laughing together, was the most powerful force in the Universe. The spark of Life was firing joyful bullets back and forth and that really was what the best of all that 60's stuff whatever it was and it's not dead at all. That stuff will never die. Hey stranger, Life is fun! Here you want extra ketchup.

So taking it one step further and I might have stopped there but I will add that the so called counter culture, that died out back in the 60's or seventies as some say. That great gift that I think we got a taste of, a glimpse of, was this ability to see in anyone The Spark.. and the joy of sharing It... was great and what was happening and what needs to happen is for the world to recognize. This is it World, it can't be stopped. We all carry the spark of Life, the Fire of Life unites us all.* I think we still need the Music too. It won't be stopped. The fire won't go out.

I sure go on don't I?

Goodnight.

Guy

More Woodstock tales to come.. shortly

Optimist in the long run...

2009-09-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

"The Banks might fail, but the people Gonna' stand."

The chorus to a song that I began to write last year about this time. Maybe I'll finish it in time for it still to be historically relevant.

I think we are in for really tough times. I think the Health Care plan is way off target.

Me and Obama, we just don't seem to agree on much of anything, still. I am a cab driver, photographer, he is the President surrounded by the greatest minds he could find. Hey it's very complex stuff he is dealing with.. what do I know?

Out here in California there is an epidemic of business closings on Main Street. At least in Marin. I don't know why or how the landlords haven't figured it out? They want their price and their landlord lifestyles. Good Luck boys and girls. I think we are dealing with the most fundamental issue of Life on Earth and Western Civilization. In collision it seems to me.. that being Life on Earth and Civilization. How do we get ourselves to Harmony and Health on the Planet. I don't mean to sound too New Age but Hell, ... why do we want to create... Hell?

There still seems to be a ton of Giant speculative projects around here like the Garbage called the San Rafael Corporate Center that hasn't gone bankrupt yet. You have the Millworks Garbage up in Novato in cooperation and Peace and Harmony with Whole Foods and I have a feeling we have a ton of crap projects all over California in the balance, only wanted by greedy developers and our craven Political leaders all over California all there because it's good for you.. it's progress... maybe even it's 'Green' , maybe it's 'Smart' growth ...because we have permanently spared some little piece of wetland in exchange for the right to build our Crap for your enjoyment or because they they own the land just because you are the people and you have formed a government to be a Union of the People to serve the People. I get so mad, sorry, I know I could handle this better.

They are nice people with families and they love their kids and their dogs and because they can get away with it and make tons of money they will keep building until California is a total wasteland, it's been going on for some time and there is no stopping progress. Right?

Anyways someone in my cab told me that the banks are sitting on 4,800 homes in the Bay Area that they haven't foreclosed on because they are afraid to - because of what that will do to the real estate market. (Hearsay) Better to let people live there rent free or mortgage payment free then evict them. Strange days. The recession is over says the Federal Reserve I think 50% of Americans don't trust that organization very much maybe more than 50%. Let's see... we buy back $300 Billion of bad debt from the banks, by printing $300 Billion of US dollars that's an impressive way of solving the financial crisis. So simple. Debt eliminated... errr... well sorry kids but don't worry because just like after WW2 when the government stimulated, yeah baby, the incredible war effort and lifted us out of the depression we will go full steam forward. That's where all you incredibly talented developers come in let's go more Garbage... from sea to shining sea. More Condo's and Parking Lots and Malls and more people from every corner of the Earth to generate more money for our Economy. That's the plan 400 Million Americans when? Schwarzenegger says 50 million Californians by 2050 (proudly with a smile) (we are now at 30 Million - California Cordwood, I call us). Guess what your vision, your plan, your strategy for America and California and the world sucks. It will kill us eventually if it is allowed to continue.

I remember what a member of the construction team who said 'please don't ever tell anyone I said this' for one of these national Home building empires probably listed on the stock exchange then. (probably not now) They were building this garbage up in Ignacio that was formerly small two bedroom homes for military personnel at Hamilton AFB. They tore all that old stuff down, (it was in disrepair) and built this fabulous 'community'. Homes started at $650,000 and up, lots of square footage but you had no yard, a California tradition courtesy of developers. I call it ugly but you might disagree. Anyways I wasn't thinking of anything beyond the covering of the landscape with these giant homes, crammed in, I wasn't thinking about the Mortgage crisis... Just the beauty of California. I've told this story before on my website....Yes so what he said was.... "We F*** America."

Let's not let that continue. I am an optimist in the long run.

Guy

Conversation with 'the Duke'

2009-05-21T04:12:00.000-07:00

Well Kid... here you are.

I know, it's kind of embarrassing, living in this one room old hotel, cab driver... just can't seem to make anything work.

That's you whining again, can't you see you can still make it work, you've got them where you want them.

I do.

Sure you do. You're Hollywood kid, you made a mess of your life but don't tell anyone that and they will never know. Don't let them know. Stand tall.

I don't know. I....

First stop this I don't know crap. I don't know.. I don't know (uses a child's whiny voice to make fun of me) No one knows a damn thing! .. and what you know is a hell a lot more than your fellow chickens with their heads cut off Americans.. once proud people.

I know I still have faith in the American People.

Good for you kid because I am losing mine up here.

I think we could use more of a can do attitude here, every one wants to leave it up to the government particularly now with our new President...

Kid when stuff is wrong it's wrong. Throwing billions and billions of your own Hard earned

money taxed out of you is simply Wrong period. You have to give the devil it's due. The government must exist and we need one, it's the best damn system on the planet it's the People who aren't up in arms that are the problem, we have to get it back under control we must tame the beast. Kid.. don't get me started.

Let the people know one thing kid when you destroy your own backyard trying to dig yourself out of your hole, when you dump all your problems on your Children to the tune of some $35,000 each, some thing is so off the track that I have to talk to someone even you, you whiny punk, yeah you Pilgrim you are in command of the

whole show I don't know how someone as weak a link as there might be, you, yes you, Pilgrim, got your role in this great play.

John you are saying some powerful things to me I am humbled that you are talking to me.

Call me Duke kid. You are just lucky kid. I was sitting with Sitting Bull, a true proud American up here and we were looking down on this crap going down in all directions. I get mad kid.

What do you mean though... 'you are in command'? I don't command anything.

Yer damn life kid. You are a natural. Just walk proud, let life come to you.

It's 5:08 in the morning I'll probably be a wreck again today, never enough sleep...

Be a proud wreck kid, it's part of your charm.

Life is hard.

The hell it is, it sure as hell beats the alternative playing checkers all day with this old crowd up here.

Get in there Pilgrim and treat your women more kindly whatever you do. That's really what it all comes down to. Don't be afraid of Loving someone. Heck I love every one of my women still even that hot headed little chiquita who tried to shoot me once. Maybe I wasn't so innocent as they said. (Chuckles.) Life is Life kid, take it easy... but take it.

Thanks Duke, loved you in 'Stagecoach'.

'Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

The Selig Era

2009-05-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

I love baseball.

Like almost everything else in our American culture, this country our USA. Like everything else forgive my exaggeration, (I am depressed) almost everything else, Baseball has been corrupted by greed.

Why do our eyes continually have to be glued to A-Rod, Clemens, Ramirez on and on and on....?

Why is their one man who still sits in charge of the whole sick thing?

The man who was their when steroids began, who was their through the full scale jubilation of a million flashbulbs as Mark McGuire and then Barry Bonds ripped through Babe Ruth and Roger Maris records. Didn't we all know. I did, it didn't appeal to me the whole spectacle, their was something we all knew about those records and something we all knew about these substances, steroids. It was public knowledge.

It was public knowledge and the man who ruled Baseball did nothing. He loved every minute of the sell out crowds, he loved every minute of the media frenzy. Big money isn't that what leadership is about?

Then in the face of the truth as the weight of the fact that the world gradually wakes up to the fact that, no, cheating cannot be tolerated. It just doesn't work. How does the man responsible

for the sick show handle it? You do what politicians have perfected. Let's put together a commission or maybe an independent outside investigator find out who all those bad boys were who were giving our game a bad name. George Mitchell, the venerable one, a one time or was he currently on the Red Sox Board of Directors. Anyways hundreds of players were named in what seemed to me to be pretty much a witch hunt, no Red Sox players were named.

Still it's not over.

MLB did not have random testing for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs prior to 2003, though Selig circulated memos during the 1990s stating that the use of those drugs by players was strictly prohibited and could be cause for discipline. The players association declined to collectively bargain the issue at the time. <>

Cover Your Ass, I Mean your Cough

2009-04-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Arggghh!

So President Obama thinks his first hundred days were 'a little tense'..

Get ready bro.

Hopefully right now he has decided to shut down all Mexico air as well as the border. Yeah I know it's all over Texas and the little specs on the map are growing larger from Maine to Marin County. Let's do it. I warned you not to squander all our credit on the God Awful Stimulus package.

What do I know? Just a someone who got started with this blog nonsense and can't seem to stop whether anyone wants me to or not though basically no one is paying attention here and that is fine.

Obama's first hundred days? God help us. Hero worship taken to the extreme is pure blindness.

It's all too controlled up there, sell the product, keep your teleprompters in perfect running condition, don't let them you know for all your genius and charm and good looks.

Not much there, there. Pragmatism is fine as long as it is not the key word for a politician to try to keep his sheep together when you actually have no vision as to where we are going or how badly we are buried in a debt society, in a gambler's vision of let's burn some money and get the economic growth we long for. At the loss of freedom, governmental bureaucracy it's not just a necessary pain in the ass. It can be the most stupid, labyrinthine, counter productive manifestation of fear and.... It's all about vision and Obama outdoes even the most ardent Liberal. Here I'll prove it to you he says. Here are 'Billions and Billions' (copyright Carl Sagan) let's have progress. Woohoo! I have no idea what his idea for America in the 21st Century is beyond some color blind utopia, (nothing wrong with that, Guy)

Ah well. The bottom line is I am an optimist as is Obama. As someone said we all knew that the USA was going to have to taste some bitter medicine someday. I think most of us did. Obama places his trust in the Government as a solution creator. I believe he ignores the Power of the People to regenerate ourselves. I actually believe that good government can achieve great things for the people. What a great country we are despite the corruption of wealth and politics. We'll get back to building a solid economy someday when we embrace the principals of protection of the land and Nature and the protection of a people's sovereignty. The people have to turn towards more personal responsibility, it's not an impossible dream. Just a necessary part of survival as we move forward with our lives.

Who is Obama?

2009-04-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

From the Swamp a blog connected to the Chicago Tribune

In the East Room of the White House, the president is following a script: Calling on reporters whom his aides have identified ahead of time as those who will be called on for questions.

Obama also is speechifying. Twenty minutes after his opening statement, he had gotten through just four questions - largely because of the length of his answers.

Nearly 40 minutes in, just eight questions.

Could it be that the president is filibustering?

Crowding out his own news conference with his own answers? The effect of the uninterrupted responses of a clearly articulate, and tonight also wordy, president, is to curtail the overall number of questions that are coming his way this evening.

OK, Chip Reid?

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. At both of your town hall meetings in California last week, you said, quote, "I didn't run for president to pass on our problems to the next generation."

But under your budget, the debt will increase $7 trillion over the next 10 years. The Congressional Budget Office says $9.3 trillion. And today on Capitol Hill, some Republicans called your budget, with all the spending on health care, education and environment, the most irresponsible budget in American history.

OBAMA: Yes.

QUESTION: Isn't that kind of debt exactly what you were talking about when you said "passing on our problems to the next generation"?

OBAMA: First of all, I suspect that some of those Republican critics have a short memory, because, as I recall, I'm inheriting a $1.3 trillion deficit, annual deficit, from them. That would be point number one.

Point number two. Both under our estimates and under the CBO estimates, both -- the most conservative estimates out there, we drive down the deficit over the first five years of our budget. The deficit is cut in half. And folks aren't disputing that.

OBAMA: Where the dispute comes in is what happens in a whole bunch of out-years. And the main difference between the budget that we presented and the budget that came out of the Congressional Budget Office is assumptions about growth.

They're assuming a growth rate of 2.2 percent; we're assuming a growth rate of 2.6 percent. Those small differences end up adding up to a lot of money. Our assumptions are perfectly consistent with what Blue Chip forecasters out there are saying.

Now, none of us know exactly what's going to happen 6 or 8 or 10 years from now. Here's what I do know: If we don't tackle energy, if we don't improve our education system, if we don't drive down the costs of health care, if we're not making serious investments in science and technology and our infrastructure, then we won't grow 2.6 percent, we won't grow 2.2 percent. We won't grow.

And so what we've said is, let's make the investments that ensure that we meet our growth targets that put us on a pathway to growth as opposed to a situation in which we're not making those investments and we still have trillion-dollar deficits.

And there's an interesting reason why some of these critics haven't put out their own budget. I mean, we haven't seen an alternative budget out of them.

And the reason is because they know that, in fact, the biggest driver of long-term deficits are the huge health care costs that we've got out here that we're going to have to tackle and we -- that if we don't deal with some of the structural problems in our deficit, ones that were here long before I got here, then we're going to continue to see some of the problems in those out-years.

And -- and so what we're trying to emphasize is, let's make sure that we're making the investments that we need to grow to meet those growth targets, at the same time we're still reducing the deficit by a couple of trillion dollars, we are cutting out wasteful spending in areas like Medicare, we're changing procurement practices when it comes to the Pentagon budget, we are looking at social service programs and education programs that don't work and eliminate them.

And we will continue to go line by line through this budget, and where we find programs that don't work, we will eliminate them.

But it is -- it is going to be an impossible task for us to balance our budget if we're not taking on rising health care costs, and it's going to be an impossible task to balance our budget or even approximate it if we are not boosting our growth rates. And -- and that's why our budget focuses on the investments we need to make that happen.

QUESTION: But even under your budget, as you said, over the next four or five years, you're going to cut the deficit in half, then, after that, six years in a row, it goes up, up, up. If you're making all these long-term structural cuts, why does it continue to go up in the out-years?

OBAMA: Well, look, it is going to take a whole host of adjustments, and we couldn't reflect all of those adjustments in this budget.

Let me give you an example. There's been a lot of talk about entitlements in Medicare and Medicaid. The biggest problem we have long term is Medicare and Medicaid. But whatever reforms we initiate on that front -- and we're very serious about working on a bipartisan basis to reduce those deficits or reduce those costs -- you're not going to see those savings reflected until much later.

And so a budget is a snapshot of what we can get done right now, understanding that, 8, 10 years from now, we will have had a whole series of new budgets and we're going to have to make additional adjustments.

And once we get out of this current economic crisis, then it's going to be absolutely important for us to take another look and say, are we growing as fast as we need to grow? Are there further cuts that we need to make? What other adjustments are -- is it going to take for us to have a sustainable budget level?

But, keep in mind, just to give one other example, as a percentage of gross domestic product, we are reducing non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest level since the '60s, lower than it was under Reagan, lower than it was under Clinton, lower than it was under Bush, or both Bushes.

OBAMA: And so, if we're growing, if we are doing what's necessary to create new businesses and to expand the economy, and we are making sure that we're eliminating some of these programs that aren't working, then, over time, that gap can close.

But I'm -- look, I'm not going to lie to you. It is tough. As I said, that's why the critics tend to criticize, but they don't offer an alternative budget. Because even if we were not doing health care, we were not doing energy, we were not doing education, they'd still have a whole bunch of problems in those out-years, according to CBO projections. The only difference is that we will not have invested in what's necessary to make this economy grow.

Is Lourdes (ph) here from Univision (ph)?

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. Today, your administration presented a plan to help curb the violence in Mexico and also to control any or prevent any spillover of the violence into the United States.

Do you consider the situation now a national security threat? And do you believe that it could require sending national troops to the border? Governor Perry of Texas -- Texas has said that you still need more troops and more agents. How do you respond to that?

OBAMA: Well, first of all, let's focus on what we did today. It's very significant.

We are sending millions of dollars in additional equipment to provide more effective surveillance. We are providing hundreds of additional personnel that can help control the border, deal with customs issues.

We are coordinating very effectively with the Mexican government and President Calderon, who has taken on an extraordinarily difficult task of dealing with these drug cartels that have gotten completely out of hand.

And so the steps that we've taken are designed to make sure that the border communities in the United States are protected and you're not seeing a spillover of violence and that we are helping the Mexican government deal with a very challenging situation.

Now, we are going to continue to monitor the situation. And if the steps that we've taken do not get the job done, then we will do more. One last point that I want to make about this. As I said, President Calderon has been very courageous in taking on these drug cartels. We've got to also take some steps, even as he is doing more to deal with the drug cartels, sending drugs into the United States, we need to do more to make sure that illegal guns and cash aren't flowing back to these cartels.

That's part of what's financing their operations. That's part of what's arming them. That's what makes them so dangerous. And this is something that we take very seriously and we're going to continue to work on diligently in the months to come.

Kevin Baron, Stars and Stripes? Is Kevin here? There you go.

Guy Wheeler Meyer, Sr. (December 19,1914-February 22, 2009)

2009-02-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

Dad passed on this past Sunday Morning.

I haven't had the time to sit and put any words together, yet.

I told cousin Chris via Email that Dad's presence has become all the stronger for his absence.

In my typical fashion of just running my thoughts as they come along, here come a few.

Indomitable Spirit. His whole life. The essence of optimism, a fighter to the end, no matter the odds. He would not accept that he could no longer walk without falling over. Don't keep me in this bed. 94 years of living, last Sunday we shared lunch at the Station House Restaurant where he and his loving and devoted partner, Joyce would go every Sunday. The last two days before his passing things caved in on him having to be rescued twice by the local fire department, once he was down he was too heavy to get back up. I was not there. Greeting the fireman by his first name from the floor, was his natural style, it seems he knew every one. The Point Reyes Voice was his own self publication where he could continue to place his enthusiastic thoughts and dreams of a world beyond War and his logical steps as to how to get there. A local 'crackpot' who wanted the town of Point Reyes to plant a tree in honor of all the young men who refused to carry a gun and refused to wear the military uniforms of the nations of the world, he believed we all needed to find a higher level of sovereignty that we could give ourselves to. Against the mainstream, a man alone, ... almost, in his passion for a New World.

Joyful enthusiasm. That's personal, that's what he gave to me, it took me a long time to really see it and get it. Thank you Dad. He was giving it to me all along. That was always the case. 'Guy, your guitar playing is really getting better.' he told me just back around Christmas. I appreciated that because I know he was really being honest and he was coming with his Joyful Enthusiasm in my direction as he pretty much did with everyone. On Saturday night Joyce phoned while I was being a cab driver, she told me of his worsening condition. I planned to bring my guitar out there on Sunday and try to play and sing a whole song (I wanted his thumbs up to tell me whether I was ready to finally get back out there at an open Mic) to him. That didn't happen as I got the call early the next morning, that your Dad has gone.

A very calm and capable Fijian Hospice worker was at his side during that last night. He said that Guy's last words before going to sleep were, 'I am going to have a good dream.' This was in contrast to the two extremely difficult days leading to that evening. His last breath took place while sleeping. A deep exhalation as is common I imagine, at that moment of departure.

A breath, a dream, perhaps of a warm breeze filling the sails of a wondrous and jaunty little vessel on an Ocean. Come climb aboard he' ll be saying.

He didn't really care for sentimental stuff when it came to turning the world towards Peace. It was his mission. Do something was his style.

Guy W. Meyer, Jr.

Monday Economics (2_9_09)

2009-02-09T02:11:00.000-08:00

I listened to Obama try to sell me on the stimulus package. I am just very skeptical, I applaud the Republicans for saying no. I applaud the 'blue dog' Democrats for at least trying to put some conservative sense to it. I am not surprised but I wish the media would use more critical thinking and realize that many Americans besides Republicans have serious doubts about this plan of action. The media needs to share some greater scrutiny with the American public as to what's in this bill.

I do not like Obama using the term 'catastrophe' as the impending result if this bill is not passed.

I think that is very... well number one it's bringing Fear to the forefront in this rush for 'swift' approval concept. Two and more important is and this is the second or third time that I have heard Obama use such apocalyptic language in describing what may very likely happen in the USA. We may have a real crash, right now things are still humming, but there is a lot of paranoia and 'toxic debt' which actually is more than we realize, I think many Americans who haven't been laid off yet are rightly reining in our overspending ways. Credit card debt is no good. There maybe way more in the 'toxic debt' department but let's not worry about that until it happens. We may very well have a greater crash, what is a President to do, bemoan and wail that we have a catastrophe on our hands. I hope not. Be confident in the American People and this Country if we have to hit bottom and work our way back up, no problem. We are tough or we will become tough those who are survivors and I expect that to be the case with most Americans. NO problem let's face our problems and not paper over them with freshly printed money courtesy of China. Talk about creating future toxic debts and I hope someone asks Obama at tomorrows press conference how does he foresee the sale of bonds to foreign countries? Has he had some in depth discussions with his advisors on this subject? Maybe he can explain to US (us) how that works? I know it will be done, I know it's been done in the past, but at what point down the road are we going to be in for trouble. Has he and his advisors tried to look ahead and get a sense of what scenarios might play out. Let's say if despite the big stimulus, the 'jolt', that somehow lets say it doesn't exactly show big results soon and for some strange reason Banks and Credit Card Companies etc those guys just keep on bleeding etc... You know what I am getting at.

I think he has learned from George Bush remarkably well. You are either with us or with the terrorists. Now it's 'are we equal to the task'. What task? Passing this $850 Billion dollar bill. So if I disagree with your plan that makes me not equal to the task. Equal to the task of having full faith in the Presidency? I am going to stay skeptical there is no way I can fake it. 16,000 jobs in Maine, that is awesome, that is incredible I guess I'll have to wait and see. At what price 16,000 jobs in Maine? Sorry to my two Maine Senators who got sold on this project. What is the impact of 16,000 jobs in Maine? What is that all about tearing up the wilderness so more rich bankers can have summer cabins the size of.... Whatever? Who knows?

Om. Nobody knows what they are about to approve. Nor what it's impact is I am afraid the EIR for this project would not be a pretty sight for those who love the remaining Nature in the once America the Beautiful. No EIR necessary, no public knowledge necessary, when it fails blame the Republicans. Or maybe that Guy right over there.... what? Yeah you Mr. Bad Atitude, who doubts that the New Age has come and who greets every new venture this President announces, one of the greatest of the great Presidents, with skepticism and a critical eye... sorry years of observation of our fine leaders.

I am into the New Age. Truly. Just today I said to myself forget Someday Somehow. That's over, that's old. It's now This day This way.. as it Is. Can You handle it? I am moving in that direction. I am Beyond Hope and that's where I'll probably stay. Beyond Hope.

Guy

Stopping the Layoffs - Zero Waste

2009-02-06T02:52:00.000-08:00

When you think of this fragile economy that seems to want to just go down now. When you look at where we are and our need to begin anew with fresh motivation towards a Planet and a USA that makes and builds products that bring long term satisfaction and Zero waste.

Put a man on the Moon how about an economy that produces Zero waste. Why not? All matter is just bound up energy isn't it? Let's get a mission Obama why not aim high. Use your natural all inclusive people skills first to stop the bleeding. I don't know how you surrounded yourself with so many Wall Street type Guys for your advice but so be it. I guess your bold course is set and rather than stopping the bleeding you believe by more bloodletting (stimulus package) that we will 'jump start' this old economy that is about ready to tumble even further.

I am hoping you might use your powers. Presidential Powers as Commander in Chief to First boldly Challenge all Corporate and Large businesses to rather than impose 10 or 20% layoffs instead impose across the board salary cuts for everyone in the company of 10 to 20% with the executives and management leading by example and accepting maybe a 20 to 30% cut or even better yet they all agree not to get paid any more than the President of the USA. Build a fighting team spirit on every company in America and challenge them to convert their business to Zero waste within 25 years. Every company should accept the challenge.

It's so easy being a cab driver and knowing just what to do. If I'm so smart how come I'm driving cab? I'm open to career changes including Presidential appointments, my lack of IRS payments over the last years shouldn't stop me after all I'm honest about being always broke. Never hired an illegal alien, probably should have married her. Besides from what I heard you are now furthering Bush's pathetic policy giving my, make that, someone else's, hard earned tax dollars to some wacko Religious group's Faith Based Social Programs. I find that horrendous and I ponder what's up there with that Obama?

What's up with the institutionalization of helping poor people. Is this like a Life career society endeavor where we always have poor people so we can always have 'non-profits' who always aid poor people so they can earn an honest dollar eternally helping the never ending supply of poor people who isn't their something fundamentally flawed about this policy

Guy

Honor thy Father 'A Sailor's Wife' (2009 Part 1)

2009-02-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

My Father is still among the living. He is a tough son of a gun and is in no hurry to leave this planet. He turned 94 in December and his ailments are gaining the upper hand. For those of you know Guy W. Meyer Senior, this is not meant to give a real accurate description of who this Man is, my Father. It merely happens that in the days when we tend to think we are not going to hear one more new Poem that he effortlessly apparently memorized he springs one on us. This one exists to be shared as most of them do. Dad loved and loves among other types humorous epics (short epics) that go back to a world gone by so here for your reading enjoyment & most definite perplexity is one that might be titled :

The Sailor's Wife

A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap and munched and crunched.

'Give me quoth I'

'Aroint thee witch, ye rum-fed runnion'

Her husbands to Aleppo gone,

master of the 'Tiger',

so thither in a sieve I'll sail

and like a rat without a tail,

I'll do,

and

I'll do.

I am not sure exactly of the punctuation and quotation marks. He says that there are two women in his poem and one is the ' witch' or maybe 'retch'. It is possible that 70 80 or a hundred years ago here may have been a more definitive reading of this work.

Anyways this was another of among many wondrous, songs, limericks ballads etc. that keep the awe factor pretty high when dealing with my Dad.

OK answer to where do you find poetry like that: Shakespeare

My Brother is in the same league as my Dad. At least within minutes of me reciting this he had the answer. Macbeth scene? what... the witches anyways still how does your Father recite Macbeth and particularly such a weird little excerpt? That's my Dad. He entered Harvard at age 16, bright and bold, he got yanked out the next year when 'the Wall' caved in, 1930.

Guy

USA Ecosystem

2009-02-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

We all live in Nature. Essential ecosystems for life on Earth - the minimum to sustain Life...?.

Right about now is the time for a turnaround. Supporting the minimal Ecosystems that sustain life brings our Economy gradually on to the right track.

What is the most basic level of Ecosystems that we can preserve on this Planet, for the better

of all Life including the Lives of Barack Obama's daughters and their future children?

Guy

Responsibility equals Freedom add Reality

2009-02-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

How strong is my back? What about your backs?

I am in let's say being diplomatic ...... poor shape.

Perhaps I shouldn't be talking tonight.

Let's have a moment of Reflection to thank an even say a little Blessing to our new President.

He has a very tough job.

I don't know if anyone will forgive me for my outbursts of frustration and maybe even anger that have been published in these last couple of weeks. I am not even close to a expert on Economics, I may not even be close to being an average ... ( I want to say Fool but I need to keep my level of respect up to a higher level for all humans, then again I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for certain types of Fools on the Planet as I would hope that someone might do the same for me someday) (I mean Fool with the highest level of Respect for I don't think anyone on the Earth knows what is going on or how to extricate ourselves from our dilemma , our Economic Dilemma.) .... American ... fool.

Responsibility equals Freedom. If that were the case we all .... All I can think of is this plight of Humans on A Living Planet Earth. Living on this Earth in the midst of which is teeming Biology, which are all the living creatures on the Planet, the Plant Life and Insect Life and Ocean Life and Soil Life. Right now the whole Earth is possibly being Destroyed by Humans, forgive me for telling you what you already know. I don't mean to shock you or upset anyone but that is what is going on. Every extinction of species is an arrow pointing in the direction of our own extinction. We are part of something that is slightly out of our control. This evolution of Life called Human Progress.

Our present early stages of this Economic Slowdown are really a very fundamental unavoidable stage or state of engagement with Reality. We are a self-governing people. One fundamental step we have to take for our own Survival is an immediate across the board -across the land and then we have to get every Country on the Planet to join us in across the Planet moratorium on the destruction of all natural Biology. I don't wish to confuse you I am talking about our Land. Every vacant lot, piece of Field or Meadow needs to be Protected and Preserved. We cannot start up the Real Estate Machine again. Why? Because they all harbor Life, all those separate little pieces of the Planet. A life that we are a part of and certainly we are the most powerful species on this Planet.

If we take the steps to protect our Life, be Responsible for Life Itself on Earth, to the best of our abilities then we we will minimally be living a Responsible Life. Yes I admit 'My Name is Earl' was conceived of because someone knew about my Life (only Earl is at a higher level of Responsibility than me, at least he wrote a list). Some of us should be kept away from accepting any more responsibility that can't be handled. I am an optimist, I think the acceptance of Responsibility somehow someway puts us in the driver seat. Behind the wheel towards taking care of our Insane Civilization and The Planet of Life that supports us. What makes us insane is this tendency to think somehow we are not part of Nature. I guess a lot of things can drive us crazy if we let them.

Responsibility equals freedom.. if that were the case we would all be more than willing to put it on our backs. We just have to accept our world is going to slow down, that's OK. President Obama has to know that it is OK we have to just all just have to get 'Back to Basics' as so many say. Reality is the glue. What can you do about Reality? Try to stay Peaceful in it. Responsibility equals Freedom am I right? How about irresponsibility what does that gain us?

Damn I have a mirror that I don't often enjoy looking in.

Phew! That was hard work, thinking. Some say you can stop thinking and it will aid your Mental Health. I've never figured that out. The proper ways of sharing one's thoughts is what I need to work on.

The responsibility for Life lies with us, everyone of us. The more irresponsible we choose to be the greater the loss of Freedom. How much responsibility can your back handle? What if we were a Union of People wouldn't it suddenly become an attainable reality.

Guy

Here it is... Dizzying.

2009-01-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/PressSummary01-15-09.pdf

Makes me a little queasy, going through this. So much wonderfullness. So much improvement.

The Uninformed People of the USA

2009-01-27T14:43:00.000-08:00

President Obama speaks about his efforts to convince Republicans to support his Recovery and Reinvestment plan 'In some cases they are not as familiar with the package as I would like.'

647 pages.

What about us the American People how are we supposed to get familiar with the bill?

Isn't that part of Democracy to be able to know what your government is actually voting on so that you can notify your 'representative' if you feel that you are opposed or in favor.

I guess I am naive. This form of Government has been going on for years and years now. Just because Obama is bringing it to the highest levels of a lack information combined with general complexity of the document itself shouldn't cause me to get so frustrated. After all..

Why is it my business to know what roads and highways and bridges are now going to be repaired in California? Why is it my business to know what and where and how big are the wastewater plants that will be built in California? Why should I be concerned that all my medical records are now going to be centralized & computerized for the benefit of me? Why should I be concerned that we are going to be doubling available Alternative Energy (Yeah Baby!) though no one has told me where or what is going to be built? Why should I be concerned about the 'Smart meters' that no one knows anything about that will monitor energy use in our homes? And on and on know one knows what is in this bill.

I went to look at the official ' Whitehouse ' web site looking for finally a rough outline of what this bill is. There isn't one that I could find. President Obama is setting up a new website to keep us informed about this bill. I found that out while looking on the Whitehouse website Thank you President Obama. It is called www.recovery.gov.

Here's what he has to say.

I guess that is the way business is done. That's Democracy reaching for the next level. If you thought Bush was Orwellian welcome to our brand new transparent world. 'An unprecedented effort to root out waste, inefficiency, and unnecesary spending in our government.' Bravo. Please don't be a rude American and actually ask to see how your taxpayer dollars are going to be spent before you approve what may be the most brilliant plan the Government has ever created or might be the worst collection of BS and a monumental waste of our money. A debt to be paid back some day of $825 Billion, no problem, just vote Yes and have Faith and more important have Hope.

Argghhh... Just when we felt like we were winning and we are losing again.

Guy (What do I know?) W. Meyer, Jr.

Yahoo ... Rev up the Bulldozers, back on track tearing up the Planet!

Mass Stimulation (Ooooh Baby!) Vs Taking Care

2009-01-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

Touch Down....

Not much left to say that hasn't been said about Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger.

(cell phone(?) photo by Roy Gates submitted to the NY Times)

As you might have noticed, I am not satisfied about much with Obama's Stimulus proposal.

It seems to me like he has cobbled together a humongous Christmas Tree of Ornaments just

big enough to satisfy the Economists who think it has to be real big. Everything seems like a pretty good idea that probably would never go anywhere alone but put together as the Great Stimulus well. $820 Billion is really not that much.

So far there is just no room for the American people to participate in the debate, I am still looking for the details.

Despite that let the debate begin, without any details Paul Krugman lets those of Bad Faith have it right between the eyes. But his admonishments to Republicans and maybe me doesn't seem to address my desire to see the details of this plan before we Say Yea or Nay and or think about what we will never be able to do for our Country that is really waiting our attention

because we just blew $820Billion. You can print as much money as you want forever, for one year, for two years? Answer A, B or C ? Is it possible that the actions of our Federal Government are a fundamental reason behind the 'recession'?

Here's how Krugman wraps up his argument....

But here’s the thing: Most Americans aren’t listening. The most encouraging thing I’ve heard lately is Mr. Obama’s reported response to Republican objections to a spending-oriented economic plan: “I won.” Indeed he did — and he should disregard the huffing and puffing of those who lost.

Ouch! Most Americans aren't listening because they are too busy and they have given Obama full faith that we have the best President perhaps ever. That's not a good sign, Americans need to pay attention. Obama has to prove himself. That's how Democracy has to work. We don't have a Theocracy.

Then finally I find the bill or at least now I know where it is though like all bills that become law the American People rarely get to look at them and if you trust the Federal Government to do a good job with $820 Billion... I don't care how nice a guy Representative Obey is. I know the depth of his commitment and hard work through the years, the man is a class act. Unfortunately things get too big, the center does not hold, there is no center to this bill, a hundred disparate projects, with a hundred disparate projects under them why don't we just create a new cabinet post to oversee this Bill with a staff of maybe a thousand. 647 pages makes me want to cry... that #1, the citizens of this country really have that kind of faith in the wisdom of our government and #2 such a profound super-rushed ill thought out, mess of garbage, a complete waste of money...

Guy how can you possibly say that? You haven't even read it. Plus it proves how poor your argument is because there is no way with spending 820 Billionz could it be a complete waste of money. People will go to work.

.... a lot of so called improvements that will end up making our lives more complicated and more removed from anything remotely like Country people, living responsible lives and taking care of themselves, which is what I advocate for this entire Country, City people too. Yes We Can. Know your neighbors, be good neighbors, fend for yourself and find ways to serve your community that's how we will make a living. The Ancient Chinese scholars (now scorned over there) and Thomas Jefferson had something in common, they both believed that a Nation could and would prosper for the best when the Government intervened in the least.

That's just it as usual in Washington DC no one will have read it except a few burnt out Senate Aides who will report back to their Bosses yup it looks pretty thorough. Yup. Good, because as a Senator and or Representative for the people of the USA who is just way too busy to find the time to read this work that looks something like the old testament combined with the Legal Codes of then I'll vote yes because we must do something.

Call it the Department of Homeland Recovery. Might as well institutionalize it with the Federal Government taking such firm leadership we have here a competitor to Terrorism as a cause supreme to further bend people towards eternal supplication to the Supreme Leader whoever he is of the moment. Yes sad how quick I have lost faith in Obama. Turn it around Guy... Cmon 'Bama show me something real. Let's talk Sustainability.

Where is it? This is supposed to be a transparent Government, remember O....hh.. we are very transparent and accountable that's why we will report back to the American people how this bill fares in thorough detail you will be able to monitor it on our transparent website. But I want to know what we are voting on? Maybe if you shared it with the American people first they could look at it and help you eliminate all the projects that aren't really necessary or are in fact destructive to communities. For instance you say you want to modernize 10,000 schools across America. That sounds pretty good I guess, but what exactly do you mean by that. What is the criteria you have used to choose 10,000 schools across America to work on. Is their someone that just hates 195os architecture and all schools

that aren't whatever... what is the criteria? You want to double alternative energy output in the USA, sounds great but what do you mean? What is the plan? 25 mile mirror array in the Southwest desert?

no thank you. It's time to decentralize. Every home in America capable of producing enough energy to

sustain an economical energy supply of it's own that is an Alternative Energy plan I would vote for. Let's see if we divided 300 million Americans into 850 Billion dollars....? $5 dollars each..? I am not good at math. How about divide the $850 Billion dollars divided by all adult Americans who are willing to give up driving cars. BaM! WHOA BABY...! Talk about cooling down the Earth, solving the Homeless problem, and bringing billions of dollars right to the roots of the American people who are in trouble. Wow imagine the stir that would bring to the economy as thousands of us finally launched our dream businesses all of this percolatiing right where you need it on Main street. Thousands left the Rat Race for good! In fact if you think about it without a car many more will opt to live close to main street and you have got a dynamic of ecological and economic rebirth that would be possibly fantastic.

So many brilliant options. Unfortunately the one we are taking is entirely crafted by those removed

from the people, and kept in secrecy until after it's voted on. That's why we voted for Change. Cause we are trusting people. We just never figure out our new man's philosophy until right about now. Federal Government to the rescue because we are the Good Guys!!!

Guy (a bum and a lonely grouch) ( My Cat may not even really like me anymore, she's Black..)

As people have told me don't sweat the stuff you can't control Guy, Take it easy....

I might go to Mexico on a sabbatical, maybe Virginia maybe stay right where I am. Omm Baby and don't spare the Horses. I dare someone to comment on my rude Audacity of Questioning my Commander in Chief. I voted for him. I sat down to listen at the inauguration, I was elevated, I applauded heartily

Real Assets, Something Real Obama...

2009-01-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

What are they? Real Assets. We Americans need a good seminar in modern Economics. I don't think anyone knows what is going on?

I am doubtful that anyone on Obama's economy team knows what is going on. I think if they did, they would see the benefits of taking the time to explain to the American People what is going on, so we could all understand what is being attempted. Perhaps Obama himself would take a pause in the 'bold course for dire times' as USA Today called his plans, to figure out again what exactly we are propping up or building or hoping to create with this plan. Stop with the cool, calm, and collected, Panic. It sounds to me you are saying... Quick, Quick Americans! It all might collapse unless we pass this mish mosh of possibly beneficial projects, but who really knows, none of which are going to inspire you much, but Hey! We must do something so let's throw a bunch of money against the Wall and see what sticks. To further prove to you the efficacy of this project I myself will tell you, we are not just throwing a bunch of money at the wall. How many times in the course of your term will you have to push an $820 Billion dollar project through congress? Shouldn't it be proudly thought out and be able to inspire America?

Is it possible that one year from now 2 years from now we will all look back and say Wow I wish we had that one to do over again. That was our money. Damn.

So far the broad outlines seem to change every day, all I know is I don't know much ...

"Our economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four. And we could lose a generation of potential, as more young Americans are forced to forgo college dreams or the chance to train for the jobs of the future," Obama said in a five-minute address that the White House released early Saturday.

"In short, if we do not act boldly and swiftly, a bad situation could become dramatically worse."

Hail Obama, God Bless him, etc. etc. .... It seems like we are getting this rush from our wonderful, 'fully transparent government' President to get behind this project ... it reminds me of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Lord forgive me, how dare I? ...and yet I still have Hope. I think Obama is just in too big a rush. What are we getting behind and why not think about asking people who disagree with you to give input at your table?

There is no real solid plan yet. So why this rush? Are there enough 'Bobbleheads in bubble land' as some writer who coined the phrase described us that if you all in Washington DC appear as if that you know what you are doing.... With a flourish of the pen and all the brand new leaders of this country standing around the table there for the photo op. Click! Then America goes back to being normal. We can go back to making and spending money. I don't think that's going to work. Only something deeply real and fully transparent as in:

We see the plan. We understand the plan. Let's go ... will do.

A day earlier, he invited Democratic and Republican leaders to the White House to hear their ideas on the economy, yet Obama didn't share the plan's specifics while they visited.

Many of the goals in the speech and report were familiar from Obama's two-year campaign, like shifting to electronic medical records and investing in preventive health care. Other parts added specifics.

Obama's recovery package aims to:

Double within three years the amount of energy that could be produced from renewable resources, an ambitious goal given the 30 years it took to reach current levels. Advisers say that could power 6 million households.
Upgrade 10,000 schools and improve learning for about 5 million students.
Save $2 billion a year by making federal buildings energy efficient.
Triple the number of undergraduate and graduate fellowships in science.

Those two quotes above are from MSNBC from January 24, 2009

From the Washington Post January 24, 2009 :

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said the goals outlined

yesterday "will serve as a benchmark of progress to ensure accountability."

I don't know how these end goals as noted above 'ensure' accountability of the measure in the present. We don't just vote on something and then you explain what we voted on.

' Among the other major goals are laying more than 3,000 miles of electric transmission lines;??Is this high speed Internet? Where are the details? installing 40 million "smart" utility meters, which help control energy use Do we know what we are getting with 'Smart' meters?, in U.S. homes; and weatherizing at least 2 million homes and 75 percent of federal buildings.OK I guess that costs billions Major infrastructure investments include enhancing security at 90 major ports and modernizing the nation's water system by launching 1,300 wastewater projects, 380 drinking-water projects, and 1,000 rural water and sewer system projects. ' Has anyone required an EIR report on all these projects? It sounds benign but maybe they are big projects that aren't really needed? Who knows? If there is someone out there who knows where Americans get any details of this plan let me know.

Do we ignore people just because they are Republicans?

From the Washington Post again:

Boehner spokeswoman Antonia Ferrier described the White House proposal as "just another unfocused, runaway bill loaded with slow and wasteful Washington spending on every conceivable goal."

Boehner criticized some spending proposals in the House Democratic plan, including $6 billion for colleges and universities, many of which have large endowments, and $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. "All told, the plan would spend a whopping $275,000 in taxpayer dollars for every new job it aims to create, saddling each and every household with $6,700 in additional debt," he said.

I was wondering if any one knew when it was that is became OK for Banks to loan more money than they have assets to cover? Can someone tell me the year or during whose administration, or has it always been OK for that too happen? As someone pointed out to me today though I can't say I am surprised. You know they are still doing it. It being the same stuff that brought, almost brought down Wall Street. You mean gambling with other people's money? They are still doing it? Of course they are, that's Wall Street, that's what they do.

The White House can respond. An interview with Obama wherein he can explain to one

not particularly bright, but willing American what it's all about, and we can pour over the details with American Pride would set my mind and heart to rest.

I'll be paying attention to Obama over here not because I am a nut, maybe I am, but some fool has to try to watch over our stupid government no matter who is running it? I am just one of them, By The People, of the People, for the People... people.

Banks made loans without concern for whether borrowers could repay them, and some borrowers took advantage of cheap credit to take on debt they couldn’t afford. Politicians spent taxpayer money without wisdom or discipline, too often focused on scoring political points instead of the problems they were sent here to solve. The result has been a devastating loss of trust and confidence in our economy, our financial markets, and our government.

Barack Obama from his January 8 speech.

(Maybe this should read... Banks made loans whether they could repay them,)

(Please take note Barack, are you confident in the wisdom and discipline gone into this bill? I mean really confident?) and

We don't need another devastating loss of trust and confidence.

Some Quote from Somewhere

2009-01-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

Democrats are eager to help Mr. Obama succeed, knowing that their success rides on his. Still, they are refusing to cede their status as leaders of a co-equal branch of government, as they say Republicans did under President George W. Bush.

Republicans, for their part, do not want to be seen as obstructionists of a popular new president in a time of national distress. Yet especially in the House, where most Republicans hail from ideologically conservative districts, the opposition members view the stimulus debate as an opportunity to rededicate their divided, demoralized party around the one idea that unites it: big tax cuts, even if that means opposing Mr. Obama.

Geithner - Ouch!

2009-01-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

We are in so precarious an Economic situation we have to support Obama in his pick for Treasury.

Is that right? The fellow who didn't pay about $34,000 worth of taxes, careless mistakes, who learned his craft while working under Richard Rubin f0rmer Treasury Secretary who the NYTimes reported was responsible for loosening Banking regs during Clinton Administration ...

And now capable of stirring things up a bit for his Boss. Ouch!

Nothing but confidence and as long as we all have confidence everything hums along, but that's just the problem with all these BailOut Billions the sickening amount we are dumping into banks to paper over maybe a bit of corrupt behavior shall we say, (don't banks have a legal responsibility to give good fiduciary.. take care of our money) anyways Richard Rubin is moving on to Non-Profits... hmmhmm. OK. What I am saying is people know the corruption is not out of the system, it's just been pasted over with a fresh printing of US currency. That doesn't bring confidence, not to me.

Geithner, I think I am going to send an Email to Congresswoman Woolsey. It's OK to say no to our new President better to be a little impolite and give him an opportunity to rethink things look to other options. It's OK to Rethink Obama, that's my message to our new President it's OK to say after further reflection we will go this way... and not that way. America loves you Obama you can handle it.

To Congresswoman Woolsey please ask President Obama to reconsider his choice for Secretary of the Treasury. Isn't there someone out there who is Old School. Someone nice and Conservative to handle our money.

Guy

The Middle East: Where is God? Under the Bombs..

2009-01-21T23:13:00.000-08:00

Of course who am I to say? I originally entitled this entry 'The Middle East:God Looks Away' If any one believes in God who tunes in here... who am I to say, where God looks and does not look?

My sense of the Cosmic Mystery is that God's Presence works pretty much on the infinite level

and that power has a lot to do with being God.

Anyways we continue to have the tragedy of Israel and it's great prowess at sowing the seeds of deep Hatred by the people who it feels threatened by. (A winning long term strategy for sure...) Threatened no doubt quite obviously by all the people who have been bombed over the years, and all their kin who have been driven off their ancestral homeland by Israel's military might backed by the USA and our 'special relationship' with Israel. If the Muslim bombers think they are forgiven or somehow have entered a special relationship with Allah AKA my God, your God, everyone's God (There is only one, when everything is connected I count One) just because of the perceived evil, rightly or wrongly perceived, of Israel, may you all wake up together in the lower regions of Hell. Forgive me my wrath, God. God is merciful they say and may choose to have mercy on those whose hands have already pulled a thousand triggers and blown up countless bombs supposedly with your blessings. God I don't know how you can't be full of wrath but they say that is part of what makes you God. Something about Love, something some say you have tried to pass on to Humans on this Planet. Imshallah. Maazle Tov and other Greetings that may be invoked to help make this a living reality.

What do you think Barack? Are we as a nation ready to give up this 'special relationship', this relationship of special partners, of father, son, of what the heck is this special relationship and why does it exist? Barack some of these questions would be coming to you at your first news conference if I was there? I better apply for my press pass soon. Barack here's a heads up. My first question How did Israel become a nation? Can you explain to Americans in a simple fashion how this nation began, and what was the participation of the residents of this area at the time in this decision? (I'm talking about the Palestinians and even its neighboring nations.)

You understand I want a Change, a Change we can believe in.

The Academy Awards for best Motion Pictures is taking place in about a month. One of the categories for an Oscar is Best Foreign Film of the Year. I believe every nation on the planet is entitled to send one entry in. There are something like 67 entries this year, somehow they whittle that down to 5 for Oscar night and then tell you who won. I enjoy a good foreign film once in awhile, it's a relatively cheap way to see the rest of the Planet and sometimes the smaller the budget and the less special effects makes for a great Film.

At The Rafael Theatre tonight I saw a great film. 'Under the Bombs' I would give it the Oscar right now. I think we, everyone, should see it. It's about a Cab Driver and a Beautiful Woman. Exactly. Forgive me, very seriously, the film is from Lebanon and was filmed at the time of the 2006 Israeli invasion into southern Lebanon. The filmmaker uses, make that, shoots his footage during the war and weaves it's story into the devastation. Let the tears flow, it'll do you know harm. Yes it is about these two people on an intense mission. It is Great Filmmaking and deserves the Oscar based on my viewing of 2 of the 67 entries. Americans should watch it, men who pull triggers should watch it, Jews should watch it. Maybe even Barack and Michele should rent a copy when it comes out. A touch of sexuality maybe too much. . ...how dare people make love when bombs are falling? We don't know. Excellent dramatic score, excellent suspense.

Guy

A Witness to Great History

2009-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

Awesome.

It truly was a moment, a passage for humanity. A movement, a moment, an absolutely great moment for the USA.

There are miles to go. Miles and miles. This morning marked a huge arrival for humanity. We are this far and we haven't even begun the battle and yet a huge step up. The USA might just become an awesome place that we hardly can conceive of ...

Years ahead people, it won't happen overnight it won't happen with one administration.

The Earth just forges ahead with this intelligent species ready to destroy everything and yet maybe just maybe we are capable of learning, maybe we can forego mutual annihilation and wake up to the Unity that exists, with some Spirits, some Human Beings of great Spirit who can

push us through.

Allright.. I thought the invocation by Rick Warren was fine, I think maybe if somehow this helped influence a few million fundamentalist, conservative Christians to tune in to possibly get swept into this world, to behold, and not just run to a Rush Limbaugh to tell them what to think and to see what was unfolding and not feel like outsiders, then I say Bravo Barack. We do need everybody no matter how disparate we think, to at least pay attention.

Aretha was breathtaking.

For Obama to get lost (with me- I had the exact same feeling {Yup! That's true.} like where are we, in repeating the oath that brief moment, and there was a siren in the background, and the wait and the weight of the world anyways I thought that little stumble was a beautiful thing for the great Orator that he is.

His address I took no notes and it's now almost 7PM PST and I haven't read any reports just a few humans out there who gave me some of their insight during the day, which maybe I am stealing a bit, someone said Awesome and that fit my minds idea too and someone said Years and Years still to go and that's exactly what I think we all know.

That address really was magnificent and I don't remember too much. I do know that I realized the man is not just a great speechwriter (I'm giving him the credit - please don't tell me otherwise) and speechmaker, but the man is a Preacher, a minister of great Power.

So on we go. Some of you know I am very skeptical of so much of Politics. I definitely was thinking even just a few days before the inauguration.... 'Hmm tell me again, What exactly do we need a Federal government for?' That skepticism and critical doubt, me just being a grouch, its not going away. I disagree with much of Obama's policies and I am not even sure what they are, I am going to try to continue to comment on things as they are and I wish I had a Whitehouse Press Pass I would be there to ask some annoying question to him every time and Press him and provide 'the necessary abrasion' as JFK described the process. I still think a Third Party might have to emerge in the USA. Onwards.

Guy

A Cure for Insomnia -- the beginning (I Hope)

2009-01-16T03:37:00.000-08:00

How do you build /take the mandate of so many Americans to go forward with change

and end up surrounded by so many people who have been locked into the same DC power politics thinking, for so long? Quite a challenge the young President has set himself up with.

Hope springs eternal.

Here goes the insomniac begins at 3:40 AM with his contribution to the cause.

Number One everything is connected. Ridiculously obvious but useful to keep in mind.

So when trying to lift the Monster that is the US Economy from it's nosedive it would serve us all well to address the other most profound problem Facing the Earth and that means all of us, women and children first, as they say, that profound problem is the destruction of our Atmosphere and the resulting Global Climate Change that will likely cause untold damage, unknown damage, but damage for sure. This is something we hold in our hands, the power to destroy ourselves and our Planet or the Power to begin the smooth transition to a World whose human activities celebrate, invigorate, work with, restore and enjoy this Beautiful Planet that is fundamentally a Miracle of Life.

There are activities that we do and things we consume that harm the Earth and harm ourselves, we can begin to identify them and turn the gears of commerce as we move away from these destructive habits.

President Obama is a good man. He cannot bring change on a grassroot level. That is our job. Almost all of us drive automobiles. We hold the key. Right there Boom! Right there we hold the key! It's so simple. When we turn that ignition on we start a fire, a little fire, and it gets us where we need to go but.. We are burning down the house with millions of us and our little fires. Don't panic I don't think we need to jump to extremes, though I would say a life without a car though, opens doors that you wouldn't know existed as to meeting people in your world. People that might be important to your life. However what I am suggesting is this. That President Obama call on all Americans to make a change, he needs to call on all Americans to make a change. Let's begin the Power Glide up towards a new economy by instituting the 4 day work week. I know you think that is horrible and too painful a sacrifice but I believe we can do it. The truth is everyone in their bones knows we are in for some hard times, let's face them and go forward. Let's get a Nationwide commitment to drive to work only 4 days a week. 3 days of the week we leave our cars at home, and we get by with bicycles, walking, or public transit. Of course many of us are workaholics, people who would go nuts if they didn't have to be at work and so maybe we can make options for them again bicycle to work, public transit, walk, work at home One day a week.

Let's think about all those businesses that are sitting right now ready to hand out the pink slips. It may be a cruel option but let's examine it. What would it be like for those businesses

to have you work 20% less you might have to earn 20% less, but that still might be worth it for many of us. These are going to be nothing but tough times ahead and very possibly the very best times of our lives as we begin to take these steps that directly confront our problems. Remember when you begin to directly face your problems that's when real progress happens..

Somebody told me that once and it makes sense to me.

There is another important aspect to our self-inflicted problems on Earth. We keep destroying all the land that surrounds us. Some areas of the country are worse than others. That's the whole other fundamental dark side to all this real estate boom across the Planet. (Not just that they were reaming you with their crooked mortgages, and their crap (frequently) housing (modern life sardines). Tearing up the land to build more and more houses means less and less trees and grass. Trees and grass serve a very important function to us on a relatively small and definitely finite Planet. They help absorb our mess in the form of CO2 and as all you who made it to 4th grade probably know by now I hope, they release Oxygen. That's a pretty important function, in other words the increase of Trees and Grass would likely help stabilize global warming, the decrease of Grass and Trees increases the rate of Climate change. We can't hide from this or pretend this isn't the case.

President Obama please take note. To be a good leader you must look at all the threats this country faces as well as all the options that bring us greater security. We cannot afford to quickstart our economy back into the same old destructive real estate habits. That time is over. A nationwide goal for every town and city in the USA. 40% reduction in, pavement, asphalt, tar paper what have you, all that stuff that reflects heat back up into our atmosphere, it all matters and replace it with trees and grass. Don't think this can't be done. It can. Imagine that sorry end of town with all the pavement, wasted parking spaces, everywhere as if we are afraid of letting anything in the realm of human life exist as nature. Let's get to work we are talking about thousands and thousands of acres. Nature preserves, Corn Fields, Baseball diamonds. Do you see how it all works together? As we begin to drive less, get more electric/solar/biodiesel vehicles on the road we are talking about an incredible transformation.

A healthy economy comes natural to people who take care of their environment, there are a thousand ways it all begins to work together when you get down to basics.

Every major urban /suburban artery in the USA needs bus and shuttle service. Thousands more electric hybrid biodiesel buses and cars. To serve all of us citizens who aren't going to be driving on those happy 3 days of the week that we aren't driving. Put cab drivers at the wheel, some of us are getting old and need some benefits. There should be a revolution, the gears are in motion let's go!

Don't spend our hard earned money billions & billions on a lot of pouring more asphalt across this land the time is here to restore nature. The economy is a function of intelligent living. When too many people think the economy is just about extracting money from the Earth without consequence that's when your economy is doomed. That's what has been happening we are dealing with some high laws beyond most current human comprehension. If you rip people and Life on Earth for your own gain your economy will eventually Crash. It's some sort of Natural Law and I don't think it really is that complicated and I do think that is exactly where we are.

More to come.

January is a tough month...Nothing Comes Easy

2009-01-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

We have to remember It's January. It doesn't come easy in January. Well when does it ever come easy? Shhhh...!

Everything is Golden... said a friend of mine last night. Bush is out and Everything is Golden.

I feel bad that I can't muster up that glow right now. Can't fake it. Though maybe I will catch up to the Golden Glow sooner or later. If it was up to me, if the world's fate hung on my success or failure... Phew! what a weight. I might crumble, everything could collapse. I YIYI...

I have to remember that Positive Energy is a force unto itself and maybe even without necessarily heading in the most direct direction it can and will accomplish and achieve success.. eventually. The Isness of it all. The Just is. Om.

Nothing Comes Easy says a friend of mine who tells me, he who in his usual Zen clarity and pragmatism would raise an eyebrow to any mention of a Divine Force some destiny making/influencing reality that implies a Greater Other than us, he tells me he now believes there is an undeniable conspiracy against himself by a greater force, manifest mainly in the area of Love. Hmmm... Sounds like me. Nothing Comes Easy is the guiding force at the independent art house movie theatre where he frequents regularly which is hard to figure since always thought my friend loved Mainstream American movies that had plots, action, love interest, resolution and out the door. This year he sits through Gray movies whose whole purpose is to espouse the notion of Nothing Comes Easy. He's not happy and may have to go back to the chain theatres of America. Anyways why am I talking about my friends.

Chain theatres reminds me of the Chains we are in with our Too big Corporate Powers and how we have handed over our lives to their success.

We have a lot of references to Lincoln and Roosevelt lately, I was digging around some JFK material trying to find some of his press conferences online or available on DVD? Not much luck there.

Guy

'Outsight'

2009-01-14T22:23:00.001-08:00

A friend rescued me on Tuesday night from the Cafe Aroma where I work it was 10PM, I had given up on making it to the San Anselmo Town Council meeting. There is always so much I want to say but usually can't or don't say much of anything. It was the first meeting of the new year I just wanted to be there. My letter regarding SSAV sits awaiting a final edit.

I was in poor shape having a couple of bad insomnia nights, in a row, the latest seemingly bringing on minor cold symptoms. Why do I tell you this? Why can't I write intelligent blog messages that just deal with what goes on outside the world and not what goes on onside my

head? Breathe... I won't worry. (sure you won't!) I am sorry, refer to 7 Year Itch to understand

the inner dialogue, no Marilyn Monroe has not moved in next door.

I got doored back on Saturday. It's a bicycle term I hadn't known existed though I know the event which it describe exists. Now I know. I am all right. I still have my lightning (?) quick reflexes, pretty quick reflexes anyways I am all right but I had given up on getting out to the SA Town Meeting, and had finally emerged from my apartment. When... anyways showed up at 10:30 PM to a town council meeting with my friend Chris from Fairfax, maybe one or two other people observing discussion on setbacks, FAR (Floor Area Ratio) Floor area to Lot area ratio is pretty important stuff to any town that still prides itself on not having been destroyed by... argghh Greed. Anyways Chris immediately stands up to offer some insight on the complex subject, I decide to add my two cents, call it 'outsight'. I just wanted to make sure that what I thought I heard the council saying that houses with porches closer to the streets encouraged community I just wanted to add that my dream house would be one set back on the lot surrounded by thick Rose Bushes, Bottle Brushes, Peach Trees, Dogwood and Pink Flamingoes

where you hardly even new my house was there and still I would have community. Community is a great thing, freedom from the hubbub of the street is a really good thing too. They said something to effect that they weren't going to legislate a preference in that regard and I said thank you good. Or we all said some words to the general effect as I have stated. I Guy W. Meyer Jr authorize this ramble.

Guy