The Trio

Hello people,
so glad you came in from the cold
I've got a little tale to tell,
a story that must be told.

It involves three little boys, a lady, and a man.
They were called a family, they lived in a sardine can.

The bones they can be eaten, they crumble with a crunch.
There were funny times, here among this bunch

There was another figure, usually within the house
This pet wasn't a housecat, nor a cute little mouse.
The grim reaper, himself, lived here in this house.
He hid behind tables, he hid behind chairs,
he often changes colors, he often avoids stares

The dirty plates stacked up all over the table.
The man got up, and went to bed, unless being drunk, left him unable
The kids, well they just spun, out of control.
Left with short answers, to fill the hole in their soul

I guess if that was all, that the kids had had to bear,
that might have been okay, they might have thrived while there
But there was this other side, that often liked to hide

 Hatred, violence, and anger, The Trio often came inside.
They felt right at home there, among the darkness and the dirt.
There seemed to be no limit, on just how much they hurt.

The children learned to use their hands, for more than to create
They learned to curl fingers to fists, and a lesson had been missed.
For hands can create pain, they do it every day
They always go the same place, when you do it that way.

The kids were not killers, even though they had held guns.
They kids had to settle problems, like they do when having fun
It was ok to hit each other, for boys settle things this way.
There should have been a different thing, taught to them that day.
I don't think you should blame their father, he ONLY knew that way.

Over time, the Trio grew warmer, even welcoming
The people had no fucking idea, of what they were becoming

The blood it tasted vile, and yet it made them smile
You just sort of let it fester, over a little while

At least you venture outside, the sun does truly shine
You ripen, and gain color,
like a grape, along a vine.

One day you find you're free from all of this.
Anger becomes empty, hatred becomes a lie.
You end up confused, and to learn, and to learn?
Well you must try.

Circles and Lines

Draw a circle, draw a line. One is ours, and one is mine
Take a walk, find a path, like the fact it is tree lined

sidewalk lays out the way, my feet need softer ground today.
leave the path, stay on the line, find a circle, yours and mine

walking tall, arms open wide,
 one love for us all, and it flows inside

night is black this time of year
all the colors live in here

pain can linger, at the tip of your finger
you can clutch your heart, you can shoot the gun
for your brand new start, you are fast, you can run

The black spot on the sun, the butterfly in the spider's web,
the skeleton choking on the crust of bread,
they were the same, The Police had said

So everything is my soul, the brightest light, the darkest hole,
the tree, the grass, even a blind mole

if I am you and you are me, we are we, and he and she,
you, me, the rock, the tree, the thing still hidden, in a distant sea

If this number of one, can get it done,
it should be this way, for everyone

Confusion

It all makes sense to me, right now.
I understand my pain, where it came from, and how.
I know it hurt, I know it stung. I tasted the tears.

I have spent hours alone, days, even years.
I have alot of things figured out. I can add, subtract,  multiply, and divide.
Yet when it comes to the most important thing of all, love, I seem to run and hide.

It's not that I don't need it. It's not that it isn't sweet.
It's so powerful when it visits me, I hate to admit defeat.

Confusion is all over, it's the only thing I know.
Confusion is all over, a light the path must show

Each day is a journey, the path can be quite long.
 I get up, smile, and rise.I try to listen to, or, even write a few songs.

I am the one who holds the key, to the room of peace, and light.
I can't turn that key alone, though try to, I just might.

Getting my heart broke after dinner

Tonight, found me walking home after watching my team's dismal performance on Sunday Night Football.  I walked into the living room of the hostel I live in to find a warm bowl of rice, and some live music in the living room. Sunday nights are a pot luck dinner, and are usually followed by some live music. There are consistent players, but the line up is always different. There was Mac, Brett, Marissa, Todd, and Lou that evening. Drums, bass, acoustic guitar, a shaker ala Marissa, and some great numbers. The first song was a great choice.

The old standard , made popular to my generation by Social Distortion, Ball and Chain set the ta contemplative show. I identified with that song. The droning of the riffs to that song capture depression well. Everyday the same. I used to be that hopeless. Drunk, on the streets,etc. I was nearly overcome with gratitude for a while, because I survived. This soon turned into me becoming depressed by the words and minor chords of that song.

Next was Amazing Grace, a bass guitar, singer, and harmonica, conveyed the love that is blind faith, and I was lifted to a point of being merely a conduit of emotion, a channel, nothing more.I just soaked in all the good intentions and it was enough.
After that was , Up On Cripple Creek. The bumbling happy go lucky ditty about a drunkard and his fat mama Bessie up in the hills had me a grinning.  That is the power of music. To make you sad, to make you fall in love, to make you wanna fly, to make you wanna cry.

The next song was about a person reminiscing about their background in Appalachia  and how all the trees, were logged and clear cut, along with their whole way of life.  The sadness was right there, as the singer breathed in melancholy tones, I thought of all the sadness when reflecting on all the trees being gone from your homeland. Your relatives all dead, or moved away. Everyone you know, broke and hungry.   Desperate, and beaten, just like the subject of Ball and Chain. The near suicidal result on the other side of that emotional equation had me left with two alternatives. Give up, or keep going. I decided to sleep, and listen to more music the next day.

The sun rose at the low angle it always does this time of year in Oregon. I walked in the neighborhood this morning, and let the rays, and the light, infiltrate the blankness of my morning thoughts.  I am relieved that most of the time, when I am blank, these days positive thoughts  fill my head.

I left Colorado in June, with the pain of a break up, and an uncertainty of destination.  I looked outward for a place to feel at home again.  I only found more loneliness and strangers.

I hiked the coast, I hiked the mountains, and I looked for the places where no one was.  They were beautiful, and empty.  The beauty was only realized to half of its potential because I was alone.

I didn't need a romantic partner to fill the void, I wasn't sure what would cure the emptiness.  with no other options,. I went to visit some friends and found out that people still wanted to hang out with me. I also found out how little my friends of years knew about me.

I decided that I want to make a go of staying here. I found a job that can be a career position.
I work for some great people, and I am looking to make the most of the opportunity.

I live in Eugene, and the peaceful, true hippie vibe here is awesome. Not that tune in, turn on, and drop out vibe. the vibe of no racism, freedom of thought and expression, and the diversity and vibrancy of a college town. That is nestled next to a logging town that is conservative. The dichotomy of this makes life here interesting.

I will look into that and share what I find later.

Raw Wool

I used to have delusions of grandeur,
I thought I could hang out with people like that boxer, Evander


I want headlong into the game, decided to forgo shame
then the truth came, and I was never the same.


Was it like a mirror breaking? Was I nervous, panicked, and shaking?
Okay, maybe just a bit, but I won't succumb to it.


I am finally finding out my true worth as a man
I am doing the damn best I can


What can I earn? I prefer, what can I learn.


I am sure my needs will be met, 
we live in a wealthy land
People with open hands.
I will make sure that what I need, I work and get


My mind is like a homestead, newly cleared,
I am like a woolen sheep, that has finally been sheared.


I can start again today, for from the East, there is a way.
Lessons on how to live a good life, need not come just from sources of today.

Out TV shows, our daily grind
To help each other, we must find
Something in me that you see in you
See, if you see it in me, then you'll help you , too

Reflections on a Break Up

I write this, early in the morning as I stare out the window of my friend's home. He tied one on last night pretty good and is sleeping that off in the rest of the house.


I woke with a heavy heart, and look out the window, at the grey sky unfolding without end. Raindrops coming down, sometimes driven sideways,  with the gelid steely sting, that they deliver up here at 6200ft up.  If it is 70 at sea level, it will be somewhere around 40 or so at this height.  The point is, those folks in places like Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin, do not have the market cornered when it comes to shitty weather.




The cold grey rain reminds me of time I spent in the Pacific Northwest.  I was depressed there, a lot, and today will certainly be a day with some sadness.


I split up with my girlfriend of ten months yesterday.  I am trying to look on it as a learning experience and focus on where my life will go from here.  I have no trouble finding a positive direction.  I have a job, great friends, and I live in a beautiful place.  I have made some big changes over the past year.  I gave up cigarettes nearly completely( maybe 8 smokes since I stopped daily smoking in January), and came to terms with a psychological injury that I received, gradually, over my childhood.  I lost a lover, and a friend. I learned some lessons,  and I also got a syllabus, for the next step in my education. 


 Class title, "Healthy Emotional Response for Homo Sapiens".  It is not even a 101 level course.  It is remedial for most.  I never had it shared with me as a child, so I have been learning it, piecemeal, over the years. 


The more I know people and the longer I live, I realize things about love.  It is that most mercurial of emotions.  It defies holding, and shape.  I only know what it doesn't include.  I learned that through trial and error. I will be getting in touch with my shortcomings now. I only think of the lady and wish her well.  I used the Latin word for infant when describing our affair, and now I know why. I am an infant when it comes to this ability.  A toddler, taking those shaky steps. 


  I know that love is this, it is helping someone, as much as you can.  It is doing the best thing you could for them, all of the time. It only works if you are doing it for yourself first.  If not, you can really hurt people and yourself included.


The real goal of the class is not a piece of paper, or a degree.  It is a lifetime of happiness, little regret, and great memories. It is filled with the laughter and  vibrancy of loved ones.  It is big enough for each person to feel safe.  It is filled with love.  


That's all you get from this class, no degree, no ceremony, no fanfare.  A long happy life, full of happy people.  The alternative is solitude, and that really is only a small piece of the puzzle. 


Forward, with caution.


Jim Dunnigan

Dark Thoughts on a Sunny Spring Day

I drive through the south 
And the thoughts start to spill
All of the slaves tortured, raped, beaten and killed.
Their souls infest this astral plane
Forever tortured, they will not remain.


Their stories will fill my ears.
I sniff the air for the faintest notion of their pain.
I’ll try to give them a voice,
 Silent so long they have lain

I look at the swamps, their bodies were slain
I see the trees, hung bodies, hugged at the knees
Hold the body steady, while I cut it down
Look at the blood, all over the ground.


Let’s not lie, and say hatred is past
I think that there still are
Many questions to be asked.

I won't give that back

(MAYBE 20 minutes, that's how long this took)

Just like they told me
I played my part
You smiled at me  
You woke up my heart

I think our eyes met
We shared our secret
I told a near  truth
And you believed it 

Now we hold hands 
We walk together
 And We stay on course
Through stormy weather

I met your family
I met your  Mother 
Aunt, sister and brother
I only care
To have no other.

I like your long legs
They’re nice to touch and squeeze
I got some special  needs
That you sure do please
(smoke ‘em if ya got em right about now)

Now we hold hands 
We walk together
 And We stay on course
Through stormy weather


It’s not only 
‘Cause you are so fine
It’s   ‘cause    your heart’s pure
 It’s   ‘cause   your love shines
I wake up grateful
“cause you are mine.

I looked a long time 
I didn’t find you

I hope that I never 
Try to bind you

I think now
About dimensions
I think now
About what we won’t mention
Our love is freedom
No one can fence in

Now we hold hands 
We walk together
 And We stay on course
Through stormy weather



I found passion
I found a partner
To teach me much more
I do impart her. 

Now we hold hands 
We walk together
 We stay on course
Through stormy weather

We are the stars in the sky
The ocean is not greater
Love IS the Tsunami

OFF THE CUFF

When did we turn our back on our brothers? 
When did we turn our back on our sisters?
The starving person is your brother, no other
The mother who lost her house, is your sister, mister.


This is the land of the bold, free , and brave
This is the land whose armies called
This is the land whose mothers gave

This is the land that leaves clear cuts bald.


Spill oil in the gulf, so what
Look at health care for children,
Some Congressmen see a place to cut.
They should just work harder, or better yet, 
if their folks don't have the right papers, they can leave.
DREAM ACT??  Cheap Labor is what the rich need!


Let's live up to the words of Lady Liberty
That awesome gift from France
Let's let hungry people come here, 
and let's give ALL A CHANCE


Take a few dimes from the fat cat
give some love to those that ain't got it like that
What the fuck is the problem
You'll just jail , and then rob them


Time for us who have had enough
time to go and do some stuff
It won't be easy
The road is rough


The one percent thinks they don't have enough


I MADE THIS SHIT UP...RIGHT OFF THE CUFF!

Big Mind

I've got a big heart
I've got a big Mind
I wear a big watch 
'cause I tell big time


I've got some big feet
I could wear big cleats
I've got a big nose
You should see my big toes


I've got some big hands
so I need big gloves
the thing that's ALL YOURS
is my Big love

my big mouth 
takes some big bites
my big mouth
starts some big fights


My big eyes
like big blue skies
my suits have big ties
I like your big thighs



I've got some big hands
so I need big gloves
the thing that's ALL YOURS 
is my Big love

St Charles Stream of Consciousness

      Hello, this is a holiday weekend.  A centuries  old celebration of spring, and rebirth, and family, is being  explained and honored in countless milleu, containing countless myths.  To me this holiday is about all of those things, and none of them. The themes are there, and they're important. The archetypes are positive, and the mood is good.  The other explanations about what I am thinking are somewhat personal, and should be kept that way.


     I do think that life is just a serious of relationship attention.  I must work on the relationships I have, including the one with myself.   I seem to spend the endless current of seconds, either working on improving, or eroding, the relationships I have in my life. I can be self destructive, so I can ruin these just as easily as I can cultivate them.

     I had the intention of cultivating them, or at least with one person in particular, as I drove away from the interstate and followed the St Charles River along Burnt Mill Road, in Pueblo, CO.  It was sunset, and early spring, after a few moist days.  A place that was at once, peaceful and timeless.  The vistas were: to the right; a long, misty, horizon with peaks going back and back and back into the warm, ocean-like light that is the sunset's edge. The other directions contained green valleys, craggy river bluffs, and some snow capped mountains that had the appearance of grey piles of cake with frosting dripping down the sides.

The valleys contained a flock of deer that were at least 50 in number, there was a flock of turkeys, and I spotted a cow, and a newborn calf, relaxing after their introduction to one another,  along a secluded cliff wall.  Mother Cow stared me down, and I unrolled my car window and assured her I meant no harm to herself, or her newborn.   I must have had that guilty look on my face, 'cause she got up, and stood between me and her calf, never straying in her gaze at my pupils for even an instant.  I drove on. 


I try to call the person I want to speak with. They are very busy.  I decide to talk to them anyway, and take pictures of what I am seeing.  They are still alive so I can share this with them.  It will become the next best thing to them actually being there.


I harbor no illusory notion that life will always contain happiness. I also know the only constant thing is change.  I am sad now, and I will not stay that way. I also am looking at one of the most beautiful spots on earth, at this moment, this day.  It could be a helluva lot worse, I mean, it has been.  Much love to the world.  Jim  Peace OUT!

Dodging Traffic, Snakes, Gators, Eating Flies, Getting Home, and Other Perceptions on the World.

    I was an arcade kid. No other way to explain it.  I had a lot of crap going on when I was a kid, a teen ager.  Life was primarily spinning out of control, not sure why, other then I was a teen ager, and it kind of happens like that sometimes.  I do know where I felt happy, and free, as a kid though.  The local arcade. The beeps, laser sounds, and music, along with friends from school, and elsewhere, turned the arcade into a sanctuary,.
Today as I played Frogger, I thought about life, and why the thoughts that require you to do well at Frogger can also be applied to life. I too, pondered all the ways I have put to rest that angry, rebellious, self destructive kid of so many years ago.
       The last part is clear.  Today, I work hard, I try to be nice to people, I obey the law, I help others as much as I can, and I treat myself, as well as I treat everyone else. I have come to terms with all the things that drove that scared teen to do all the things I did.  I don't need to get into that here.  It's my story, and your story would be different, at least with regard to specifics.  The generalities are similar, and that is at the core of the human creative process. Reaching out and finding something someone else knows, because they have thought, felt and lived, something close to the thing you are dealing with.
     Now on to the fun part.  Frogger. A very rudimentary video game from 1982 or something like this.  A frog, crossing a busy highway, and a hazard laden stream, to go home, and be with the other frogs.  Simple.  Like life.  We all have obstacles in our way, on our path, every day.  We have semis wishing to run us over, we have fast sports cars that might not even see us, and we have drivers who go slow enough to be in tune with flow and chi of life. We have turtles to carry us when we need to be carried, logs to land on to help us float along, and we all have things that will consume us, if we are not diligent in  dodging them.

    The best part is, it's a FREE app!  No more scrounging for change...those coins are hard to come by when you're a kid....Peace

Blood Dripping Down Glasses

When I was six I wore a patch, cause I had bad sight
The kids liked to talk, and Dad said, go ahead and fight
A group dynamic was at play there

When people feel threatened, they don't fight fair
One day in class a bully forced me under a chair
then he went and gathered a few of his friends
It's really kind of painful, how this story ends.
The whole class watched, they just sat by.
None of them could look that victim in the eye
I wanna know of the 30 of you that day
for yourselves, what do you have to say? 
You sat there in class, and looked on, without a sound
as the kids dragged the one guy, and made him get down
under the desk where the teacher put her feet
I wonder if some of you thought this is kinda neat?

Then their bully leader, said move the chair, 
we should take turns kicking him while he's there
The kid just took it, but he had a look in his eye
He took years to get over it, and trust me, he did try. 

The kids went in circles, kicking him in turns.
Can you understand how fear is the fuel of anger's burns
the other kids watched, they made not a move to stop
the kid cringed under the desk, and the kicks continued up top.

Finally the kids went away, but the guy getting kicked, he never forgot that day

Kids grow old, and they get on with things, and we never really think about the things our choices bring.
Lot of trouble, a lot of dealing with some asses, 
but that's the way it goes, when you have blood dripping down your glasses.

The kid forgives the ones who did the crime.  They probably live that way, all of the time. 
Their tools are, anger and fear.  They are weak, and project their strength here.

They are people, and for the sake of their souls, hope they feel regret, and it hits deep and whole. 

What can we do about something so long ago?  Most say they don't know
I think the way that the kid could have been spared
was for the the 30 in the classroom, to get up out of their chairs

The lazy ones who watched and just sat by
Might as well have been the ones, assaulting the poor guy

Don't shed a tear, for those kids that get kicked.
They might get hurt, but they won't get licked
They can only turn out 2 ways:  Good OR Bad.
The difference sometimes depends on the choices that , so called good kids had...

Stand up against bullying, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, ANYWHERE.

If you friends make fun of you for standing up to bullying, then they aren't friends.
They are bullies

Ancient Prayer

Pushing the feet and feeling lost
gonna make sure the coin won't get tossed
not exactly sure I can afford the cost

going somewhere, up in the air
maybe here, likely to be there
Up in the air, going somewhere


the phone vibrates, and plan is set
all the demands may never be met
at least my intentions are set to be vet

going somewhere, up in the air
maybe here, likely to be there
Up in the air, going somewhere

finding the means to live some dreams
sometimes wear clothes that are torn at the seams
look for the sun, on the water it gleams

going somewhere, up in the air
maybe here, likely to be there
Up in the air, going somewhere

baseball games, crowded trains, 
thinking of pictures and making frames
liking the smoke, it comes from the flames

going somewhere, up in the air
maybe here, likely to be there
Up in the air, going somewhere

The smoke comes from the flames
The smoke comes from the flames

a walk through southern Utah

The faucet is dripping, 
it won't stop.
Take a hammer ,
 give it a pop. 
Break the faucet, 
hardware store closed.

The way to find something 
is not to look,
some very wise people 
never open a book.
Dogs, and babies, 
and birds are smart.

some birds mate for life, 
do they get broken hearts?
The redrocks have colors, 
shapes , and tales.
Dust and weeds move 
by the fierce, angry gales.

I reach for your hand 
and it is not there,
I put my hand down 
and am reminded you care.
A formula for living 
would make someone rich.
Just when you get it though, 
the rules would switch.

The river, the ocean, 
the lake, and the sea,
they are barely distinct,
just like you and me.

Ode to an alliance.

It always made sense 
to get the door for her
seemed easy enough 
as it were


I just let her go by, 
 in front of me, 
yeah that could be as easy
 as easy  can be


wait a second!
 she needs
 something from me
how can I give her 
what I barely see?


to walk alone, solo, as one
seems like you just 

missed the setting sun


I've felt the slow burn, 
of many splendid suns
how to be sure
which one is the one?


if you ask that too much...
you'll never be done


alone by choice,
fucking cop out
grand lie


I'll adjust , 
in the by and by


darkness is here,
it's me that I fear


but she, she says
the lie is so clear


like the sun in the morning,
or the foam on her beer


but she says , but she says
that goddamned lie is so clear

Lookin' down the road

I guess the inspiration for this piece is obvious.  The tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin, and the beating  death of Shaima Alawadito led me to a conclusion.  There are a lot of scared , violent, and deadly people walking around right now.  It's this elephant in the room it seems.  I wish I could just go on about things, smiling as I go about my business.  It is getting harder and harder.  Elections are being drawn across moral and religious lines,  and this only serves to create new divisions and deepen existing ones. It seems easier and better for mankind if we come to terms with a simple fact; we all want the same things.  A safe place for our kids to play, air to breathe, a safe spot to live, enough food, clean water,  and the ability to see the doctor for most basic health needs.  I mean, in general, the basic needs that all human beings need to thrive. THRIVE, it means more than , just staying alive.

  THIS DESIRE TO LIVE THIS WAY, TRANSCENDS ALL INCOME LEVELS, AREAS OF ORIGIN, AND ETC.....IT IS UNIVERSAL!

    My personal hope is that this becomes our mindset. and then filters our every thought as we go on with our lives, over this long, mean, negativity ridden, nation grieving hate crimes, summer.  We are all Americans: European Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, gay Americans, straight Americans, Christian Americans, Muslim Americans , Jewish Americans, Atheist Americans, etc..etc...

The common thread is Americans, we are all together on  this wide, vast  land.  If we see each other as neighbors, rather than members of groups that look and think differently than the group we look or think like, then maybe we won't be so quick to hurt each other, with names, and fists, and hands, and iron bars, and knives and guns.  I love America. Thank you.




  PEOPLE TIRED OF GETTIN RIPPED OFF, THREATENED IN THEIR OWN CASTLE

LIVIN BEHIND A LOCKED GATE HAS GOTTA BE A HASSLE

YOU MOVE TO LA 'CAUSE THEY CALL IT THE MELTING POT

NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D GET BEATEN TO DEATH AT HOME, KINDA FIGURED YOU MIGHT GET SHOT

WELL, SAY HELLO TO MY UNCLE SAMUEL, HE'S A STRANGE OLD DUDE

SOME FOLKS THINK HE'S CRAZY, SOME FOLKS CALL HIM CRUDE

HOODIE'S

 WILL NEVER

 BE THE SAME,

 THAT YOUNG BOY,

 IS

 FOREVER

OUTTA THE GAME

MY UNCLE'S PLEASED TO MEET YOU, HE'S PLEASED TO TAKE YOU IN

HE'S PLEASED TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE CORNER, WHERE YOU CAN FIND YOUR FAVORITE SIN

LIVIN WITH MY UNCLE SAM IS A PRETTY SWEET DEAL

YOU CAN FIND A NICE WARM PLACE TO SLEEP, IT’S NEVER HARD TO FIND A MEAL

HE'S GOT PLENTY OF WORK YOU CAN HELP HIM DO

HE'S GOT OVER 300 MILLION DREAMS, AND HE'S GOT ONE JUST FOR YOU

MY UNCLE SAM IS CRAZY COOL, HE EVEN LETS YOU OWN GUNS

 SAM  JUST WANTS

 TO ASK YOU THAT,

 YOU MAKE SURE YA KNOW

 IT'S A PERSON YOU'RE POINTING AT

ALL THE DEATH AND VIOLENCE, SEEMS LIKE A TERRIBLE WASTE

LIKE TO SEE US GO A DIFFERENT WAY, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IT WITH SOME HASTE

MY UNCLE, HE'LL LET YOU PRAY, JUST ABOUT ANY KIND OF WAY

HE REALLY WON’T GIVE A SHIT, IF YOU NEVER CARE TO PRAY.

CAUSE IT DOESN'T FAZE HIM IF YOU BELIEVE IN NOTHING ANYWAY

SO PLEASE BE KIND TO MY UNCLE, HE SMILES WHEN YOU PUT IT THAT WAY

THIS SUMMER LET'S GO SEE OUR UNCLE; HE'S IN EVERY BREATH WE TAKE, THE CHOICES WE CHOOSE TODAY, BECOME THE FUTURE THAT WE MAKE.

'

'No Passport Required"

http://searchwithin4without.blogspot.com/2012/03/folks-here-we-go.html    (Link to chapter 1)
http://searchwithin4without.blogspot.com/2012/03/no-passport-required-chapter-2.html  (Link to Chapter 2)


     Twenty minutes later, the parking lot had a few choice spots left as Allen parked his European 2 seat sports coupe into one of the spots.  He got out, and thought, "I am getting a little old to keep gettin' out of these damn , sports cars. Might be time to look towards a luxury sports sedan".  This was about as much mind as Allen ever cared to give the truth, he was an old man, who still drove sports cars, to appear cool.  He liked the performance, that's for sure.  The feeling when you get pushed back,  as your senses exigently  heighten, because , the specter of death or injury just gets a little more real.  The deal we make every time we turn that key.  The power, the sound, the force of a machine is what sets those cars apart from mere transportation.  Fast cars embody a spirit, a way of thinking, and are American icons for that reason.  


     Allen sauntered into the front door of the bistro.  He smelled garlic, pepper, and curry right away, and heard the murmured tones of several conversations.  His company had rented a small conference room here.  The usual course of negotiating a contract with a client usually brought them to Allen's restaurant for the meetings.  The owner of the place they were at today, was a relative of the bass player, in a major act at the festival, and that bass player had insisted on meeting here.  So it was.  This was nearly the final meeting.  The menu was set. The beverages were set. The silly restrictions, and requests were in, and were gonna be easy to accomplish.


      Major musical acts can be eccentric, and if they were young, and a sensation, then eccentric was the starting point for describing their quirks.  From asking for M & M 's with a certain color removed, to having a bottle of bourbon readily available at a distance of no more than three feet from any band member at any time, the requests were so weird, Allen had given up, long ago, wondering about them, and instead, focused on meeting them.

They asked me to speak at church

      I like debates.  A fascinating result of debate is when both sides learn something from the other. This is when people agree,  and then implement the plans they agree on.  This may happen  because we all sense that collectively, we are stronger than apart.  I decided to wear this mind hat as  I went to a talk on Thoreau at a church in my barrio, the other day, and it was a fun and surprising Sunday morning.  
     I walked the ten blocks there and began to listen to Sarah Johnson Praterelli, adjunct lecturer at CSU - Pueblo, currently  teaching statistics.  Her talk was titled, "Thoreau & Living Simply".  Sarah was entertaining and insightful,  she covered the scope, breadth,  and impact of the climate change crisis, in a straightforward manner.  I learned a bunch of things I did not know.  The point that did stand out was a recent finding by climate scientists that the climate NORTH of the equator will be changing in various ways.  This could mean warmer temps, but usually means more extreme weather, in general.   The climate will be getting warmer, and warmer , south of the equator. ( I haven't had a chance to look into why  this is, so  if anyone knows why this  is, please send me a Facebook message about it.  I always enjoy talking with readers about their opinions, that process is  part of the motivation for this type of endeavor, in the first place. )




Sarah, clearly showed the need for something to be done to address the issues she clearly laid out.  She then shared an experience of hers, how she lived in a spartan shack in the woods of Maine while attending school.
She had some fresh insights, and gave a brief, and informative bio of Thoreau.  I like transcendentalism, so I was engrossed in the info I was hearing.  The only thing missing was some more info at the end.  The brief message of consume less, and be spartan, is a bit, exhausted, frankly.  It is vague and general, and in a consumer culture like ours, it is like a dog chasing their tail.  I guess I wasn' t the only one that arrived at a similar result, judging from the reaction of the other 25 or 30 in attendance. 
 There was a man that spoke up and said technology is too embedded in our daily lives to live simply.  There was a lady that did clerical work during WWII. She said we need to work harder, like she did, banging away for 7 hours on a typewriter, writing manuals for GM products , used by our troops. We thanked her, and kept going.
I spoke about regenerative design, I spoke about all the possibility created by computers, and the speed that our incredible devices can process info.  We are entering the age of abundance, in information, in wealth, and in solutions to problems.  The hope and the possibility are so new, and unprecedented, so they are just beginning to become apparent.
 I shared  that the idea of living simply is a great starting point on how to tackle the problem of scarcity.  I hardly see a need to even plan on reversing climate change, as much as , adapting to it.  That is why the solutions that will work, are the ones that we think of now, in the next moment, and then tomorrow.  


I mentioned these things, and we moved on. The end of the talk was there and the general consensus was this: There needs to be many, creative, fresh, new ideas, on how to solve this problem of scarcity.   They will come from technology, science, people, and society in general.  The people from the church invited me to return and maybe give more of a talk about regenerative technology.  I was taken aback, and then flattered.  I may do it.  I will return to the church, but I am not sure exactly when I will give a presentation to the group. I know I am looking forward to it.


It was a great talk, and I walked away glad for the learning.  
    

Essay on a game.

     Spring. America. Longer days, Easter, graduations, and baseball, baseball, baseball.  The game that renews our hometown pride every year is in full swing again.  A game , that we as Americans, hold near and dear to our hearts.

     I still remember springs and summers over 30 yrs gone by, pacing around , tossing a ball into my glove over and over, listening to Bob Uecker, and his signature call as Gorman, Benji, Robin, and Rollie, brought pride to a team that had never known contention, and to a generation of fans who could add to the stories of 1957 with  some new legends of their own.  The only thing that seemed to get in my way from spending all summer immersed in listening about or reading about the game, was eating (once in a while), and playing the game I spent so much time living and breathing, every summer.

   It all started when I was 4 or 5.  Foggy memories of long gone grandparents, bouncing me on a knee , and sharing these cards with me, and some dry, crunchy, eventually sweet, bubble gum.  That was the beginning of the affair.  The seduction of the gum, and the photos of hereos, along with the emotion that seemed to surround the fans, was all it took to have me wrapped around baseball's fingers.  

      The first card I ever held was a Hank Aaron.  His stoic face was not very remarkable. The hushed tone my Mom got to her voice when talking about "The Hammer" was.  He was to be respected, that's for sure.  He was such a polarizing figure , as so many in the public eye have been. He entered baseball not long after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, and left, after breaking a record set by the biggest ever, "The Babe".  In doing so, he endured sacks of racist , hate mail, and still swung for the fences.  I met him in 2000 and I will never forget the day I shook his hand.  755 and NO PED's?  What's up Barry? How's house arrest for ya?

    Over the years, our relationship has been tested, only slightly.  Trades, and free agency, have forced the understanding that it is a business as well as a game. Some chases after home run records, and some great new stars , have solidified the game's place in our hearts for a long time.  The "better angels of our nature" have found entertainment, even in a game where PED use has tainted the game's purity.  

     " Say Hey"..."Shoeless"...."The Kid"..."The Babe"....The nicknames are only surpassed in cool, maybe, by old school mobsters names.  Jimmy the fish, Tommy the Gun, etc..etc....

      "So this summer, as I track games on my blackberry, and watch up to the minute web casts with real time stats updates, and video, and other slick tech stuff, I will try and recall , scoring the game in a program, lacing up my spikes, the smell as I approach the stadium, the cheers, and the crack of the bat.  The game will always be there, growing, and moving on, side by side, with us, the fans.  PLAY BALL!!!!

I hope this is funny......

Click the link above, I mean no insult to anyone at all by this...it is funny to me, and might actually help birdge a cultural gap through humor.  That being said, DID I MENTION IT IS HILARIOUS?

"No Passport Required"  

Chapter 2

The following link will take you to the first chapter of " No Passport Required"  

Then just follow the links on the left for each subsequent chapter....

Enjoy and tune in daily  for a new chapter...!  Thanks...

http://whatisjimuptonow.blogspot.com/2012/03/folks-here-we-go.html

"Morning, Allen!  How are ya.", Triumph was hard to mask in her voice...

Allen swallowed and mustered a neutral tone, "I'm well, how are you?"

"Oh fine, just running around here, but I did need to mention something to you about what I saw at work last night.  I am not , like, overly concerned or anything, but I still think I should let you know. "

Allen had his curiosity piqued, "Please, tell me some more"  He was aware of the political motives that were at play here, as he was equally aware, that Samheed, the accused employee, was nowhere near perfect.

"I left work last night after I closed the bar.  Samheed was in back finishing up his closing paperwork. I left, but had to go on back inside after I left 'cause I left my phone charger behind the bar.  That's when I heard WAY more than I wanted to hear.  I saw Samheed and his girlfriend in the back by dry storage, half dressed and groping each other like a couple of drowning victims or something. I was so embarrassed, I quietly grabbed my stuff and slunk out of there as quick as I could...." Stacey's voice trailed off, in seeming  nervous. 


"Thanks for telling me about this Stacey. It was the right thing to do.  I am also sorry that you were made to feel uncomfortable. If you ever need to talk more about this, please let me know. I assure you I will address this, today"


"Thanks, Allen. I knew it would be cool telling you." Stacey sounded relieved.  


"I'll see you tonight then, Stacey?"  Allen, cordially tried to end the call.


"Sure thing, have a good morning"


"Okay, you too, Stacey"


The problem easily became a relief to Allen. The problem could be handled easily. He trusted Samheed, he knew that the security of the restaurant, or any of its' assets was not compromised.  Samheed probably just decided to give in and used poor judgement. Allen also knew just how to solve the problem, and not have to insult anyone, Samheed, Stacey, or lose any face himself. Those kinds of solutions, in the workplace, with people, came too far and few between.  


Allen remembered that he needed to drive into town for a business meeting over coffee and early brunch.  There was a large music festival that descended on the place where Allen lived every year. Nearly a    quarter million people attended the weekend festival, usually held in late July, after the 4th, but before the end of summer.  The desert was hot then, but the shows usually went on late, so that it was balmy and comfy when the music started.  


The meeting should go off without too many snags.  Allen was finalising the contract to provide the catering services for the headline talent at the festival. Backstage, at the hotels, etc. It was the kind of contract that Allen had been waiting for.  He could retire on a deal like this.  These thoughts came and went like gentle waves on a beach as Allen stared out the window at the sun beginning to paint the rocky hills to the west with a brush that left their detail etched in glorious pink 3- D.