Ask and You Shall Receive

 

Today I am thankful for an interaction with a homeless man. 

Today I met a man selling copies of The Denver Voice. 

Now, when I carry cash, it typically disappears quickly.  I'm prone to dropping it around homeless folks and saying stuff like, "Wow...what's that over there?  It must've been meant for you." 

This man asked for $2. 

He caught me digging in my shopping bags.  It took a while but 'lo and behold, I found $2.00.  I only found $2 and a piece of nicotine gum (don't judge). 

I refused his paper because I know he pays $1 for them. 

The Denver Voice is a project teaching homeless people business skills. So much for the RINO mayor's assertion that homeless people are all drug addicts who don't want to work. 

This man, we'll call him John, wanted to give me something for my money. 

So...

I told him what I did for a living and who I typically work with. 

He gave me advice on how to help and proceeded to tell me how to share the vision of The Denver Voice with other homeless folks who cross my path. 

I'll do that. 

****

As I drove away, I thought about our dork muffin mayor who pretended to be homeless for a day so he could say that all homeless people want to be on the streets. 

That's a delusion that politicians share because it redirects their responsibility for creating (or allowing) bad public policy that exacerbates homelessness. 

On my drive home, I literally wrote a three-minute diatribe about Freudian defense mechanisms as an explanation for the bullshit I've seen recently while observing local political proceedings.  I thought it was bad when a previous city councilman threatened me and a former mayor pushed me. 

At least they weren't obvious about their contempt. 

Ugh...

My speech had about one minute about projection.  Case in point, the last study session made me sickened as I heard a Republican at large member (who needs to be unseated) accuse Democrats of bipartisanship and then attacked them personally while claiming to be a victim of their persecution. 

(Why do I suddenly feel the urge to vomit?) 

There was another minute about denial where people ignore the truth about a situation so that they feel better for their bad behavior (such as pushing big government and bad laws that make housing more expensive) and their cowardice and fear preventing them from challenging the stupid stay-at-home order which shut down the day labor employers and left many people previously living in hotels on the streets of Aurora and Denver. . 

I would leave a minute for whatever strikes my fancy.  Public speaking is best impromptu because the air carries intuitions that help direct the flow of words. We can pick up on nuances in the body language of the listeners and know, at the moment, what people need to hear.  People invariably have physical reactions to words.  By noticing what we were talking about at the time of the reaction, we can figure out what to say to either reinforce something or cause someone to get all stirred up in a lather and make a fool of him or herself.  

I hope our politicians understand that there are people diagnosing them as they spew their verbal nonsense across the airwaves and in city council meetings. I have to find a way to keep those diagnoses close to the vest and only use them to persuade the jack nuts into doing the right thing.

This is when I decided to forgo the teaching moment, although the lesson would be more for the citizens than the politicians.  I'd love it if others in the community could name what is going on. 

As I pulled into the driveway, I remember a political mentor warned me to be nicer. 

So....I'll play nice.....

for now. 

****

Right now, I'll just revel in the fact that someone requested something that I wasn't sure I had.  Divinity allowed me to find it.  

I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do right now. 

I'll figure it out. 

What typically happens is...

there will be a day when I'll drink too much caffeine 

and have a little too much energy. 

That will be a day when my homework is done and my right-hand hurts from slapping my bass too much 

and I'll be irritated by something I keep seeing on the streets. 

I'll be so pissed off that I can't see straight. 

Those days are the days when I get my craziest ideas. 

The craziest and more creative ideas tend to be put into action. 

*****

I'll leave you with this. 

May all the things you need come to you swiftly. 

May you find angels around you (such as John who had some darn good advice for me today). 

May you be free of delusion. 

May you be self-aware enough to understand that your criticisms of others are simply reflections of yourself. 

Love ya, 

S. 

Nightmare

 

Today I am thankful for dreams: they've caused me to register for a Jungian Seminar. 

Yeah, after I get my art therapy certificate, I'm going to go hang with the Jungians for a bit. 

These dreams....

ugh....

The dream - 

A tall figure in a bluish-black robe approaches me and stops short of my face. 

I peer into the hood...

inside is a man. 

As I watch, his caucasian skin turns blue....

then gray...

then the face disintegrates

with the body following closely behind. 

I find myself staring at the floor 

wondering if I unintentionally struck someone down. 

Hmmmmm...

The only thing I can imagine is that the dream is one of transition....

a problem or a mystery will be solved....

someone or something is returning to dust. 

Interesting.....

Yeah, I'm up to something but I'll stay mum on it for now. 

Follow your gut. 

Solutions are there and sometimes all we really have to do is take action. 

Love you, 

S. 

. 

Art Reflects Life: Life Imitates Art

 

I can't stand politicians who tell people to be quiet. 

The best I can hope for is that thousands of us speak up and drown out the voices of oppression. 

Well, today I am thankful that I have cleared my schedule in the evenings. 

I'm going to stop seeing clients in the evenings so I can partake in local politics. 

This is all thanks to Mr. Mayor and his minions.  If it weren't for him trying to shut everyone up and keep other perspectives out of the discussion, I wouldn't feel the urgent need to speak up and speak out. 

Hmmm.....last time I jumped into the political fray was because Mayor Tauer (the second) sent a memo telling the city council not to answer my queries about an illegal fine.  Sometimes I'll introduce myself as Persona Non Grata - that's a nod to Mayor Tauer.  That man sure perked up when I took a crack at his seat.  I had no intentions of winning - only to talk to the eventual winner and change a couple of things (those things changed, too). 

Here is the funny thing: The Democrats on the City Council told me about the memo.  His order to shut them up didn't work.  I don't think Coffman's game will work either.  I still have eight or so notebooks of print-outs of emails, harassment, court filings, and other documents detailing the games that the Tauer Regime played with me.  I keep them around for inspiration.  I don't think he knew I'd been fighting bureaucrats since I was seventeen years old. I'm not the kind of person you're going to get to shut up.  

The worst part about me is that I'm an artist.  We can get creative in sharing messages.

That's the secret to my success.  

If  Mike Coffman were a little fairer, I wouldn't feel the need to jump into the fray. 

Went out and about today...

Saw a few people I knew....

Met people who know my friends....

Made some new contacts...

It's time. 

So.....since most of the political stuff here is true to life 

the spiritual stuff is based on gossip, 

and I can't figure out how to use a bow on the old Fender Precision (seemed possible at the time...some guy on YouTube does it....I can't....it will take time to get the muscle memory), 

I'm not sure what turn this Siegfred character is going to take. 

We shall see. 

If this goes dark for a few months, you'll see me in the papers. 

One thing is true...

If I ever run for office again, no man will ever date me. 

My assertiveness scared 'em away.  

I don't date anyway.  I'm still plagued by nightmares of an ex*

That's okay. 

Hopefully, I'll be too busy to sleep

and 

I'll be doing what I love. 

Maybe I'll hypnotize a couple of rude dolts, too. 

Love ya, 

S. 

*had one last night - if he were anyone else, I'd call to check in on him but some things are better left in the past. I guess I could practice Rush's Tom Sawyer as my basses, and guitars are getting dusty. It would be the perfect excuse to buy a synth.  I wonder if I could get my hands on a vintage Oberheim? My neighbors could hear me shriek "Oh NOO Tom!!! Then, in an undiscovered key signature, hear 'Modern Day warrior, mean mean stride' at 3:00 a.m..... The nice thing about being alone is that I don't need excuses anymore. 

Damn....I just noticed a hole in my  Ibanez acoustic and a broken bridge.  How in the heck did I do that?  Maybe it's a good thing I'm partial to electric basses.  Those things are indestructible. 

I wonder how much guitars have been impacted by inflation? 

Maybe I could get it repaired. 

Hugs...

What the Hell is Wrong with Mike Coffman?

 

Today I am thankful for a laugh courtesy of the Aurora Colorado City Council. 

A councilman ( Curtis Gardner) said "we are taking the city's business seriously" during a debate to stifle public speech. 

I'm laughing so hard, I'm in pain.  Today must be backwards day - it must be time to say the opposite of what we mean to say. 

Geesh....

I should have not spent the evening helping the homeless the City Council forgot.  I almost went to the City Council meeting but wanted to talk with someone struggling with addiction. 

Why in the hell is Mayor Coffman taking a page from the liberal playbook? 

What in the world? 

He pushed a rule that limits people from talking in a manner that offends him? 

Back in the day, he would have been compared to a cat.  

Only cowards worry about such things.  

Shit...was that Mayor Coffman I heard laughing at 8:14 p.m. on the YouTube live stream? Or was that  Curtis Gardner or Dustin Zovanek?  It was a snarky laugh picked up by a microphone. 

(This is not an attack.  These are questions due to curiosity.) 

Mike Coffman is a RINO (Republican In Name Only). 

(That, my dear, is an attack. Based on Coffman's latest concern for the truth as he sees it, I should clarify that this is a truthful opinion that only a coward would take as an attack.) 

Personal attacks? 

I've had a few of those. 

Such as; 

when I was harassed in the forums by Aurora's tax audit supervisor (circa 2009-2011).  To be fair, I was thinner back then.  If she called me fat now, she'd be correct.  *

I was attacked when Aurora cops broke into my home in June 2011 (during my campaign for a certain seat).  

Oh yeah, there was that time when I pissed off a former ass't city manager asking the reasons for a fine, and cops were sent to my home at 2:00 a.m.  Her remark, "what are you gonna do about it?' 

I met a bunch of people, started a PAC, and successfully fought their tax hikes. 

It would be nice if they stopped those attacks but I betcha those aren't the attacks they want to stop. 

I'd love it if their police officers stopped deadly fourth amendment violations against people of color. 

Those aren't the attacks they want to stop either. 

They want to shut down alternative ways of thinking. 

Now, they are wanting to shut down public comment. 

*****

They also just shot down a rule forbidding falsehoods. 

Coffman must like lies, he voted against that rule. 

To be fair, truth is subjective.  There are numerous ways to see the same thing. 

For instance, one can consider something a truth that another considers a lie and a personal attack. 

But then....the Republicans who are against the truth...lied in this hearing.  They claimed that most of the people who turn out for public comment live in Denver. **

That is false. 

Do you know why? 

ONE HAS TO GIVE A CURRENT AURORA ADDRESS IN ORDER TO SPEAK AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING. 

Geesh! 

*****

Now, the Aurora City Council wants to shut down public comments about items unrelated to their agenda.  

They are debating it now. 

I won't come down there because I know they've already made up their mind about how they are going to vote. 

[ Waiting....] 

Here comes the vote.  

If this passes, trust me, people are creative in how they can get the word out. 

Take heed politicians, 

 YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM US DIRECTLY 

rather than 

WAIT UNTIL WE SPEAK BY FUNDING PEOPLE RUNNING AGAINST YOU!  

or worse 

STARTING A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE AND SENDING OUT PRESS RELEASES TO DESTROY YOUR GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS. 

The vote hasn't taken place yet, Dustin Zvonek is now making apologies for his laziness and disrespect for his constituents.  

(I may have to try for Zvonek's seat.) 

Crap, I'd prefer to spend my days and nights helping heroin and fentanyl addicts -but- it seems we need a person who works for the people in this city. 

Here comes the vote.....

Mike Coffman broke the tie creating a rule limiting public comment. 

What a RINO! 

Love ya so much I'd ruin a summer collecting signatures and debating for you, 

S. 

P.S.  The Aurora City Council is trying to limit each other from public blogs and public comments about their piss poor behavior.  Can someone say shame? 

Hmm......makes me wonder what they did. 

 Yeah....um....good luck with trying to shut down public discourse.  One cannot shut down free speech.  Sorry......life in the United States just doesn't work like that.  

When I was harassed and attacked (a couple of times physically) by their peeps, I told myself to suck it up.  Looking back on it now, it doesn't seem like bad advice for someone in the public eye.  

EDIT SOMETIME LATER: 

Trying to sleep. 

I see my first client at 5:00 a.m. 

Man....so many ideas....

my subconscious mind is coming up with names for PACS 

So far...

Aurorans Voice 

Aurorans Speak 

Now Hear This! 

Hold Short-sighted Heathens Accountable Aurora (sorry, needed another laugh.  I think this is a sign and a signal that my allergy meds are kicking in.....I'll probably have nightmares of jokers sitting in City Hall and me chasing cops out of my house with my pink baseball bat again) 

I'm even toying with recording a country ditty equating Coffman to the devil and his band of minions ala Charlie Daniels and posting it all over the net. 

I'd emphasize that part with the band of demons.  Too bad I don't know a libertarian fiddle player.  I wonder if I could play this on a bass?  Probably.  I used to play guitar riffs on that thing...tore up my nails but I sounded good.  

I might have to buy another bass to name Mike so I could slap it.  

It would be a Hohner headless bass....light-weight, wimpy and twangy.  I wonder if I could find a banged-up one with an uneven fretboard?  That would be truest to its namesake.  It would make some weird sounds, too.  

(How is that for an attack?  It's still not as bad as the time the younger Tauer pushed me into a door jamb...That's a real attack...a laughable one...but it was still an attack***). 

Honestly, I'd rather help homeless addicts but it seems a whole lot of other folks are going to suffer if someone doesn't step up.  This is what happened last time.  Some idiot at the Muni building caused me lost sleep.  I had to do something to get some shut-eye. 

Taking action sure beats insomnia and worry.  

With the way my mind works, it's gonna be a long night.  

Let's see what it inspires.  

Hugs, 

S.  

* Personal attacks are revealing in that they show your opponent's deepest, darkest weaknesses.  The Aurora employee who chided me gorging on hamburgers in the newspaper forums was anorexic.  I was a vegatarian soo.....I should've sued (lol).  Seriously, though, you learn how to get to other people psychologically by paying attention to how they project onto others. 

** A couple of years ago a Coffman staffer told me not to bother coming to a town hall because I lived in Arvada.  I didn't live there.  I've lived in Aurora for over twenty years.  I went to high school in Arvada and lived in CD6 (Coffman's district).  He plays games.  

*** (See *) Again, you get to me by attacking my bass playing.  See?  Personal attacks give a useful window into the eyes of your political opponents.  Stifling speech is stupid and will ultimately backfire.  It's dumb for politicians to give up highly useful tools.  

Ugh...

Time to Get Real

 

This song puts me in mind of the 2-28-2022 Aurora, Colorado City Council meeting. 

Despite how much the citizens pleaded, 

our Rino in charge was able to pass a homeless camping ban. 

He refused to consider ways of helping the homeless.  We had our amazing council member from Ward Four try to offer approaches that do not conflict with recent research on homeless or conflict with state and federal rules. 

His efforts were unsuccessful.  

The Republican pro-tem mayor looked terrified and called for a recess when a homeless man challenged the moral compass of the people in charge.  

I'd never met that man but if I do and he wants to run for mayor, I'd help him. 

Perhaps I should go looking for him. 

*****

I am helping nearly 50 homeless folks here. I try to work in the shadows and not call too much attention to myself. 

There are few resources.  The city promised to use the funds from the marijuana tax to help the homeless.  

THIS IS WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN'T VOTE FOR TAX HIKES - 
The money never goes where promised. 
It only emboldens the asshats in power to run up the taxpayer credit card on their pet projects. 

So....

I'm singing an Elton John song to myself. 

I'll be easy to find on Monday nights now. 

I probably shouldn't play up the gossip, though.  Someone may expect me to cast a spell. 

To be quite blunt about it 

Spells are just words. 

Words by themselves are powerful things.  

For far too long my community members have been shut down for talking. 

Last night they were ignored. 

We need to stop cowering to the cowards in politics. 

Wanna watch it? 

I'm surprised that there has not been a community uprising complete with folks protesting the Muni Taj Mahal with pitchforks.  

Maybe the asshats who voted for this crap would cry insurrection.  

There are too many crybabies and idiots in politics. 

*****

Most of what I write about myself here is bullshit.  If I put gossip forth, my ex and his cronies don't have to stalk me for stories.  It seems to work (for the most part). 

I guess I'll have to put away the fake persona. 

It's time to be my old boring self and get back to work. 

Love ya, 

S.