Facts About May Day—I’d Be Fine With A Big General Strike, But I Don’t See It Happening

HAPPY MAY DAY!

HAPPY MAY DAY!

MAYDAY! MAYDAY!

(Photo above by Martin Hartland)

Tomorrow is May Day.

Here are some facts about May Day from The Huffington Post—

“Although it’s not recognized in the U.S. or Canada, May Day is one of the biggest bank holidays elsewhere in the world.

While it conjures up images of maypoles and folk dances, the holiday has gone through a radical transformation over the centuries. Originally a pagan celebration called Beltane (which translates roughly to “day of fire”), May Day is observed as “Labor Day” or “International Workers’ Day” in many countries, and organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labor unions are common.”

Here is an explanation of different ways May Day is observed around the world.

May Day is a day of working people’s empowerment in much of the world.

There are protests taking place in the U.S. this year on May Day. Many of these protests are taking place in conjunction with the Occupy movement.

There has in some cases been talk of a “general strike” and other dramatic actions.

While I’ve not at all given up on Occupy, I’ve seen nothing to back up the most aggressive claims of what will take place on May Day here in U.S.

I’ll be quite happy to be proven wrong— Yet until that time I’m not going to promote stuff that is way beyond any reasonable expectation of what will really take place.

There are always plenty of solid reasons to be hopeful. Big talk that leads to small actions does not promote hope.

To The Extent You Are Able, Avoid Drifting—Seaweed, Driftwood & A Sea Tumbleweed

Above is a picture I took last year in Galveston, Texas  You see that seagull is eating some creature unlucky enough to be caught in a clump of seaweed and washed up on the beach.

This is what happens if you drift through life. You get washed up on the beach and maybe eaten.

Here is a definition of seaweed-—

Any of various red, green, or brown algae that live in ocean waters. Some species of seaweed are free-floating, while others are attached to the ocean bottom. Seaweed range from the size of a pinhead to having large fronds (such as those of many kelps) that can be as much as 30.5 m (100 ft) in length. Certain species are used for food (such as nori) and fertilizer, and others are harvested for carrageenan and other substances used as thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying, or suspending agents in industrial, pharmaceutical, and food products. Seaweed is also a natural source of the element iodine, which is otherwise found only in very small amounts.

Here is a link to the well-done Seaweed Site. It will teach you a lot about seaweed.

Here is information from NOAA about deep water seaweed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Below is a picture I took last year of some driftwood that got stuck on shore on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River across from Cincinnati.

I don’t want to be driftwood. That log is marooned.

At the end of this post is a photo I took few years ago of seaweed and what is, as far as I can tell, a sea tumbleweed.

A tumbleweed just blows around.

This picture was taken on the Gulf of Mexico side of North Padre Island National Seashore just outside of Corpus Christi.

Circumstance plays a great part in life. Sometimes you are just out of luck. But to the extent possible, try to take command of your fate. Be more than seaweed, driftwood, or a tumbleweed.

Here is the definition of a tumbleweed—-

“Any of various densely branched annual plants, such as amaranth and Russian thistle, that break off from the roots at the end of the growing season and are rolled about by the wind.“ 

All photos in this post copyright Neil Aquino

Texas Progressive Alliance Round-Up—The Work Of Freedom Is Up To Each Of Us

Here is the weekly posting of the Texas Progressive Alliance round-up. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas. TPA members are citizen-bloggers working for a better Texas.

(Above–An image of Texas I found at the website of our Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.)

Every Texan and every American has the ability to attend a public meeting, attend or organize a protest, write or call an elected official, talk to friends and family, start a blog, donate money, write a letter to the editor, volunteer for candidates and causes, engage in acts of civil disobedience, and to run for public office.

The work of freedom and justice is up to each of us.

I say this every week in this space. There is nothing more basic and essential I can tell you.

Here is the round-up—-

Off the Kuff began a series of interviews with Congressional candidates in contested primary races, publishing conversations with Congressman Silvestre Reyes, state representative Pete Gallego, and former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez.
Republicans are talking like they want a race war. Either that, or they want to just kill all the liberals. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs documents last week’s conservative verbal atrocities.  

BossKitty at TruthHugger has had enough of 2012 Zombie Voters.  

BlueBloggin wants American voters to understand that until they force honesty and accountability from the leaders they elect, they will become subjects to the Koch Brothers Machine versus American Destiny.

They Do Appear To Have Corndogs In Argentina—But Not Funnel Cakes

Above is a menu of offerings that I saw last week at the Houston International Festival.

The sign suggests that people in Argentina eat Fried Snickers and Fried Oreos. It suggests that they eat jumbo corn dogs.

Except….I just Googled the words “corn dogs argentina” and this is what I saw on Wikipedia.

“In Argentina they are called panchukers and are sold mostly around train stations, and are more popular in the inner country cities. They are often consumed on the street, and may contain cheese. They are served with a number of sauces.”

All righty.

Yes–I did see the recent story about how much wrong information can be found on Wikipedia.

I’m going to trust them though on at least this aspect of corn dogs.

Now I’ve Googled “funnel cake argentina.”

This is what I found on a website called Wordreference.com from a person who gave his or her city as Buenos Aires—

“Does anyone know exactly what a funnel cake is?
I’m not sure about the spelling..”

So funnel cakes may not be big in Argentina.

Here are facts about funnel cakes.

Here are some facts about what folks in Argentina eat.  

I go to the Houston International Fesitval each year.

The festival concludes its two weekend annual run this weekend.

A Lightship—A Fixed Point In A Fluid World

I’ve been thinking in recent days about the metaphoric value of lightships.

Who isn’t considering this topic?

(Above—An image of the lightship Sandy Hook from an 1896 book called The Ship’s Company and Other Sea People by a  J.D. Jerrold Kelley Lieut.-Commander U.S.N.)

A lightship is a floating lighthouse.  There were at one time a number of these vessels. Now there are far fewer. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one outside of a picture.

What I like about the lightship is that it is a fixed point of light in a fluid world.

The world is always changing. Storms come and go. But there are things that are true even in such a world.

We can roll with circumstances and events, while at the same time holding to what we believe.

And since a lightship is a ship, we can adjust course if need be.

The metaphoric world and the “solid” give each other substance. Neither is complete without the other.

Here are some facts about the Sandy Hook and about lightship use in the United States.

Serving on one of these ships does not seem to have been very pleasant.  It appears better to contemplate them from a remove.

(Below—The Sandy Hook during the day.) 

Theatre For The 99% On 5/3, 5/4, & 5/5 At Good Jobs-Great Houston—Generate Your Own Content And Work Hard

My first-rate friend and associate Caleb Travis has asked me to promote the event you see discussed in the poster above.

Here are some more details of this event—

LookOut Arts Collective, a theatre company supported by the University of Houston, presents “Theatre for the 99%”. LookOut was founded in 2011 by students who met while studying under Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Edward Albee, and Tony Award winner Mark Medoff. Co-Artistic Director Caleb Travis explains: “We were inspired by the democratic revolutions across the world, and hopeful that the Occupy movement would put social, economic, and environmental violence in the spotlight here at home. We wanted a theatre company dedicated to speaking truth to power, and edifying an audience of the 99%”. Since then they produced two full length plays, an interactive art piece, and a music festival. This May the group will showcase a festival of five short plays exploring such relevant themes as power and poverty. They are the world premiere of The Dinner Table by Sawyer Estes, Down and Out by John Patrick Shanley; Loyalties by Murphy Guyer; The Judges Wife by Caryl Churchill; and Picnic on the Battlefield by Fernando Arrabal. There will be a talk back with the actors, directors, and playwright Sawyer Estes following each performance.

When? May 3rd — 5th. 8 p.m.
Where? Good Jobs = Great Houston
2955 Gulf Freeway, Houston, Tx 77003
PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT!!!

Caleb is a smart guy and I’m certain these will be good performances.

A way that you make progress is that you generate your own material, and then you work hard to use that content to help direct the debate on the great issues before the public

The work of  freedom and progress is up to each us. We each need to take responsibility for the course of our society.

Often the way we take individual responsibility is to work collectively for shared goals.

Please consider attending Theatre For The 99%.

Here is the Facebook page for Theatre For The 99%.

Here is the link for Good Jobs-Great Houston. 

Dick Clark Was Upfront And Admirable—Johnny Lydon And Public Image Limited On American Bandstand

Television star and businessman Dick Clark died earlier this month.

Here is Mr. Clark’s obituary from the New York Times.

Here are the parts of Mr. Clark’s obit that I liked the most—

“I never took any money to play records,” Mr. Clark said in his 1999 Archive of American Television interview. “I made money other ways. Horizontally, vertically, every which way you can think of, I made money from that show.” Over half a century, Mr. Clark made millions as a producer or executive producer, shepherding projects onto the airwaves that even he acknowledged were more diverting than ennobling: awards shows like the Golden Globes, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the American Music Awards; omnibus shows like “TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes,” featuring collections of clips; and television-movie biographies and dramas that targeted devotees of camp, kitsch or B-list celebrities…..Mr. Clark wasn’t high-minded about his work. “I’ve always dealt with light, frivolous things that didn’t really count; I’m not ashamed of that,” he said during a 1999 interview for the Archive of American Television. “There’s no redeeming cultural value whatsoever to ‘Bloopers,’ but it’s been on for 20 years.” He added: “It’s a piece of fluff. I’ve been a fluffmeister for a long time.” 

There is a lot to be said for a performer who can remain on the public stage for a long time.

There is a lot to be said for a showperson who just wants to make a buck and who has the talent to do so without hurting anybody.

Don’t trust anybody who is not a huckster to some degree.

Above is a video of an appearance of Johnny Lydon and Public Image Limited on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1980.

P.I.L. “plays” 2 songs from the album Second Edition in this clip. It is some fine television.

Second Edition is a great recording.  I’ve been listening to it for 30 years now.

Johnny Lydon’s speaking to me is one of the my greatest punk rock moments.

Latest Newsletter From Occupy Wall Street: Houston—Freeway Blogging

Below is the weekly newsletter of Occupy Wall Street: Houston. OWSH is an effort to give another try at the Occupy Wall Street effort here in Houston.  There is also an OWSH Facebook page. If you’d like to take part, the information you need is in the newsletter. There is always reason to keep at it and to move forward. The work of freedom and justice is up to each of us.

Here is a picture of some freeway blogging that OWSH members took part in earlier this week—

Here is the newsletter—

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Forward to a Friend Upcoming Events Sun Apr 28, 8:30AM, 711 Sabine St: Permablitz withTransition Houston. The group is dedicated to promoting sustainable living practices and selects at random one backyard per month to transform into a permaculture paradise. Full descriptionhere. Wouldn’t this be a great group to ally with and the permablitz a great way to do it? Tues May 1: Occupy general strike. We’re working with Occupy Houston to outreach to different groups accross the city. OH is working on blocking entrance into downtown and OWSH will be coordinating a picket line within downtown, the goal being to provide opportunities for different levels of action. Thu May 3, Fri May 4, and Sat May 5, 8PM, Good Jobs=Great Houston, 2955 Gulf Fwy: LookOut Arts Collective presents Theatre for the 99%: 6 short plays about living in America. All performances are PAY WHAT YOU WANT!!! Occupier Caleb Travis is producing. May 9, evening, time and place TBA: Bank divestment action coincident with Bank of America’s annual shareholder meeting in Charlotte, NC. We’re caravaning between different grocery store bank branches, telling the story of “I’m leaving this abusive relationship and marrying my credit union!” OWSH will provide materials to decorate vehicles a la “Just Divorced”, and if you’re divesting on this day, we’ll provide veils for “brides” and (we hope) top hats for “grooms”. Take this opportunity to divest from Wells Fargo, BoA, whichever big bank you’re currently banking with, and join a local bank or credit union! This is a non-arrest piece of street theater. Computer Privacy and Freedom Skillshare with activist Patrick Gibbs. Details to come. Ongoing Sundays, 1:30 PM, Bohemeo’s, 708 Telephone Rd (in Tlaquepaque Market):GA. Tuesdays, 5PM, U.S. 59 and Dunlavy: Freeway blog. Autonomous action: petition drive to require a referendum vote on the anti food-sharing ordinance. We need 28,000 valid signatures by the middle of July. Download the updated (as of 4/17) petition here. Volunteer Opportunities Come to a GA or contact us at owshou@gmail.com and find out how to participate from your home: Video editor (takes previously recorded footage of OWSH actions, makes it tell an engaging story) out in the world, with other members: Freeway blogger (participates in banner hangs on Houston’s bridges. Safe and fun.) Pay It Forwarder (works to strengthen community in GHA, one neighborhood at a time, by providing requested services to neighborhood residents. Trash pickup, house painting, garden prep, whatever’s requested. We ask that those who have received our help work to help others in their neighborhood.) out in the world, autonomously: Coalition builder (speaks for OWSH at meetings of other orgs in the GHA, builds bridges.) GA Endorses MLK’s Principles of Non-Violence by Jesus Waldo We the people of Occupy Wall Street Houston have organized under the banner of nonviolence as our overarching principle. Through the practice of nonviolence as exemplified by Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and many other influential leaders the world over, the actions, rhetoric, and beliefs of our movement will be guided in the favor of what is just. Why each individual has chosen to adhere to nonviolence in their actions is personal and, without discussion, is valid and equal to the same choice made by all. We at Occupy Wall Street Houston understand that nonviolence is simply the way we have chosen to operate. We must now fully understand what the commitment is and we must ensure that we educate all involved in our actions about the principles of nonviolence. Occupy Wall Street Houston will be a force in the community because we are the community. The force will be positive and will build toward a stronger more connected community. As human beings and activists we will commit to growth within ourselves and will mentor the spiritual, emotional, intellectual growth of others to reach full potential. All will be welcomed to speak their mind because no person is evil regardless of the darkness of their thoughts or actions. We understand that because no person can be evil then no person should be on the receiving end of violence. Understanding that Occupy Wall Street Houston is a movement of nonviolent actions is easier in theory than it is in practice. We will not judge, humiliate, provoke or take advantage of our opponent’s weaknesses to achieve our goals. We will study an issue to look for ways to address it before taking any direct action. Opponents will understand our complaints and we will trust their intentions to address them. If a compromise is not achieved, having exhausted all means of alternative dispute resolution within our power, we will organize and participate in civil disobedience. All actions of civil disobedience by Occupy Wall Street Houston will remain nonviolent. We will not reciprocate an offence directed at us as a group or as individuals. In breaking a law, just or not, there will be consequences that must be accepted. It is the responsibility of any person acting in civil disobedience to accept the humiliations and suffering in hopes that the world will see their commitment and sincerity. Anyone participating in an action by Occupy Wall Street Houston will be informed of the possible consequences as well as any laws that will be broken. During any action we will not allow hate to rule our actions or words. We believe that our voices will be listened to, not just heard, if we express the facts about the issues and our ideas for solutions. After every action we will look for the reconciliation of parties involved. Our ultimate goal is justice: social, environmental, economic. Occupy Wall Street Houston accepts that justice will prevail in the end and have chosen nonviolence as our means. Occupy Austin Announces Occupy Your Capital Four members of OA traveled to Houston to spread the word about this 4th of July action to Houston’s Occupys. The event is still in the planning stages, but the overall vision is to 1) put forth a show of numbers to show America that Occupy is alive and well; 2) make explicit the deeply patriotic nature of civil protest in general and Occupy in particular; 3) connect with other Occupiers from across Texas. The facebook group, Occupy Your Capital: July 4, is being used to plan the event and will have tools to coordinate rideshares and day-specific events. T-Shirts Ready to Order Will Bermudez did such a great job coming up with logo designs that we decided not to pick just one. All of them will be available for printing on the t-shirt of your choice. Your t-shirt options: Get one from a resale shop. This option is cheap and green. Get a new, plain tee. Here’s one option that’s sweatshop-free. Purchase white shirts from our printer. It’s not sweatshop-free, but it’s cheap and easy. Email us at owshou@gmail.com with your name, size, quantity, and design before this Sunday, and we’ll put your order in. If you’re providing your own shirt(s), get it to Selene at the next GA, and she’ll pass it on to the printer. Thanks to an anonymous donor for sponsoring the $35 screen that will be used to print the shirts. This is our screen, which means that whenever we need a shirt printed, it’s ready to go (in one color). Our printer will print the shirts for $2 each, $6 if he’s providing the shirt. May 1 Occupy Houston wrote apress release describing the origin of May Day and the thought behind the May 1 General Strike..They are planning a blockade of downtown, details to come. Houston United is marching from Bellaire and Renwick to Burnet Bayland Park at 5:30. Individuals are welcome to lend their support to any May Day actions, and OWSH will decide at the next GA what to officially support. Community Pot-Lucks with Occupy Austin by Lainie Duro, Occupy Austin They shared this idea with us at our last GA and said potluck No. 1 was a hit. Something to work towards when our numbers are a little bigger?–ed. note. We decided to divide the city into quadrants and scheduled potlucks every couple of weeks in different areas of town. A different person is responsible for heading up each potluck & they choose the location for the potluck, which typically will be a neighborhood park. We brainstormed a list of activities and topics for the picnics, and will invite the community to join us for food, fun, and discussion. We’d also like to try to teach the principles of horizontal democracy and facilitation, so neighborhoods can choose to start their own general assemblies if they desire. Here are [some of] the notes from our planning meeting: Agenda • Choose Parks • Plan Dates (through Sept 30) • Brainstorm Activities/Topics (inspire conversation rather than soapboxing) • Assign Rotating Magnet • Create Checklist … General Brainstorming • Create contact list for orgs who might partner • Do outreach physically at external orgs (visit open meetings, contact by phone, etc) • Create banner(s) for potlucks Potluck planning checklist • Schedule all potlucks (try to keep 3-6 month schedule) • Choose themes and activities for potlucks • Find speakers/musicians/artists/performers • Create Occupy Austin Information Binder (Lainie’s task that keeps not getting done!) • Find partners in community • Create Flyer Template (English/Spanish) to be edited and used for all potlucks (doorhangers?) • Outreach 2 weeks out (immediately following previous potluck) • Canvassing/Facebook event/Community Calendars/Flyering (Laundromats, Libraries, bus stops)

The State Motto Of Texas Is Friendship—This Is So Despite the State-Mandated Rape Of The Forced Sonogram Law And The Millions Of Uninsured People

The state motto of Texas is “Friendship.”

That one word is the entirety of the state motto of Texas.

Above is picture of our state motto and a map of Texas that I took at a restaurant here in Houston.

I like the simplicity of this a great deal.

I like the thought it expresses a great deal.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I value friendship a great deal.

As for the fact that state-mandated rape is the policy of Texas with the forced sonogram law?

You’ll just have to look away as your offer your fellow man or woman a firm handshake, and look him or her right in the eye just as any Texan would do.

As for the fact that Texas is first in the rate of uninsured persons and that we simply let people die from lack of care?

I dunno…..I guess we should just all be friendly to each other so long as we don’t see the brutality all around us here in Texas.

The Choices We Are Given

Here is a picture I took on a Houston street a few days ago that seems metaphoric of many things in life.

You are offered two options so long as you stop and realize that one of the options is a dead end.

Often we are told we have a choice, but in practical terms we have no choice at all.

The Only Reason That Well-Qualified Incumbent Democratic Harris County Judge Steven Kirkland Has A Primary Opponent Is Because He Is Gay

The only reason that well-qualified incumbent Democratic Harris County 215th District Court Judge Steven Kirkland has a primary opponent is because he is gay.

Above you see a yard sign for Judge Kirkland that I came across while out and about in Houston.

Judge Kirkland’s opponent is black. The assumption is that black people will vote for Judge Kirkland’s opponent because she is black.  Or that some black voters will make a special point to vote against Judge Kirkland because of the way God made him.

When all is said and done, this will not be the case. Judge Kirkland is going to win this primary as he moves towards reelection this November.

Here is the full list of supporters that Judge Kirkland has in his primary bid. Every segment of the Democratic base of support in Harris County is well-represented. A broad cross-section of the entire county is represented.

There is simply no reason that this well-regarded  incumbent Judge merits a primary.

Should not the focus be on picking up new judgeships instead of a fight that has no helpful purpose?

Wouldn’t making progress towards new Democratic judgeships  be the best use of time and efforts of Judge Kirkland’s opponent?

The freedom of all people is connected.  We can’t lose a good judge for no valid reason.

Primary Day is May 29. Early voting runs May 14-May 25.

My fellow blogger John Coby at Bay Area Houston has more on this issue.  Houston blogger Charles Kuffner has a rundown on all the Harris County Democratic primary races. 

How Can We Make The Case For Public Employees If This Is How Some Conduct Themselves?—Houston Public Works Staff Need To Get To Work Just As We Need To Fight For The Role Of Government

A recent Houston Chronicle article discussed the large numbers of City of Houston employees who have been disciplined or fired for poor conduct on the job.

From The Chronicle—

“While working on the taxpayers’ dime, Houston’s Public Works employees have smoked pot, driven drunk, packed guns, falsified meter readings and stolen scrap metal, not to mention lunching leisurely for hours at Memorial Park. The infractions are so prevalent that the City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Department …Disciplined employees overall represent 21 percent of all the people who have worked in the department since 2006….Some 560 utility workers, laborers, truck drivers and inspectors have been indefinitely suspended, or essentially fired during the six years. At least 240 have received “decision-making leaves” or temporary suspensions, and 1,170 were given warnings.”

I’m an advocate of public employment and of a clear role for government in society. I know that many share my view.

This is why we need to be upfront and transparent when our people screw-up. Tax dollars are the fruits of our labors. We work hard to send tax dollars to City Hall. We have every right to expect that they will be used well.

Also, we have every right to ask those who are in the public eye to get stuff right when our pro-government views are at stake in the public debate.

How can we say that government does a good job when public employees are conducting themselves in such a manner?

The other thing is that where do these folks think they will find work and benefits after they lose a city job?

It is hard enough to find full-time work with benefits. It is even more difficult to find such work when you were fired from your last job for bad conduct.

When you are paid with taxpayer dollars, you have an obligation to work hard.

When your conduct on the job will impact the climate regarding public workers all across the nation, you have an obligation to work hard.

Most public employees do a good job.  Yet it is human nature that people will focus on those who do a bad job to the exclusion of those who do a good job.

The foes of public employment are relentless. They want privatized workers with no benefits.

We can’t live like that as a society.

The actions of others are beyond our control.

Our actions are within our control.

I’d ask public employees to please do a good job.

And I’d ask those who believe in the value of government to demand good work from government employees, and to match that good work with our own advocacy and support.

Texas Progressive Alliance Round-Up—The Work Of Freedom Is Up To Each Of Us

Here is the weekly posting of the Texas Progressive Alliance round-up. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas. TPA members are citizen-bloggers working for a better Texas.

Every Texan and every American has the ability to attend a public meeting, attend or organize a protest, write or call an elected official, talk to friends and family, start a blog, donate money, write a letter to the editor, volunteer for candidates and causes, engage in acts of civil disobedience, and to run for public office.

The work of freedom and justice is up to each of us.

I say this every week in this space. There is nothing more basic and essential I can tell you.

Here is the round-up—

 TruthHugger is appalled that the same old lies keep working on Americans. Whatever happened to “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” (George Santayana). BossKitty has a ringside seat to watch Mother Nature bite the ass of clueless politicians, and is so grateful that God has different plans for Rick Santorum.  

BlueBloggin is very skeptical that the enforcement efforts of the Texas Ethics Commission will actually work: Texas Wants Ethics? ROFL 

Planned Parenthood gives Texas a taste of its own litigious medicine. Off the Kuff has the details.

Chrome Cranks Looking To Produce A New Album—Find The Time To Create Something Before The Hour Has Passed

My longtime friend Peter Aaron, who lives in the New York City area, is a member of the band The Chrome Cranks.

This band began in Cincinnati in 1988.

(Above you see the Chrome Cranks. Peter is the one smoking the cigarette.) 

The Chrome Cranks are trying to get the money they need to make a new album.

Below is what Peter has written for Texas Liberal regarding this effort—

“The Chrome Cranks are launching a Kickstarter campaign to support the publicizing of Ain’t No Lies in Blood, our first album of all-new material in 15 years. To do this requires a minimum of $4,000, the goal of this effort (any funds accumulated above this range will go toward further publicity for the album). And in addition to copies of the album itself, as rewards for the assistance of our fans in this undertaking we’re offering a wide range of rare and tasty treats: mp3s, album downloads, and signed CDs and LPs, posters, campaign-only CDs of UNHEARD tracks, even ORIGINAL REHEARSAL CASSETTES!”

Here is the link to support this project.

Needing $4,000, the Chrome Cranks are almost 90% to this goal. I have contributed a small amount. The band has to raise the needed money by April 29.

Here is a link to hear the Chrome Cranks.

If you like the music and would like to help these folks out, please offer up a few bucks.

Here is the Facebook page for the Chrome Cranks. 

Consistent with the ethic of this blog, the Chrome Cranks are getting it done for themselves.

They are coming up with new material and making use of new forms of communication and fundraising to help produce the album.

Peter and I both lived in Cincinnati back in the day.

I was slow to learn to drive back in th day. There were a number of times when Peter gave me a ride to the punk rock show.

Peter is a good guy and the Chrome Cranks merit a listen.

Beyond all that, if there are people from your past that you can help out, then you should consider doing so.

If you have a creative project or a personal project in your life that you would like to work on and make progress on, then find the time and make the effort before the hour has passed.

Our friendships and our most hopeful efforts are essential to having a good life in the brief time that we have.

I’ve Got To Walk Further Out—Metaphor And The Solid World Give Each Other Substance

Above is a picture I took in Galveston, Texas last month.

To walk out on that jetty, you’ve got be willing to get over the gaps in the concrete, and get around the water that fills the gaps.

I think this a useful metaphor.

The solid world and the metaphoric world each give substance to the other.

I’m not tired of this blog. But I have to admit that I’m tired of some of the things I’ve been writing about.

I’ve got to walk a bit further out.