Once we had a black kid named “Stoney” move to our street in the early 70’s.  Sounds normal now, but at the time it wasn’t typical.  I don’t recall a word ever being said about it… no whispers or racial undertones.  Just frame of reference in small town midwest, probably 1971.

I remember him telling us he was from Joliet, and that he used to get in fights on a daily basis because he was light skinned…  so Blacks would pick on him for being too white, and Whites would pick on him for being too black.

Recently, feeling exposed during the election, Stoney’s story came to mind.  Since I have no real party affiliation in politics and this has become such a polarized world of left vs. right… my sights have been on the owners and their antics more than the turntable of politicians, who appear mostly clueless as to how the world really works.  They may know who butters their bread, but are paid to ask no questions.

My soul is conservative, yet my analytical side can be very liberal.  Maybe I feel too much.  Leave Britney alone!!  Sorry.

Fiscally very conservative and socially liberal.  This makes sense.  Born and raised in a small town of about 1200 at the time of my youth, then moving to Los Angeles where liberalism was shouted from every rooftop in the city.

I’ve been responsible for abortions, so it would be hypocritical for me to stand on a soapbox and preach.  And still, common sense says there’s a pretty significant difference between 12 and 24 weeks.  24 and 32.

My instincts for people guided me on a journey over many years, and when I see someone that just rubs, let’s just say the hackles go up.  They were up for the entire campaign, presidency, re-election and post presidency of Barack Obama.  I never trusted this man.  The Clintons either.

Bush had me with the whole terrorist thing, then I started looking into his family.  The Bush family along with The Cheneys are probably the world’s biggest terrorists in centuries.  Then there’s Fauci, Gates, Soros and the Covid Club.  They should all hang publicly for their crimes against humanity, the whole lot.  But then the real power is in the shadows.  We never get to know them, yet they are worth trillions.

I realized this morning that because of my mistrust for Obama and the outward loathing his wife Michelle displayed to anyone they disagreed with, I bought a place out of town.  A humble home on the outskirts of LA where I could flee at a moment’s notice.  It was fear.  The man caused fear in me because he was so divisive.

Remember, after the Rodney King riots and the jolt of the ’94 quake, this was no safe haven of a city to live in.  I’d often look at maps for quick exits out of town for my family.  9/11 convinced me… Go rural!

SO when I found this place I bought it.  Started stocking up on water, food, guns, ammo, fire, medicines, everything… what you’d call a doomsday prepper.  Yep that’s me.  It was fear.  I still have it, though it’s more about pragmatics now than fear.  Maybe 64 is just closer to the end…  It’s a conservative instinct that exists since my DNA was created.  My father had it, his father etc.

What I’m trying to say is, I understand the fear of people who’ve been told Trump is the end of the world.  Maybe he is, maybe not.  The owners have either decided to change course from the last four years… which isn’t likely, or they will throw a bomb into his plan and blame him for it.  As for he himself being evil, I just don’t see it.  We’ve known him too long.  Certainly he has weak spots, but I believe, maybe naively… I guess time will tell… but I believe he wants better for the country.  Joe and Mika not so much.  And let’s not forget who Mika’s warmongering father was.

RFK is a real chance to get healthier food into our stores and stop the poison that causes the general public obesity, anxiety, diabetes and a hundred other illnesses that require lifetime medications.  This has me pretty optimistic.  I’ve been filtering water taking the fluoride and other ‘dissolved solids’ out for about 10 years now.  We’ve given up almost all food that comes in a sealed bag.  Eliminated fast and corporate food, processed food.  Not a perfect diet, but a 180º from what it was years ago.

Anyway, I write this in the most human way I know how.

I don’t agree with a lot of liberals on a lot of things, but I feel the fear is real.  Please don’t think you’re the only ones who’ve feared an administration.  I bought an entire house and had a complete life change because of it, so I’m not one to laugh at those who have fear because the president.   I think going online with a bunch of negativity is futile, but whatever…

It gets better.  Or maybe you could say it doesn’t matter.  The trajectory of this country is in the hands of the owners of our money, and sorry to say these are not good people!  The goodness must come from us.

We need to lie less, cheat less, get away with less, have less nepotism and color/gender counters, more accountability and work ethic.  We need to respect other people’s faiths and cast less judgment.

There’s a lot in life we can’t put back in the bag, but the above is a must if we ever hope to have a thriving civilization.  Dang… I guess this was a bit of a soap box.  Ah well, c’est la vie.  Love to Americans on both sides of the Coke/Pepsi aisle, we’ve been through a lot.

This is a real piece of history and am sad to let it go, but all things must pass.  Nearly 40 years ago I bought this machine… 1988… while living off of 3rd St. Los Angeles, and proceeded to spend nearly every waking hour and every single day writing and learning how to record for myself.

It was my go-to first before any other demos or album tracking for records 2, 3, 4 & 5.  My landlords were so cool I don’t recall a single complaint.

Now it’s time to get rid of some of the heavy gear and things I don’t use anymore… but thank you Tascam 388, it brings a smile to my face to think about those early days.  Lots of things moving out this week.  May you shine your light on the new owner’s career. 🥹

 

 

Someone once told me something about Bruce Springsteen that never left me, probably because it was so opposite from my personality.  They said he won’t ever speak badly of himself.  Even when he does a performance that’s not his best, he’ll say something like ‘Ok I think I did pretty good there’.  He may end the session after hearing it, but he won’t say ‘I fucking suck today let’s stop’.  Yeah that would have been me.

But I’ve changed.  We need to be our own best friends.  Our own mothers, fathers, big brothers.  The support system of relying on friends and family is too shaky.  People that see you win are often more envious than happy for you.  We need to be first in line to give ourselves a pat on the back.

I recently wrote about how I learned something significant from Donald Trump and his ‘just drink some bleach’ slip.  Now here’s another lesson we could learn from him.  The man is and always has been his own support system.  

Love him or hate him, I can’t think of another soul on earth who could withstand the enormous amount of pressure, hate filled venom, lies and abuse he’s taken from mainstream media.  Most of us would crumble from an organized smear campaign on Facebook or X alone.  Imagine every single cable and mainstream news channel, every radio station, every website, most of Washington DC!  Add to this the assassination attempts, slurs on his family members.

Yet he’s been stoic, and then he wins.  Whether or not he wins this election, he’s already won the hearts of most hard working Americans because they realize he’s funny and decent and would like Americans to win too, unlike a guy like Biden who speaks of decency while he insults half the country as ‘garbage’… while the press hides his daughter’s diary of inappropriate actions from him …ahem… in the shower??  and of course there’s good ol’ Hunter.  If you haven’t seen his hotel photos and notes of extortion with % going to “the big guy” it’s out there.

Suffice to say DJT has he’s taken more arrows than a normal person could by 1001 X.

His secret?  I think it has something to do with the Springsteen model.  He won’t say a bad word about himself.

So while he’s up there free-wheeling like ‘We had a tremendous crowd, it was the best and biggest crowd you wouldn’t believe how big’… etc. etc… And while the world is snorting and criticizing and calling him the devil, he’s busy being his own support system.  He doesn’t need the sheep, the cucks like Don Lemon or Lawrence O’donnell.  Is this not Uge?

In the words of  Judge Reinhold 1981, in Fast Times At Ridgemont High: “Learn it, Know it, Live it”.