One of the most powerful evils is judging others by which group they happen to belong to, whether racial, sexual, political, religious, economic, weight, height, or any of the groups we use to distinguish one from another. The price we pay for the convenience is to become mean spirited and unkind to ourselves as well as everybody else. There's exceptions to every rule and when we gloss over the things we have in common in order to fool ourselves into thinking we're smarter, wiser, holier-than-thou, or better then everyone else we end up feeling like we're all alone. Trust me, we are not alone. There's friends everywhere. And someday you may need one. It would be nice if you didn't have to apologize before finding a new friend.

Thanks fir the reminder. <3

Thanks for the reminder. <3

i agree with a lot of what you say here AG ...but i am not feeling the republican party (the "official" republican party?) over any other at this time.

That is so true. I am reminded of the scene from the old classic flick "Harold and Maude" where they are walking through a field of wild flowers - Black-eyed Susans, if I remember. Maude points out to Harold that each one is unique, in its own individual way. Each one has its own imperfections (not a negative word; we are all "perfectly broken") which can only be noticed if you look at them very closely. She tells him something like, "The problem with people is that they don't recognize their own individual-ness, and allow themselves to be treated (waving her arm across the field of yellow flowers) like that field, as if they were all the same." Stereotyping and generalization are, as you point out, the mindsets which keep us apart and lonely. Meaningfulness is found in the awareness and realization that the flowers are much more alike than they are different. This way of be-ing is much more likely to nurture unification rather than devisiveness.
Thanks, and see ya Saturday

i was very much aware of the "exceptions to every rule" part when i was saying that up there, but still wanted to say it.

Thanks for the interest, ADG..... but perhaps my words don't effectively define my personality.

.....When I refer to "the lesser of two evils", I specifically refer to those who preside over a position of "leadership". Politics is a horrible subject to debate/discuss,..... but in an effort to illuminate my personal opinion on these matters, I feel that our elected officials DO NOT represent their constituents. Our "leadership" is a group that REQUIRES our perpetual scrutiny and judgement. Eternal vigilance is the ultimate price of Liberty.

You need not take offense at my opinions, ADG..... you do not hold public office. (But if you did, you might be the only one I could trust).









By the way,..... I still have the 12-string you autographed for me in Interlochen, MI back in 2005. (You won't see it on eBay during MY lifetime!!! ).

(The guitar case is hiding the autograph, damnit).

*Off-Topic*

..... Hey ADG,..... do you know if Willie Nelson typically sets up a table and signs autographs for his fans after shows?

Willie is coming to Interlochen this summer..... and I'd love to get him to add some ink to one of my acoustics. (Likely the 12-string). Or should I just leave it home and just enjoy the show?




Just wonderin'.

Don, my comment was simply - 3. The other stuff afterward, was just in general. Not in response

I received this from myself before it was written.
If you are reading this BEFORE it was written you PROBABLY have not died yet.
If you are reading this AFTER it was written, that MIGHT not be the case.
If you understand that, you probably had something to do with writing this.
I died before it was written.

_________________________________________________________
Doppelganger:

When I was perhaps 12 or 13, not certain which, one of my sisters, let me accompany her while she photographed the Brandywine. Some ways near the local rise in the creek, and difficult to get to, she showed me where an old electric mill had been placed in the late 1800's. It became a spot where I attempted to go fishing. Once, though, I found my special place had been visited. Someone had written in deep blue chalk some words. The following day, I took a friend with me. The words had almost completely washed away. The words had said:

SICH HUTEN, ZEIT MEISTER!
HITLER KANNE DICH NICHT MEUCHLINGS ERMORDEN!
DOPPELGANGER

The word “doppelganger” was partly there, but my friend accused me of making it up and writing what was left myself. I couldn't have possibly reached the place where the writing had been and I didn't know German... then. All I knew was the name Hitler and the word that remained, but later in life the memory remained. Still, it was not till I read this manuscript that I understood the many things it had meant. One of those things was that my father was an imposter. A German who was his dead ringer had returned in his place to marry my mother. I would not know that till shortly before these writings were written.
_____________________________________________________________



HISTORY: Part I – The Crazy Train
All aboard!!!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha... !!!
Jesus was a headbanger. Caiaphus was a snake getting his head banged by Jesus. That didn't work out too well for Jesus.
Newton got his head banged against his will, then trying to act real straight around the University Heads, announced that the cause of gravity was the Holy Spirit. That worked out well for everyone except the Chinese who thought they were the cause of gravity, or maybe rice or somethng.
Einstein made a living out of selling gravity as a big rock sinking into a trampoline.
Wile E. Coyote made a living out of trying to use those ideas to catch the Road Runner. Those ideas NEVER worked out well for him. Especially strapping himself to a rocket.
Of course History at this point was ignoring a good deal of History: Part II

History: Part II – The Beast
Now it's a monster! Run for your lives!! (No. Pitchforks and torches are useless... RUN!!!)

A long time ago, in a continent far away...

8000 BCE – The Dumawas' chief did some mescaline and his mind traveled through time to see all the local tribes living in a great village. He was run over by a giant, metal horse with legs that rolled and many eyes with many souls peering out from them. He survived the journey and retained the epiphany of a little cake with pieces of chocolate pressed around a sweet, white fluff.

The chief retained this great meaning:

Humankind has not woven the "Web of life" yet.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the "Web" -
We do to ourselves!
All things are bound together!
All things connect!
CHIEF SEATTLE – Author

The Chief apparently was not counting Benedict Arnold, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Daumer, Adolf Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, Billy Graham, Ralph Reed, Osama Bin Laden, George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, to name a few that most of us don't want for Facebook friends.

It may be the chief found himself amazed by a ventriloquist from Detroit who was giving Indian farmers in the newly discovered Pacific Coast a sample of sandwiches made from Equestrian fertilizer by-products. The guy made the chief's eyes grow wider and wider by making his cows and pigs and horses "talk." When the salesman was walking for the lambs, the chief's eyes grew 3 times as wide and he yelled "SHEEP LIE!!!!!." After the chief found the sandwiches were a bunch of horse manure, he trade the land where the 13 villages sat for a toothbrush and the ventriloquist salesman founded the largest city in NorthWestern America.

Pre-European, 5th and 6th Centuries AD:

The Merovingian Dynasty spreads long-haired-kingdom, barbarian life and religious practices throughout the areas Rome called Francia. 300 years of Druidism, Sorcery, Wizardry and the likes was growing into the “New Empire.”

666AD

Saint Wilfrid agreed with the pope that the long haired kingdom had a lot of Gaul and infiltrated the Franks with orthodox and catholic “Christianity” and “pay religion” with monks and friars doing the professional begging and drawing the interest of many masons by including them in the food chain of building religious fortresses called churches, monasteries and the likes, assuring a generous organized musical effort that attracted choir boys to keep the priests happy.

Afterthought:

Don Coyote's pic of you is great, Arlo. You haven't lost your child. Hope you never do.

He kinda looks like he could be my Dad.


.....(Did I ever mention I was adopted)?


Um, ADG..... were you around the Detroit area in the spring of 1969?

I envy you simply having been to his concert, Don. I'd hang onto that for eternity as in they bury me with it...

And to Arlo,

You are perfectly American Red blooded and have the right to be or vote for whoever you want!

At the Florida Folk Festival last Saturday evening: Ms. Taylor gets some magic

Thanks Arlo!