tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53255423094359549032024-03-29T04:02:40.096-07:00Thoughtful InvestorMichael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-25014263739252358082024-03-08T13:41:00.000-08:002024-03-28T07:38:57.583-07:00Prussian Blues<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ISD-Zp3GNg_MUGaghAyt2-MeLAg2anzeOg9URe3FqEPML1Y8yZjZ5tdY5yQLrJsdc4KaU0lEQ9JkLHR_i7G2ZD0bJURI51yWAFkMGdC5f5or8nm0bjhRC4GdctnuwOn61uhdzMT9yxC4B5Mn-iMtN8RSH7YGSCSN1vBZknD3UZ_By3K2OCuSTGvQ/s4032/IMG_5667.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ISD-Zp3GNg_MUGaghAyt2-MeLAg2anzeOg9URe3FqEPML1Y8yZjZ5tdY5yQLrJsdc4KaU0lEQ9JkLHR_i7G2ZD0bJURI51yWAFkMGdC5f5or8nm0bjhRC4GdctnuwOn61uhdzMT9yxC4B5Mn-iMtN8RSH7YGSCSN1vBZknD3UZ_By3K2OCuSTGvQ/s320/IMG_5667.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Heather, Vase & Window by Michael Hooper</div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>By Michael Hooper</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You might say Michael Reid is obsessed with Prussian Blue. Ever since he saw The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, Michael has been fascinated by this color, Prussian Blue, which was made by accident in Berlin in 1704. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">A chemist was rushing to create a batch of cochineal red (made from insects); the chemist accidentally used potash contaminated by the iron in animal blood. All this turned the mixture a deep blue – Prussian blue.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Prussian blue is found in all kinds of products, clothing and art, even blue jeans. For Michael, it expresses his sadness. Why is he so blue? Loneliness, anguish, regret. World news deepens the pain. There are two wars, with the potential for nuclear genocide. All this contributes to his despair. Somehow documenting this feeling has a therapeutic affect, he may be mentally thinking about all of these terrifying issues, but when he paints, he doesn’t think anymore, he only feels, and the deeper he feels, the richer the colors.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Carl Jung says green is for sensation, yellow is for intuition, red for feeling and blue for thinking.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is a thinking person's sadness in "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An art teacher once said every good color deserves a complement. Michael uses Prussian blue in every painting. He finds a complement, perhaps orange-red or bright yellow orange.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Lately, he’s been searching for and listening to the saddest songs ever recorded, and he seems most moved by Barber’s Adagio, theme from Platoon. He sees flashes of his son and daughter, as little children, jumping off the boat into the lake in pure joy, a moment that he will never experience again. The kids grew up and moved away.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">A symphony of sadness in the string section climbs and falls with rhythmic magnitude, everybody in the orchestra is wearing black.</span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Michael walks. He walks to the dog park where he remembers his beloved Willy dog, a Boston terrier, who was so full of life, who could run like the wind and chase down a squirrel and shake it dead. But he died five years ago and is buried in the backyard. All these dogs behind the fence at the dog park are strangers.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nostalgia filled with vivid memories </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">plague his mind. He probably would go mad if not for his art. He is able to shut down his bully talking-left-brain by drawing and painting. Prussian blue enters the sphere, somehow he has got to get that in the painting, maybe it’s the entire painting. </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Michael reads an article that says social interaction is the key to a healthy life, perhaps more valuable than diet or exercise. Maybe that is why his grandfather lived so long, he had a dozen hobbies, collecting stamps, books, cartoons and Civil War books. Grandpa used to cut bluegrass as a child growing up in Maitland, Mo. The old man conversed with distinguished scholars of the Civil War in Kansas City. He ran a farm and sold real estate. Grandpa loved to write and send letters and postcards. Michael always wrote back.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes Michael finds himself reading old letters from friends and family, especially in the 1980s and 1990s before the Internet killed letter writing. Jeanne Bourne wrote some evocative letters from Greece, and Paul Krause wrote about his budding career at Amazon in Seattle in the 1990s. Jeanne sent a postcard in 1989 showing an empty park bench on a lovely beach in Greece, she wrote, "What is missing from this picture?" "Me," Michael thought. He went there a year later, spending two months in Greece. Blue and white houses populate the towns and cities. He remembers going to the train station in Athens early in the morning to pick up tourists and bring them back to his hotel. By 8:30 a.m., after three or four hours work, he was done for the day. He would play backgammon with John Pierre. They would walk to his flat where they would smoke a spliff and listen to the Doors, Riders on the Storm. </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>These memories go on and on, sometimes he forces himself to snap back into reality, into the now. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">The current moment includes two aging men competing to run the government.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the morning, while scrolling on his phone, he plays Gloria by Laura Branigan, "...all the voices in your head, calling Gloria." Immediately his wife Heather starts singing along, they both sing along. As she is walking out the door, she says, "Gee, thanks for playing that song, now I've got it stuck in my head."</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">She goes to work, he works from home. He would work obsessively painting if his muscles would allow it, but the reality is he can only handle about two to four hours of painting per day. The rest of the time, he waits for paint to dry, reads books and magazines, does yoga, writes poetry, watches sports, attends his book clubs and cooks French and Italian cuisine for his wife.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He goes to the same coffee group every Saturday, these people are just so gorgeous and lovely -- kind and full of life, mostly old hippies. Richard hung out with the rock stars in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in 1968-69, he saw Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, he knew Harvey Milk, Richard has so many wonderful stories, yet here he is now talking about the latest Bob Marley movie, he loves it so much he has seen it twice. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">He's always going to the theater and the orchestra. He surrounds himself with lovely women, Rosemary, Alice and Helen. They often go together to these artistic events.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">When Michael walks into the coffee shop, his friends wave and call out his name. He smiles and says, "Hello everybody, it's time for me to socialize. I've been a hermit all week."</span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">After 90 minutes, Michael says goodbye to his friends and retreats to his art studio.</span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">He is painting a blonde with alizarin crimson dress, vase of flowers, window and orange wood floors, blue and red rug with a Prussian Blue background.</span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I just love the way these colors sparkle," Michael says.</span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Prussian Blue, along with red, gold and green, sing in a balanced fashion. </span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Looking at the painting," he says out loud, "I must admit, life is not entirely blue."</span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-57063648558424025562024-02-21T06:32:00.000-08:002024-02-27T17:11:47.869-08:00Conclusion of Killers of the Flower Moon<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">By Michael Hooper</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">In the final chapters of Killers of the flower Moon, author David Grann visits Pawhuska, Oklahoma. There he watched a video recording of a performance of the Osage ballet Wahzhazhe. The opening statement of the film talked about the Osage walking in two different worlds, living predominantly in non-Indian society, while trying to hang onto the threads of their culture and tradition of the past. “We walk in two worlds.”</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ballet touched on the history of the Osage, including the reign of terror. In a funeral, one of the mourners, representing Hale, wore a mask to hide his face of evil. At the event the author met Kathryn Redcorn who’s grandfather divorced her grandmother and then wed a white woman in 1933 and began to suspect that he was being poisoned by his second wife. He told visitors’ relatives don’t eat or drink anything in this house; not long after he dropped dead, he was only 46 years old.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The author also looked into the death of Charles Whitehorn. It took place about the same time as Anna Brown death in May 1921, yet no evidence ever surfaced implicating Hale or his henchmen in his murder. Evidently he was last seen May 14, 1921, around 8 PM outside of the Constantine theater and then his body was discovered two weeks later on a hill about a mile down from downtown Pawhuska. He was killed by with a 32 caliber revolver. After Whitehorn‘s death, his part Cheyenne widow Hattie had married an unscrupulous white man named Leroy Smyth, the marriage had been orchestrated by Minnie Savage, a shrewd, immoral capable woman, who ran a boarding house in Pawhuska. The private eyes suspected that she and other conspirators had arranged Whitehorn’s killing in order to steal his head right fortune. Overtime many of the investigators came to believe that Hattie Whitehorn was complicit in his death. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">in any event, the evil of Hale was not an anomaly. Many other people had the same motivations, to get the head rights, in chapter 25 he read a lost manuscript titled the murder of Mary Denoya Bellieu Lewis</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The script was compiled by Anna Marie Jefferson, the great great grand, niece of Mary Lewis. Lewis had two marriages that ended in divorce and in 1918 in her mid-50s she was raising a 10 year old adopted child. That summer Lewis took her daughter to liberty Texas. She was accompanied by two white men, including Thomas Middleton and his companion. With Louis money they bought a houseboat and stayed on the river, then on August 18, 1918 Lewis vanished, Middleton had pretended to be her adopted son in order to cash several of checks. Witnesses said that on the day of Lewis disappearance, they had seen a few miles from her houseboat, a car heading toward a snake infested swamp. On January 18, 1919, investigators went into the swamp and pulled out her body. Middleton’s companion confessed to beating Lewis over the head with a hammer. The plot was conceived by Middleton. After she was killed. The plan was to use a female associate to impersonate her so that the friends could collect the head rate payments. Greed. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Greed, jealousy, envy, are probably the most wretchedly, abusive, destructive vices. Anyone full of envy is a miserable person. I know someone who will not go on Facebook because he says he feels jealous and envious of all these people posting photos of themselves prancing around Italy, the Bahamas, Paris. He can’t stand it, he can’t appreciate someone’s good luck or happiness.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve often found that some of the most greedy people who want instant success and instant happiness and instant wealth are gamblers. You see him at the casino around the roulette table. I remember I saw this one Asian guy drop $600 and went back to the ATM and got another $600, probably lost that too. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">On page 303, the author said Hale might have orchestrated, and led the bloodiest and longest killing spree of the Osage but there were countless other killings that were not included in the official estimates, many of them were never investigated, and some of them were never even classified as homicides, even though Family knew something was extremely suspicious about their loved ones death.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">It turns out that Scott Mathis, the owner of the Big Hill Trading Company in chapter 26 was guardian of at least nine wards; of those seven had died and two of these deaths were known to be murderers. And the Osage had a higher standard of living than most Indians, so that you would expect them to live a little longer. Louis Burns a historian of the Osage said he doesn’t know a single Osage family, which didn’t lose at least one family member because of the head rights. There are so many of these murder cases there are hundreds and hundreds.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The author also met with Marvin Stepson the grandson of William Stepson who was a victim of the reign of terror. The likely killer was Kelsie Morrison the man who also killed Anna Brown. It turns out that William’s wife Tillie, married Morrison,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>but grew suspicious of Morrison, especially after he talked about the effects of poison strychnine. Tillie told her lawyer, that she wanted to prevent Morrison from inheriting her estate, and to resend his guardianship of her children but before she had those changes made, she died of suspected poisoning, and Morrison stole much of her fortune.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grann interviewed another person by the name of Mary Joe Webb. Her grandfather Paul Peace was a victim who didn’t show up in the FBI files and whose killers didn’t go to prison in 1926. He suspected that his wife was poisoning him, Webb believes the poison came from the Shouns brothers the doctors who were evil and had messed up the autopsy of Anna Brown.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Webb said this land is saturated with blood. Quoting scripture, she says, "The blood cries out from the ground." </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I want to say something about the Author, David Grann. I would say that he did extraordinary research, reading over thousands pages of old FBI files contacting and interviewing multiple people including receiving help from a woman in Topeka named Sara Keckeisen of the Kansas Historical Society.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve done some limited research on various topics and people over the years including Mary Huntoon, a prominent artist and Topeka and I looked at hundreds and hundreds of documents actually thousands of pages of documents to write an article about her. Let me tell you it’s not easy to sit through all that stuff and decide what is important want to leave out.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Heather and I watched Killers of the Flower Moon last weekend. It’s more than three hours long but I recommend watching it. We actually watched it in two parts. The movie has many strong points, but should have been cut. Some of the scenes are redundant like when Burkhart is poisoning his wife, we see four or five times Burkhart sticking needles into his wife. Probably could have cut that down to maybe one or two moments. Another scene that could’ve been cut was when Hale spanked Burkhart for shooting his mouth off about something, it’s clear Hale has total control over Burkhart. We don’t need a spanking scene to prove it, and I don’t think it was in the book; Hollywood drama.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Otherwise, I thought the movie did a great job explaining the cause of the Osage nation; so much was stripped away from them, and how all of these white people came in like vultures to take advantage of them, everybody from the banks to the car dealers to the Undertakers, they were always overcharging the Osage for everything. I thought the acting was good, and I thought the portrayal of Molly Brown was good. The bankers did not work as fiduciaries when they were guardians. These people wouldn’t even allow Molly Brown to take out enough money to travel to Washington DC so she could plead for the federal government to come back to the Osage nation and investigate all these murders. I would’ve liked to seen a news clip of the creation of the FBI. The movie seems to portray a love story between Burkhart and Molly Brown, but there’s no love there, a good husband, and a loving person would never poison his wife.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">One thing that is very clear is the discrimination and prejudice against the Osage people. The bankers guardians car dealers all work together to take advantage of the Osage.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">How could’ve this been different for the Osage? If the leader ship structure including the sheriff, the mayor, the leaders in the banks, car dealers, grocery stores, if they were all native Americans, and particularly Osage nation members, this wouldn’t of happened.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Osage leadership could have prevented fraud, and the taking advantage of Indians in their banking affairs or financial affairs. The ownership and collection of monies from oil would have been in the hands of Osage. Then there would’ve been less rip offs, they couldn’t have been so easily targeted.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">But American government did not train or elevate, talented Osage people into these positions. Indeed, it was probably difficult for them to get an education, become a lawyer, become a doctor. become a banker. Nevertheless, there were a few Osage that did rise into leadership positions, but not enough, particularly in the merchant, legal and justice infrastructure.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-55265118069237020312024-01-18T12:14:00.000-08:002024-01-20T11:43:55.985-08:00Casey's Growth Playbook Works<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29BZ-_ET4NSuOIBQZ9mXcFaX54mvQR2XGu3qWh5akE-1wiVQmYnsJi2zbrkYkooII9KryF8gJALknPRaGIz2chJ469bnkynjo1IKNLohOSsMsJGDX4g-jntmIth6DgZ1rFp9HY8g8P1zi7C5kLLlCGT15_d2pReIK5PKoTlXUoIl2KL7ahBbou6Nr/s894/Casey's.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="894" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29BZ-_ET4NSuOIBQZ9mXcFaX54mvQR2XGu3qWh5akE-1wiVQmYnsJi2zbrkYkooII9KryF8gJALknPRaGIz2chJ469bnkynjo1IKNLohOSsMsJGDX4g-jntmIth6DgZ1rFp9HY8g8P1zi7C5kLLlCGT15_d2pReIK5PKoTlXUoIl2KL7ahBbou6Nr/s320/Casey's.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">By Michael Hooper</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Stock in Casey’s General Stores (CASY) has returned 114% over the past five years, plus paid $7.09 in dividends during that time period.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Casey’s is poised for additional growth in 2024 with the acquisition of 22 Lone Star Stores in Texas that will be rebranded as Casey's stores</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Casey’s is the No. 5 seller of pizza in America. Casey's breakfast pizza has grown in popularity.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">At 22 times earnings, CASY stock is fully valued, but it almost always trades at this high multiple, with the stock trending up as EPS has grown over the years. The company deserves this 22 p/e ratio because of its growth rate. I see so much upside with the company's strategy that includes acquisitions and new builds. As a result I predict this stock may hit $310 per share. CASY closed Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, at $285.58.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">As a boy, growing up in Iowa and Nebraska. I was familiar with Casey’s. The firm is based in Ankeny, Iowa.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Over the years. I have been impressed with how Casey’s has increased the quality and variety of its freshly baked foods. I saw the stock go up continuously over the years and thought I missed it. During the Covid crash of spring of 2020, all stocks corrected and I found myself with an opportunity to buy some of my favorite companies at a discount. I bought multiple stocks, including Casey’s at $130.25 per share on March 27, 2020. I have continued to add to my position since then, and recently added more CASY shares based on everything I see happening with this company, including strong margins for gasoline, high inside sales margins, vigilant cost containment and growth of its prepared foods business.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">John Lawrence, analyst with Benchmark Company, issued a buy rating on the stock and gave it a price target of $312 per share.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Lawrence and other analysts met with Casey’s management recently at the ICR conference in Orlando. Management noted that fuel margins and profitability in the fuel business remain robust, as the last 10 quarters have yielded margins of over $0.35 cents per gallon and five of the last six quarters have been over $.40 per gallon. It appears this higher level of gas margin is sustainable overtime, Lawrence wrote.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">In the third quarter, management said margins for prepared foods and dispense beverages was 59%, which is incredibly good. Total inside sales margin was 41.1%. Inside sales were about $1 billion in the third quarter, representing about 30% of total sales.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Lawrence said that over the last few years management has increased its new unit growth rate by making several acquisitions. He said the playbook calls for acquiring operators at a 6 to 9 times earnings range. CASY is then able to use its scale and food expertise to grow the high margin food component, which makes the acquisition profitable, he said.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">The merchandise side of the operation continues to demonstrate solid growth in both the grocery and food service segments, he wrote.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Operating expenses continue to show improvement as same-store labor hours were cut by 2% last quarter, Lawrence wrote. Customers now have the loyalty club and the broader private label assortment to offer its customer base. The unique model that resides at Casey’s continues to yield higher levels of profitability. Management is using its scale to acquire operations, and then being disciplined on taking costs out of the business, Lawrence wrote.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">"We continue to recommend purchase of CASY shares as management continues to execute the playbook," he wrote.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Lawrence said his $312 price target is based on 20 times fiscal year 2025 EPS estimate of $13.57 per share as the higher unit growth rate and consistent fuel margins in the mid 40s should enhance the multiple.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">I live in Kansas, but travel to Nebraska often and stop at a Casey’s in Auburn, Neb. I usually buy fuel, go inside for a bathroom break and buy a doughnut or a water or a coffee or perhaps a juice drink. Maybe some popcorn. When my son was growing up, he always ordered the pizza. It’s not surprising. This pizza is a hit. The company recently added thin crust pizza.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Customers buy a lot of pizza and beer, the two go together, like Ebony and Ivory.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">The company recently announced plans to hire a chief pizza and beer officer.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Casey’s has a history of serving smaller towns in the Midwest, they can make a business go with a population as little as 300. They have some stores where it's the general store for the whole town; for basic groceries like milk and juice, eggs, bread, and coffee. And if you’re a member of Casey’s rewards program you get a discount.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Casey's has entered several mid-tier markets and is doing quite well. The company's new store in North Topeka is going gangbusters. Casey's is building a new store near Highland Park High School in Topeka. I imagine those high school students will buy its pizza.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">A relative of mine has noticed many kids buying the breakfast pizza at the Casey's in Geneva, Neb., before they go to the high school there.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Casey's market cap is around $10.5 billion. Company has $409.89 million in cash and $1.65 billion debt.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">The company said it operates over 2,600 convenient stores. Founded more than 50 years ago, the company has grown to become the third-largest convenience store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States. The company says Casey’s provides freshly prepared foods, fuel and friendly service at its locations. Guests can enjoy pizza, donuts, other assorted bakery items, and a wide selection of beverages and snacks.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">The company said approximately 50% of Casey's stores are still found in areas with populations of 5,000 or less. In contrast, roughly 25% of Casey's are now located in areas with populations of 20,000 or more. Casey's has a strong balance sheet and owns nearly all of its assets, which allows the company to consistently take advantage of growth opportunities.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">CASY stock is a keeper. I recommend buying this stock and holding it for the next three to five years as Casey's continues to implement its playbook.</p>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-55168908744636637102023-11-20T07:57:00.000-08:002023-11-20T09:13:24.968-08:00Topeka Native Brad Garlinghouse Cleared of Wrongdoing in Crypto Currency Lawsuit<p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbuOhjrFu1tMs9Crc27Fj1GMmn2A3S_l8WJ2bAfjQQ92IZMBtkIdvBo7ZvhUemNOE0Fu8SK6e4bKH6XhEcs8slvJyfp0s-6ybbDm7KYODqBYH_VWEAlIdpbtFk_zkzSpcRQbkLfqC7Q9jE0V8vP_K7pHDMUC7z3BZsWngh4Z_p1hpR_dGVULZKQGa/s394/Brad%20Garlinghouse.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbuOhjrFu1tMs9Crc27Fj1GMmn2A3S_l8WJ2bAfjQQ92IZMBtkIdvBo7ZvhUemNOE0Fu8SK6e4bKH6XhEcs8slvJyfp0s-6ybbDm7KYODqBYH_VWEAlIdpbtFk_zkzSpcRQbkLfqC7Q9jE0V8vP_K7pHDMUC7z3BZsWngh4Z_p1hpR_dGVULZKQGa/s320/Brad%20Garlinghouse.png" width="293" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2228;">Brad Garlinghouse</span></div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2228; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span></p><p><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the world of cryptocurrency it’s sometimes hard for the government to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. </span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">While the government let Sam Bankman-Fried go unchecked in the Bahamas, squandering billions of dollars in crypto at FTX, the U.S. government was actively trying to take down Ripple Labs and its CEO Brad Garlinghouse and cofounder, Chris Larsen.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the end, the courts found Bankman-Fried guilty and he faces the potential for over 100 years in prison, and the Securities and Exchange Commission decided to drop its lawsuit against Brad Garlinghouse, Chris Larsen and Ripple Labs.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Garlinghouse is the son of Kent and Susan Garlinghouse of Topeka, he is a graduate of Topeka High School, the University of Kansas and Harvard Business School.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">More than four years ago the SEC filed a lawsuit against Garlinghouse, Larsen and Ripple Labs alleging that its cryptocurrency, XRP, is a security and should be registered with the SEC as such. But last July a judge ruled that XRP is not a security. Then in October the SEC dropped its lawsuit against them with prejudice.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“I think this is a huge win, not just for Ripple but for the whole <span style="outline: none;">industry,” Garlinghouse told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f93QkcCfMR8">CNBC</a> after the judge’s</span><span style="outline: none;"> ruling in July.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ripple has spent about $200 million defending itself against the SEC. Wow, that’s a staggering amount of money. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have to admire Garlinghouse for never giving up, never throwing in the towel, it’s hard to fight the government. It cost a lot of money, but in the end, Garlinghouse and his colleagues at Ripple Labs won. In a sense they helped usher in a new era in regulation of cryptocurrency. In the future, the SEC will think twice about filing lawsuits against the creators and founders of a cryptocurrency.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A key difference between a security and a crypto currency is ownership. With a security, you presumably own a share of a company. With crypto, you don't own a piece of a company, XRP does not give you a share of Ripple Labs.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The price of XRP was trending around $.45-$.50 before the judge's ruling in July. After the ruling XRP jumped to $.70 and then fell back down around $.50 and now it’s around $.62 per unit.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ripple Labs uses XRP as a way to perform cross border transfers of money around the world. For example, if someone wanted to send $5,000 from the United States to a friend in Dubai, they could buy $5,000 worth of XRP, ship the crypto to the friend, then the friend could sell the XRP on the open market and take proceeds in the currency of his choice.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-91709364418618727832023-11-15T08:43:00.000-08:002023-11-16T04:44:59.371-08:00Attachment Styles, Trauma & Transcending Pain<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMx7NKrZu__uC077wFzXKcVQexy17MEv-NFepu99yWrQMfJfM1jlpAEK3LI6pVRwv2FwLOs0wY_RU_dErC5tEZrgj-pUuA7KsQms4i774i5CAz1J8TGjyEfX3-4X8Uiy4DVMt92dItRzy9dPe5_Glyy5O9UfqfD7kHifiULkV1FMJP6lZo1oETTbi/s1800/MoonPainting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMx7NKrZu__uC077wFzXKcVQexy17MEv-NFepu99yWrQMfJfM1jlpAEK3LI6pVRwv2FwLOs0wY_RU_dErC5tEZrgj-pUuA7KsQms4i774i5CAz1J8TGjyEfX3-4X8Uiy4DVMt92dItRzy9dPe5_Glyy5O9UfqfD7kHifiULkV1FMJP6lZo1oETTbi/s320/MoonPainting.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Moon watercolor by Michael Hooper</div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In Widen the Window, Elizabeth Stanley says early life experiences, especially with our parents and other important caregivers, powerfully reverberate throughout our lives, especially in how we interact with other people and cope with and recover from stress.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In Chapter 6, the author says attachment styles are developed based on our relationships with our parents and primary caregivers from childhood.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">She says empirical studies suggests that about 3/4 of adults keep the same attachment style throughout their lives.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Attachment styles</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">She describes attachment styles as communication patterns, and relational strategies which get encoded in our brains as implicit and procedural memory. Our attachment style affects how much physical closeness and contact we have with others, our social engagement with other people and groups. She defines four attachment styles.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There are avoidant adults who tend to operate with a narrow window, who cope by avoiding contact. Their mother tended to dislike contact with her babies.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Insecure, anxious child gets this way through a mother, who interacts with them unpredictably and inconsistently responding to her own emotional needs and moods first not her babies needs</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anxiously attached adults tend to prefer intense and enmeshed relationships. They tend to find isolation stressful, and they fear abandonment and seek excessive reassurance.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Infants will develop an insecure disorganized style of attachment when their parents are some combination of neglectful, abusive, depressed, or traumatized themselves.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The predominant disorganized relational strategy is, “I need contact but I can’t let my guard down.” </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Childhood adversity</b></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In Chapter 7, the author says a man she dated when she served in the Army called her a trauma magnet. This makes me wonder why she attracts so much hardship and pain?</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">She says individuals who experience trauma and adversity in childhood often endure additional traumatic events later in their lives. It appears certain people develop lifelong patterns of trauma and despair.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In her chapter on childhood adversity she says empirical research shows that early life chronic stress leads to structural changes in the developing brain. Children with early life, chronic stress, are likely to develop larger and hyperactive amygdala the survival brain region, and they are more likely to develop a smaller, prefrontal cortex, the thinking brain region.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There are clear, neurobiological reasons why someone from a "challenging" upbringing is more likely to have difficulty making good decisions, controlling impulses, regulating emotions, developing supportive relationships, and recovering from stress. </span></p><p class="p4" style="color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Stanley says we can rewire our thinking, we can experiment with new internal and external tools to access a wider range of adaptive responses during stress. We can learn to interrupt the survival brains, default programming, and the coping habits we adopted in childhood. </span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The author, Yiyun Li recently wrote in the New Yorker about feeling anguish over the suicide of his son Vincent at age 16. He says anguish comes to us from the Latin, Angustia means narrowness, lack of space, narrow passage, limitations, confinement, imprisonment, and pettiness. </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Can we say narrow window, Stanley's go-to metaphor!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have a friend of mine, who is a fellow artist. He’s very talented, but he’s always in a state of self analysis, he says his life is meaningless and worthless. He’s always making these statements on FB about his insecurities. I call them fishing expeditions, to lure someone in who is going to provide him assurance that his life is OK and worth living, that he is a talented artist and so forth. I fell for this trap a few times, but I gave up…..I tried to help him but he goes back to self loathing. It’s like he’s on a loop.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the song, Candy Says, by the Velvet Underground, she sings, “Maybe when I'm older, what do you think I'd see If I could walk away from me?"</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you figure out how to rise above self loathing; get off the loop, and it seems the world opens up to you.<span></span></span></p><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To me, the wise soul has acquired the tools to handle everything that hits him in his window, he has the ability to transcend, all of these limitations and restrictions and confinements by using the power of the mind to concentrate on going in a new direction.</span></span></div><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I recently read a book by Chloe Cooper Jones, I met her at the Kansas Book Festival, she wrote a book, called Easy Beauty, and in there she talks about how her generation of people are so self-absorbed, and that we need to go through a period of un-selfing in order to get away from all this self absorption.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I like to transcend all of this self-absorption by studying the world of ideas, and how these ideas might be used to change or improve society. I like to study art and ask myself how can I paint a better picture. How does a musician capture the purity of a song?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lately my wife Heather and I have been singing along to old songs by the Carpenters, is there a more sweeter sounding voice than Karen Carpenter?</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In church, my friends Mike Cox and Gordon Haight and I sing together. My voice is not that great, but together with these men, we sound like Crosby Stills and Nash and Young.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">David Bowie says you can be a hero for just one day.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>One day, Heather and I took our two children and a foreign exchange student Momo Yamaguchi of Japan to a Native American drum event near Holton.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span>We listened to these elders pounding the drum and chanting and singing and howling. We heard the awakening of their souls, the sound of sorrows. A sublime dimension.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The tiny window that I created around my anguish seems to have disappeared and now I’m looking for ways to connect with music, and art, poetry, laughter and love, a highway to transcendence.</span></p><p class="p4" style="color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I would say, my attachment style is moderately outgoing, with a curiosity about people, and a willingness to share a friendly smile, and a kind word, to perhaps, engage with a soul. I like working by myself but I enjoy the camaraderie of working with others toward a larger goal.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I remember, Jude Highberger, who used to attend meetings with this group. He and I had a discussion about attachment styles.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He said, “I carry every one I ever met with me.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Wow, What an example for us to follow.</span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Shock trauma</b></span></p><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In chapter 8, she says shock trauma is in another way for the Window to narrow. Shock trauma is when the body feels an acute or unexpected event that has a major effect on the mind-body system. During shock trauma we experience too much stress, and emotional intensity, thereby overwhelming our window of tolerance. These events could be like a hurricane, or a tornado or a fire or a divorce or a childhood death or something major. She suggests that we should take some time to make a list of experiences of shock trauma throughout our life. Write down all these shocking and earth-shattering events that tore up your heart. Once the list is complete take some time to think about it evaluate what happened and perhaps what could you have done differently and how we might act today. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Reviewing my shock traumas right now probably will do more harm than good for me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Is it wise to go down the road of reviewing shock traumas without the aid of a therapist?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>Elizabeth Stanley is trying to be scientist and therapist in her book. I'm not sure she is succeeding at either endeavor. </span>She is at the center of all these issues because she has been through these trauma events, with real-life combat experience, which seems to deepen the depressive nature of the content of this book.</span></p><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At the end of chapter 6, the author encourages you to reflect in writing about your own attachment styles both as a child, and as an adult, and that as a part of this exercise, you should speak with your parents, your siblings, or other people who knew you as an infant and a child. Is this really appropriate? Is there any lasting value in this technique?</span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p6" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: #161a1e; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-74445186859068135282023-09-27T07:45:00.004-07:002023-10-27T05:51:20.959-07:00Time Is No Friend<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2e0f6THsyg3E3lZ1HeSJsKHso_xeBZmE0mofNuJdy9MW8gnV2Ut42VDHn2Aqq2XLsxkzAvuIAWPnSHhSKLjtcOq9MT8WFDRUB9VOhAkdhmWFXu-inaKvxZGEb1HdSz_N6s2ud0PxZv0WiYbeg8sDHSK3ONx_E0kZyZzEYnvjTQ0GyXCd6Th3KCx_/s4032/IMG_1666.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2e0f6THsyg3E3lZ1HeSJsKHso_xeBZmE0mofNuJdy9MW8gnV2Ut42VDHn2Aqq2XLsxkzAvuIAWPnSHhSKLjtcOq9MT8WFDRUB9VOhAkdhmWFXu-inaKvxZGEb1HdSz_N6s2ud0PxZv0WiYbeg8sDHSK3ONx_E0kZyZzEYnvjTQ0GyXCd6Th3KCx_/s320/IMG_1666.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Peabody Park, Appleton, Wisconsin, watercolor on paper by Michael Hooper</span></div><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Time is no friend, she does not console, she offers no pathos,</span></p><p><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">she is a machine, accurately ticking away the days, </span></p><p><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">she will take you to your grave,</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;">yet she is our most valuable resource, m</span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;">ore valuable than gold, </span></span></p><p><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">we must love her and cherish her, and be devoted to her;</span></p><p><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">she is the mistress that will not love us back, yet leaves us wanting more.</span></p><p><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Time travels at top speed in the years, but like a turtle in the minutes and hours of the day. </span></p><p><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Moments are preserved as time-stopping pictures, for memory, for edification, for hope, for desire, for nostalgia, for beauty, for sadness, despair and eternal life.</span></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;">-Michael Hooper, 9.27.2023</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><br /></div><div style="color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><br /></div></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-73811552975035469762023-08-09T06:40:00.016-07:002023-08-11T06:38:04.759-07:00Thunder in the Soul<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbTTKRgkIFRrxXIbi15M0WMkChrkld8HZuln5atnr5zLyibPAE0gji4LY61wZ5mWzpgIKhAdSqGQ7OhUD8eguToO0UMg_vtS2ZC3CXGlTJCn9bxWssUVc5TUQkSzjxZXfCpo40Adl1I8KYqWT7LCqS1U1XSx4GjbQk1NftRcVZStbTDmshCJ7w-e1K" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbTTKRgkIFRrxXIbi15M0WMkChrkld8HZuln5atnr5zLyibPAE0gji4LY61wZ5mWzpgIKhAdSqGQ7OhUD8eguToO0UMg_vtS2ZC3CXGlTJCn9bxWssUVc5TUQkSzjxZXfCpo40Adl1I8KYqWT7LCqS1U1XSx4GjbQk1NftRcVZStbTDmshCJ7w-e1K" width="180" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />By Michael Hooper<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">In Chapter 6 of Thunder in the Soul, author Abraham Joshua Heschel laments about the demise of the spirit in mankind. In our quest to conquer space, we have forfeited our spiritual connection to the divine. In our quest for order, we renovate our spaces, we buy stuff at Home Depot, we upgrade the kitchen, we have fixed up our home, but we have left our soul empty.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">We have gained power over space, but we have lost an appreciation for quiet time with God. Heschel, the rabbi, says there is a realm of time where the goal is not to have, but to be, not to own, but to give, not to control, but to share, not to subdue, but to be in accord.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As civilization advances, the sense of wonder almost necessarily declines. Heschel says mankind will not perish for want of information, but only for want of appreciation. The beginning of our happiness lives in the understanding that life without wonder is not worth living. What we lack is not a will to believe, but a will to wonder. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I wrote a book called the Wonderment Years. I think I was trying to capture that sense of wonder and awe at God’s creation, my love of Yellowstone Park, European travel and the serendipity of finding camaraderie and friendship in the world. My book was an attempt to thank God for my wife and my children while capturing my sense of awe for nature. Yet I am a modern man who is wired for desire to gain wealth, to prove that I am just as good or better than anyone on Wall Street, I have a competitive spirit, I want to win, but win what? More wealth, more pleasure, more things, a new kitchen in the cabin, a new E bike? </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Heschel writes that the modern man has supreme faith in statistics and abhors the idea of mystery. Modern man can explain away all mystery; he considers religious knowledge as the lowest form of knowledge. Modern man marvels at the databases of Google and Amazon, where he can look up any information or buy anything in the world. If you are a materialistic person, you may find yourself with an overstuffed house, garage, and storage unit. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The modern man has ceased to trust his will to believe, or even his grief about the loss of a desire to believe. Indeed, we are in greater need of proof, for the authenticity of faith than of proof, for the existence of God. How have we lost our faith? Through our wealth and desire for order, we think we can buy and sell anything including our health. We spent our youth gaining our wealth, and now we are spending our wealth to regain our youth. Our wealth is seen as our protector, our fortress, our defense. Our power. Heschel says if the world is only power to us, and we are all absorbed in a gold rush, then the only God we may come upon, is the golden calf. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What are the symptoms and behaviors of this person who no longer is in connection with God. He has lost his awareness of the grandeur and the sublime. He no longer has a sense of awe for God. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Heschel writes, We teach the children how to measure, how to weigh, but we fail to teach them how to revere, how to sense wonder and awe. The sense for the sublime, the sign of greatness of the human soul. Yet the world has become an oyster plate, and the soul has become a vacuum. The empty soul as vacuum sucks in Images from Instagram, information from Google, scans all the latest technology gadgets on the Best Buy website, but the sucking noise from the vacuum is just a shrill emptiness, his soul is crying for meaning and purpose, there is thunder in his soul. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Have you ever been in a conversation when your companion stops looking at you and picks up his phone and checks his social media status? This behavior is called Pfubbing or phone snubbing. It is the act of ignoring a companion to use a smart phone.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There is a third party between you and your companion, and the result is a lack of intimacy or real bonding.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Modern man is overly obsessed with the physical phenomena of the world. He is not concerned with the ultimate question of the Bible. What does God demand of us?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">To answer that question we need a personal relationship with God. The answer, in part, will probably include developing a deeper love for oneself, and a deeper love and respect for those around us.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The fulfilled soul is generating peace in connection with God and nature. The fulfilled soul smiles from within and shares, generosity, and love. The fulfilled soul can sit in silence and be at peace, the figety soul is constantly creating or producing order in the shop, fixing a roof or structure, repairing the car, taking the car to the car wash. The fulfilled soul is at peace with his oneness with God, and is no longer restless. There is chaos in the world, there is suffering all around, yet the dude abides. His soul is full.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-14087555918492179502023-06-24T07:56:00.008-07:002023-06-24T09:35:11.113-07:00Into The Mystic Flint Hills<p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9LHNF-j1AuN-A4yyksRBZMCJEO8HdATrwZ2COuUg10Zk1z7cf3B0LEe357SerhZuwFdRKsF9otx-rRf63sCQeo42Js2b29PdNA029eThLACiOnV83OvZX5tUBa-4WBEuYrfuxhWjLs2FmLV3K1xA-1JUadB-hRYDDY7LkK0CJRYrQVUbd2xR2dTE1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2585" data-original-width="3705" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9LHNF-j1AuN-A4yyksRBZMCJEO8HdATrwZ2COuUg10Zk1z7cf3B0LEe357SerhZuwFdRKsF9otx-rRf63sCQeo42Js2b29PdNA029eThLACiOnV83OvZX5tUBa-4WBEuYrfuxhWjLs2FmLV3K1xA-1JUadB-hRYDDY7LkK0CJRYrQVUbd2xR2dTE1" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mission Valley Ranch, oil on canvas, 10" x 14"</div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: xx-large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Joy, reverence, gratefulness and awe were some of the feelings I experienced <span class="s1" style="background-color: white;">while painting at Mission Valley Ranch, near Alma, Kansas. This experience on Father’s Day was meaningful for me because I had been dreaming of painting in the Flint Hills for years. </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In my early days as a business reporter, I had written a story about Bill Hogue, a homebuilder and rancher, who owns the Mission Valley Ranch with his wife, Kathy. I had visited their ranch near Dover, but had never been to their ranch near Alma so this was a treat. The trip was arranged by Ye Wang, art professor at Washburn University.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Entering the ranch, I was thunderstruck by the huge vista over this land, we drove down into a valley, where I saw a house and two tiny cabins made of stone. Lots of Kansas limestone in these structures.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I listened to the wind, and the sound of leaves blowing, occasionally a cow mooing. Nature is so loud it’s like an orchestra if you listen to it.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ye Wang set up his painting station on a road under trees near a creek. I wanted to be closer to the prairie with a view of the Flint Hills. My wife, Heather and I drove farther into the ranch, and then I set up next to an alfalfa field that was surrounded by rolling hills and trees. As I set up my painting station, several cows walked near me. It had rained the night before, but now the clouds were thinning out, and I felt the warmth of the sun.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Connected to nature, yes, that is the awakening point in my soul. I laid out a composition pretty quickly and started painting, feeling a sense of the forms and their values. I filled my canvas with deep greens in the forest, the light yellow green on the hillside, and the gray blue sky coming through the clouds, the intricate blue green alfalfa with a few weeds thrown in, including some ditch weed, all part of my painting. The grass on the road fell to a golden touch. My wife took a nap.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Reading the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel, I am contemplating his notion that we need to approach God with a sense of awe and wonder in order to connect with Him. It is not hard for me to approach God with a sense of awe because he created the universe and the stars and the Earth and this majestic land. His universe is still being created. His artistry is in full scale production, on Earth and in the far-reaches of the universe, where new stars are born. But most people would not be contemplating this idea — God as artist — because they have their heads buried into their phone, watching reels on Instagram.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“As civilization advances, the sense of wonder almost necessarily declines,” wrote Abraham Joshua Heschel, in Thunder in the Soul. “Such decline is an alarming symptom of our state of mind. Mankind will not perish for want of information, but only for want of appreciation. The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding of life without wonder is not worth living. What we lack is not a will to believe but a will to wonder.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Nature exhibits this sense of wonder and curiosity. A hummingbird flew toward me, hovered and checked me out. We locked eyes and then he flew back into a tree. Insects continue to fly into my space, I’m afraid they are doomed if they get into my paint. I shoo them away.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Heather and I enjoyed a picnic with cold fried chicken, grapes and chips. My painting was nearly finished. We went for a walk along the ranch road, the alfalfa field on our left and a hillside with trees at our right. Multiple paintings could be had in this moving landscape.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">On the way out, we stopped to look at Ye Wang’s painting. This man is brilliant with brush and paint. He chooses the best compositions; his painting of the road and creek under the trees is magical. Heather took our picture together.</span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEdCTCvN_8Tp1GnGkF7L-GK9RGmnl8lpPZTSy44mLQrPFJ2J3fQJfRLsVazepb2bAr-pDsPcYO4ha3L6vZYsni97uCPk2zwrllVtmmQimjiNWK-ZyWV0LzP6hnE4vk6m7BiX5I5foVS-k62IbNw_Xggf7IKUXeL9dUxeOeobQmURA_z8KTMB9uhVZw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEdCTCvN_8Tp1GnGkF7L-GK9RGmnl8lpPZTSy44mLQrPFJ2J3fQJfRLsVazepb2bAr-pDsPcYO4ha3L6vZYsni97uCPk2zwrllVtmmQimjiNWK-ZyWV0LzP6hnE4vk6m7BiX5I5foVS-k62IbNw_Xggf7IKUXeL9dUxeOeobQmURA_z8KTMB9uhVZw" width="192" /></a></span></div><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Heather and I drove through the hills and took a selfie at the top of a hill southeast of Alma. I am</span><span style="font-size: large;"> immensely grateful to Bill and Kathy Hogue for letting us visit their ranch. And thank you Ye Wang for arranging this special day.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcYl_tkc7eUmkpc-FlB5oT5diRwv4yTFl5DYu38J_nx-CAAqxbFrc80s8DDT0pPx_ahpE3zddANS2kwla7oOlw5-p18jJMFQ4STf0fBJoIKJhtUOgWgjJDf_zf2kj0aCpUytm2cZ2RBX0mD-5zDihh0Pm--aIgdgD1oSrzd2vInVLCGTbaJIBryIY1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcYl_tkc7eUmkpc-FlB5oT5diRwv4yTFl5DYu38J_nx-CAAqxbFrc80s8DDT0pPx_ahpE3zddANS2kwla7oOlw5-p18jJMFQ4STf0fBJoIKJhtUOgWgjJDf_zf2kj0aCpUytm2cZ2RBX0mD-5zDihh0Pm--aIgdgD1oSrzd2vInVLCGTbaJIBryIY1" width="319" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />That night, I slept with superior contentment. In the morning, I felt a rapturous thrill waking up and thinking, how lucky for me, I get to enjoy another day. With a cup of coffee in hand, I walked through my garden into my shed/art studio, where I touched up my landscape painting. </span><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I look at my composition, it takes me back to the subject. It's a reminder of that wondrous mystical encounter in the Flint Hills.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p4" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-11029243929206384002023-06-09T07:10:00.016-07:002023-06-10T09:24:34.889-07:00Should You Use AI For Stock Research?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_Bt9TXz4RDouJkpjIpzWCqCCjouT3eo0z8sL83VH0cLCh_LpCEgg29MERGwHy48LV3lzSKl-m2EjOODsvHl2TlhgjhSBt4R2FBNdrzXiJdg07sBWKqefH3rW5ruBiKz4g718Tm8LwsQmpG-CIscRZZ6dwQRMB1fXIa6yF75fIsCEecbQ3Ts3Tig" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="771" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_Bt9TXz4RDouJkpjIpzWCqCCjouT3eo0z8sL83VH0cLCh_LpCEgg29MERGwHy48LV3lzSKl-m2EjOODsvHl2TlhgjhSBt4R2FBNdrzXiJdg07sBWKqefH3rW5ruBiKz4g718Tm8LwsQmpG-CIscRZZ6dwQRMB1fXIa6yF75fIsCEecbQ3Ts3Tig" width="320" /></a></div>Google Bard <br /><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Michael Hooper</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">nvestors are facing a new future with AI in stock research. Google's Bard will predict future stock prices.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you ask Bard what will be a stock's price at year end, it spits out a short report with a prediction, but be careful, some of the information may be incorrect.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Microsoft's ChatGPT uses a more cautious approach when asked about the direction of a stock or index.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I asked what will be the price of Alphabet stock (GOOG) by year end? Bard answered, saying, "The price of Alphabet stock by year end is difficult to predict with certainty. However, based on its current price of $124.66 and the company's financial performance, it is possible the stock will reach $130-$140 by year end 2023. Alphabet is a well-established company with a strong record of profitability. The company's revenue and earnings have been growing steadily in recent years, and it is expected to continue to grow in the future. Alphabet also has a strong dividend yield, which makes it an attractive investment for income-oriented investors." What? That’s not right. Google does not pay a dividend. This error is startling because Google owns Bard so the company can’t even get its own information correct on its stock.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I also asked what the price of Union Pacific (UNP) stock will be by year end. Bard answered incorrectly, saying it had a current price of $147.65, which is totally wrong. The price is around $200 per share. Bard got the dividend on the stock correct, but said it faces competition from BNSF Railway (true) and CSX (less so).</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I was modestly impressed with Bard's answer to my question on what will be the price of Hershey (HSY) by year end. Bard predicted the stock could reach $260-$270 by year end. The stock had already reached that price earlier this year. The stock is currently around $254 per share. Argus Research, written by a real person (Taylor Conrad), has a price target of $315 per share.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkqW8EfrmuUpDr1cAGsbK4pJuKuV6uIYwCxxY5tZTauo6J-CPK54tqG3e34Gj5rNT95hXcDJzsAydsjN5zOQPpaJPDC0DfvdzfqSVAIrfnsC0Rycy91hUS2aByRO1uXkjKjWJ2Uy08lynEM8oZGZ2OUdk_qIbBguCp3JJ5zK6d1vLaRy-88-TATg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="842" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkqW8EfrmuUpDr1cAGsbK4pJuKuV6uIYwCxxY5tZTauo6J-CPK54tqG3e34Gj5rNT95hXcDJzsAydsjN5zOQPpaJPDC0DfvdzfqSVAIrfnsC0Rycy91hUS2aByRO1uXkjKjWJ2Uy08lynEM8oZGZ2OUdk_qIbBguCp3JJ5zK6d1vLaRy-88-TATg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Performance of <span style="color: #1d2228; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2228; text-align: left;">Spider S&P 500 Etf (SPY) so far this year</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I also was modestly impressed with Bard's prediction of Spider S&P 500 Etf (SPY). "<span style="color: #1f1f1f; white-space: pre-wrap;">The price of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) by year end is difficult to predict with certainty. However, based on its current price of $426.62 and the company's financial performance, it is possible that the ETF could reach $430-$440 by the end of 2023. S</span><span style="color: #1f1f1f; white-space: pre-wrap;">PY is a well-established ETF with a strong track record of profitability. The ETF's assets under management and trading volume have been growing steadily in recent years, and it is expected to continue to grow in the future. SPY also has a low expense ratio, which makes it an attractive investment for cost-conscious investors." All that is fairly solid.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1f1f1f; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1f1f1f; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb12l2wFpmLk748SgqXtql9h7eAvTw8-t8GPRvZvzEW1HNV9KRg_8GwmJszm5Clr0y6fnBc6PNeESGzoZTz55Owe8ibFKO4Jo1HenlnmkzJM5BeWs1XNi7qW_DCsXTmxAcuLH6aftkgiaD-kiKxnvyGXfZQWAO_cfiXXryhF0XnYb99PdlFJl2mw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="648" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb12l2wFpmLk748SgqXtql9h7eAvTw8-t8GPRvZvzEW1HNV9KRg_8GwmJszm5Clr0y6fnBc6PNeESGzoZTz55Owe8ibFKO4Jo1HenlnmkzJM5BeWs1XNi7qW_DCsXTmxAcuLH6aftkgiaD-kiKxnvyGXfZQWAO_cfiXXryhF0XnYb99PdlFJl2mw" width="320" /></a></div></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none; text-align: center;">ChatGPT </div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">ChatGPT was a little more cautious about stock price outlooks, not offering any price prediction, and actually recommending that you talk to a financial advisor about possible stock purchases. I thought this was wise given that it has not figured out how to present a thorough analysis yet.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I think Google rushed out Bard in order to get it in the marketplace to compete against ChatGPT, but in the area of stocks, Bard needs improvement.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I plan to keep an open mind about using AI for stock research, but right now both Bard and ChatGPT are poorly faltering behind real people and real analysts. Indeed, you are better off reading stories, pro and con about a stock on Seeking Alpha than depending solely on AI for your research. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I predict Google and Microsoft will work to make these AI tools more accurate and thorough in the field of stock research in the future. They need software to prevent errors on basic stuff like stock prices, dividend yield, plus they need more in-depth analysis, not just a formula viewpoint. Even better would be to bring in both pro and con positions on stocks and Etfs, commodities and crypto. I see huge opportunities in the financial space with AI, this field is going to blow wide open. The winners will have unmatched got-to-have-it capabilities.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Author Michael Hooper owns shares of Hershey, Google, Microsoft, Union Pacific and SPY.</i></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-36132174562128420722023-05-31T08:48:00.054-07:002023-06-06T14:02:36.835-07:00Three Eccentric Men: Survivalist in a Sod House; Garden of Eden Artist and Gent in a Skirt<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e;"><span style="font-size: large;">Eccentricity is misunderstood. Eccentrics are different, but not necessarily mentally ill. They tend to be independent, self-reliant, non-conforming, entrepreneurial people who are content in their creative pursuits; they might seem a little self-absorbed in their ways, but they are genuinely “happy” people. Eccentrics provide a unique perspective on life, which might not otherwise exist in their community. Their independent thought might be seen as strange, revolutionary, odd, but there’s often wisdom in their convictions. They suffer rejection, but carry on anyway.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This article features three eccentric men: </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Charles “Bogey” Savage, who lived in</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span>a sod house in Northwest, Kansas, near the town of Almena; </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">S.P. Dinsmoor, the folk artist from Lucas, Kansas, creator of the Garden of Eden, and </span><span>Ed Klattenhoff, who made and wore his own skirts in Hooper, Nebraska, in the 1980s, long before transgender issues were a big deal.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey Savage</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #161a1e; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3YfylWMvWxZ_0P9SzR-9JSh9-O1Q_OY-L1b0tL2aRmi087MD9Qlf0AyTC67tv-z2FDg9IG6NnIdsmOKmx5Z8UkfvM3Vnf8NxynZsavrFTxNscYKuNFCaynICfn_vufbRYottUM4dX21MD5b5NFH5JKCu9lgWmmFzhj_bTsoWn-pKyn4l1fMBfEQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3YfylWMvWxZ_0P9SzR-9JSh9-O1Q_OY-L1b0tL2aRmi087MD9Qlf0AyTC67tv-z2FDg9IG6NnIdsmOKmx5Z8UkfvM3Vnf8NxynZsavrFTxNscYKuNFCaynICfn_vufbRYottUM4dX21MD5b5NFH5JKCu9lgWmmFzhj_bTsoWn-pKyn4l1fMBfEQ" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #161a1e;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bogey Savage</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Charles Homer "Bogey" Savage was born in a sod house on March 6, 1879, to Charles and Martha Savage on their farm 9 miles north of Almena Kansas. Many early pioneers to Nebraska and Kansas lived in sod houses at first, because timber was scarce. Most people did not want to live in a soddy very long. Sod invariably left dust and dirt on their floors, furniture and clothes. Mothers hated them because the homes were so unsanitary for their children.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey had little schooling, but learned to read and write and figure arithmetic. He took a correspondence course in mechanics, although he had no car, he road a bicycle to town and to farm sales.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He installed a gas pump at Rayville. He sold gas, old parts and iron from items he bought at farm sales. He recorded everything and was enthusiastic about nature with a special interest in butterflies, according to an article by the Norton County Genealogical Society.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #161a1e; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmbBBF__p7VP0ZwTjA0qMpQ0w1A9MdB0nKuseXY4c6-hFIOqJSg4PZMv3dMajPVkxNlZtbmScKWwg3LfKCII9Z_-a5GfNKYKZS6wSlWLSKAixSSQQGL_5muN5B9Su-WmKgyPcnDkjcPB1YmLt8JWo3V_XXIaAEqY2AigmmkDcw0IORY8FPW1Wa6g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2437" data-original-width="3915" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmbBBF__p7VP0ZwTjA0qMpQ0w1A9MdB0nKuseXY4c6-hFIOqJSg4PZMv3dMajPVkxNlZtbmScKWwg3LfKCII9Z_-a5GfNKYKZS6wSlWLSKAixSSQQGL_5muN5B9Su-WmKgyPcnDkjcPB1YmLt8JWo3V_XXIaAEqY2AigmmkDcw0IORY8FPW1Wa6g" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #161a1e;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bogey Savage's sod house</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bogey Savage, a bachelor, lived in a sod house most of his life. It seems a little dirt never bothered him. At first view, his sod house looks as if it were hugging the land. Plants and grass grew around it. He piled boards against the walls to keep them from washing away during hard rains. A ladder led up to the roof, where Bogey had piled other boards and sheet metal to keep the rain out.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A stove pipe went outside and up over the roof. His stove was his source of heat and cooking. He slept by the stove in the winter to stay warm. He rarely bathed, but when he did, he used a wash basin. He was a survivalist after seeing the grasshopper disaster in the 1890s and the Great Depression in the 1930s, Bogey had learned to survive on very little. He traded eggs and vegetables for other food, he slaughtered his own beef on the farm and milked cows. He cherished his resources. He wore the same pair of coveralls for years at a time. He had a long white beard, a straw hat, and dark gray eyes.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In search of more information about Bogey Savage, I traveled to Almena, Kansas, in summer of 1996, with Arlen Lazaroff. We interviewed people in the senior citizen center who remembered Bogey. An old timer said, “I remember putting up hay with Bogey.” A lady said she saw him bathe in the public fountain on Saturday nights. Another lady Marjorie recalls singing at his funeral at the Almena Congregational Church in 1950. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ray Marble, who was 73 years old at the time of our interview, remembered when Lynn Keith went hunting at Bogey’s place and nearly got killed. Bogey, hiding in his tunnels, rose his head like a periscope on a submarine, aimed his gun and shot it above his head. The hunter hightailed it out of there and never went back.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey Savage remembered World War I and World War II. He was spooked about the possibility of foreign planes penetrating the American borders and bombing cities and towns. His paranoia was probably unwarranted, but not uncommon for someone who is a hermit. He felt comfortable sitting below the surface of the Earth in a tunnel with a candle, a jug of water, peanut butter and crackers, and a little dried meat and cheese. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Another strange, or perhaps crude behavior was the way Bogey Savage urinated in public. He would urinate into a cup inside his coveralls. Then he carefully removed the cup from his coveralls and poured the contents on the ground.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey’s sod house was at Rayville, a tiny town established in 1884, which had a post office, general store, a millinery store, blacksmith shop and drug store.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey Savage made and rode his own bicycle. The bicycle is made out of wood and iron.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #161a1e; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBkPPzA7sa-f6DpiADcNTiGs81wvEnnQbNUNAb6hWylt5KCYcHesbL3oh6ugSbsurhR2XbGb_CIJwHUsBQJ2AnetRABRNbBs0cE243dpy1b_8PQ-vVuaDgkbt_pO7wzUC7JVM-kOWJxr2OISwcthsQ7U1ADUkUJ2q0A7k-hUlGiL3H2wpY9CMUWg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBkPPzA7sa-f6DpiADcNTiGs81wvEnnQbNUNAb6hWylt5KCYcHesbL3oh6ugSbsurhR2XbGb_CIJwHUsBQJ2AnetRABRNbBs0cE243dpy1b_8PQ-vVuaDgkbt_pO7wzUC7JVM-kOWJxr2OISwcthsQ7U1ADUkUJ2q0A7k-hUlGiL3H2wpY9CMUWg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #161a1e;">Bogey's homemade bicycle, </span></span><span style="color: #161a1e;">photo by Michael Hooper</span></div><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“If you could look beyond his bizarre behavior, Bogey was an interesting man,” Marble said. “He was a friend, a gentleman and a scholar. Bogey and I got along well. He always talked. He could talk about everything.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey once predicted Chrysler would make a car that would get 70 miles per gallon. Well he’s almost right on that, there are cars that get 55 to 60 miles per gallon right now.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey, who had been through all kinds of difficult weather, especially during the Dirty 30s, predicted that the Marble brothers “will live to see the day it freezes every month here in Almena. I won’t, but you will.” That prediction has not come true. Every fall Bogey asked Ray Marble’s father to pick up a barrel of peanut butter and a case of crackers when he trucked cattle to Omaha. Bogey lived on that through the winter. In the summer, he ate vegetables and wild game. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Old-timers remember his mother Martha telling her husband, Charles Sr., to fix the roof on the old sod house, but he refused. As he went outside, she told him to keep on going, and don’t come back. And he never did. One time Bogey went inside a grocery store, stood on the heat grate and smelled up the area around him. The employees couldn’t stand it.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #161a1e; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEise85gkMnAlo6xvySMMDUjh-iRBdZ319ETPWuwP0o7l_9fwaT-1A-9CLpeY7yEiJpMDJOKPjdCXPBa6NLwLMCVwaZMT4gP-IMpgZ2LUZS2RGSQ96Y_cJNLNUzT63N8B-sKSRX8t2ZbRC-nEeuT_Q0C5c5c1QH69To-KEas2-pUMo6VxXng6r0IiQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="431" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEise85gkMnAlo6xvySMMDUjh-iRBdZ319ETPWuwP0o7l_9fwaT-1A-9CLpeY7yEiJpMDJOKPjdCXPBa6NLwLMCVwaZMT4gP-IMpgZ2LUZS2RGSQ96Y_cJNLNUzT63N8B-sKSRX8t2ZbRC-nEeuT_Q0C5c5c1QH69To-KEas2-pUMo6VxXng6r0IiQ" width="170" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #161a1e;">Bogey Savage, Courtesy of Norton County Genealogical Society</span></span></div><span><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In 1945, he caught pneumonia and Dr. Herbert Bennie brought him to Almena to live in an old store building. Bogey Savage, 71, died on Aug. 15, 1950. He was buried in the Almena Cemetery. Survivors included his two sisters, Mrs. Gertrude Hill of Lucas, Kansas; Mrs. Alzora Rodenbaugh of Guthrie Center, Iowa; two brothers William Savage, Fontanelle, Iowa; and Arthur Savage of Fall Brook, Calif.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After his death, a brother sorted through his belongings, saved the things that were valuable to them and bulldozed the house and wood into a pile to be burned. The corner where he lived is now farmland.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bogey Savage was a highly distinctive pioneer in Kansas. I admire how well he managed his resources, riding a bicycle to Almena and farm sales, and running his farm, living so frugal yet carefree; his love of nature and his fondness for butterflies.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">S.P. Dinsmoor</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #161a1e; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCCvfpWmUXQ6x5KUagT8ruEJimC_uPcHcdztijhUU5bnK7nERCuwz4igcQQ21sid4AwCDOB14EHD57ET7vxW42BtpSmpJNiWCVH026RjWLBAHCRnkci8jmHWZ17MWR87P8SDL_923NnrAloGeBbfDktGUyX3V5Q7-mjI_yXiytdQZZOPJBS7weXA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCCvfpWmUXQ6x5KUagT8ruEJimC_uPcHcdztijhUU5bnK7nERCuwz4igcQQ21sid4AwCDOB14EHD57ET7vxW42BtpSmpJNiWCVH026RjWLBAHCRnkci8jmHWZ17MWR87P8SDL_923NnrAloGeBbfDktGUyX3V5Q7-mjI_yXiytdQZZOPJBS7weXA" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #161a1e;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Samuel Perry Dinsmoor married Emilie Brozek in 1924, when she was 20 and he was 81. They had a daughter, Emily Jane, center, and later a son John. Courtesy of Friends of the Garden of Eden.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">S.P. Dinsmoor is the quintessential eccentric Kansas man who is now iconic for his concrete sculptures in Lucas, Kansas. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">His Garden of Eden carries mythic status among folk art connoisseurs. This man’s life is worth exploring for his views on politics, religion, humanity, the plight of the black man, and religion.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He was a thought-provoking man who read everything he could. He would challenge anyone on virtually any topic because he was so well read. He was a school teacher and a farmer, in addition to being an artist. I think he represents everything that is good about Kansas, a man with strong conviction builds over 150 statues in his garden. He dies in 1932 yet he is so beloved there is support for his sculpture garden today. Visitors are encouraged to tour the Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I was lucky to interview Dinsmoor’s daughter Emily Jane Dinsmoor Stevens. My friend Joe Mettenbrink introduced me to her in 2004. In Omaha, I met Emily and Emily’s daughter, Janet Stevens Holmquist Smith, and my friend Joe.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Dinsmoor married Frances Barlow Journey in 1870. After she died in 1917, he married Emily Brozek. He was 81 and she was 22 at the time. They had two children. Both died in 2013. She was a true daughter of a Civil War veteran, so I shook the hand of a person who shook the hand of a Civil War veteran.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Daughter Emily was a tiny little girl growing up in Lucas, Kansas. Her father was alive for the first eight years of her life. She remembers him well. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"I always jumped on Daddy's lap whenever I wanted to," she said. "I liked to comb his hair."<br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Dinsmoor loved to tell stories and often took the opposite point of view in a debate.<br /><br />"He enjoyed arguing to learn more than he knew," Stevens said.<br /><br />Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the devil, angels and serpents are among the sculptures in his garden.<br /><br />Stevens said her father read the Bible many times --- twice before he was 16.<br /><br />"I have managed to read it from cover to cover every year for many years," she said. "I'm still not a scholar of the Bible. Daddy felt he was, and discussed it with any minister who would."<br /><br />She said the secret to his long life was eating well --- including creamed onions, fish and prunes --- and not getting angry.<br /><br />"One time, drought was killing two grafted trees that Daddy had over the big tree stump out front," she said. "He rarely got out, but he dragged the hose to it and began watering. He had a stroke and fell down. My mother grabbed him up like a baby, ran up the two sets of steps on the porch, into the den and into the big room where she laid him on the couch. I jumped on top of him, shook him and screamed, 'Oh Daddy, don't die, don't die.' And he didn't. He came to and said, 'How could anyone die with all that racket?' "<br /><br />Union soldier<br /><br />He was born March 8, 1843, near Coolville, Ohio. Research by his son, John, shows that Pvt. Dinsmoor was in the 116th Regiment of the Ohio Infantry Volunteers. He was in more than a dozen battles in 1863 and 1864, many in Virginia, including Bunker Hill on July 24, 1864.<br /><br />He told family that while watching from an orchard tree with binoculars, he saw Gen. Robert Lee surrender to an aide of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, and not Grant himself.<br /><br />After the war, Dinsmoor became a teacher. He and his first wife lived in Nebraska for a brief time but lost everything in a house fire, Stevens said.<br /><br />Dinsmoor began building the Garden of Eden and cabin home in 1907 at age 64. Over 22 years, he used about 113 tons of cement and many tons of limestone and colored sand to create his log cabin and sculptures. The site is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and welcomes about 10,000 visitors every year. His body is entombed at his home in Lucas, where visitors can see his body if they want.</span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Garden of Eden Inc., with about 20 members, purchased the site in 1989. They sold the Garden of Eden to the Kohler Foundation in 2012.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Kohler Foundation had the resources to do a full restoration of the sculptures, but the foundation does not collect or retain properties after restoration work is completed. The site was gifted to the Friends of the Garden of Eden in 2014, a non-profit formed to care for the site, which retains ownership of the Garden of Eden as well as the adjacent Miller's Park.</span></span></p><p class="p3" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Among Dinsmoor's popular sculptures is the "Crucifixion of Labor." Mankind, represented by labor, is crucified while a banker, lawyer, preacher and doctor complacently watch. On one column, an octopus, called "The Trusts," grabs at the world while a soldier and child are trapped in two of its tentacles.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Stevens said the labor sculpture was the last statue Dinsmoor made.<br /><br />"His sight was failing, and he was not satisfied with the work," she said. "It is unfinished."<br /><br />Stevens said the labor sculpture reminded her of Jesus.<br /><br />"I had a friend who said she remembers praying for Jesus to come into her heart and save her," she said. "I said, 'How could I not believe in the one who died for my sins, when I saw him in my back yard every day on the cross.' Labor meant nothing. Jesus did. He was the son of God, and I always knew it.<br /><br />"I don't remember hearing anything from Daddy to indicate that he believed anything else. People have said he was an atheist, probably because he liked to argue, but you can't make me believe it. He was also very much a Mason."<br /><br />Stevens said her father introduced her to a Mr. Banks, a black Civil War veteran, who worked for Dinsmoor.<br /><br />"I knew Daddy fought to free the slaves, but here was a man who fought to free himself," she said.<br /><br />She said her father was active until he became blind with cataracts.<br /><br />As he neared death, his youngest children were told he would die.<br /><br />"You get old, you die," said Stevens. "His last stroke was before his March 8th birthday in 1932, but they still had the big annual birthday dinner for him. He died in July."<br /><br />Dinsmoor built a 40-foot-tall limestone log mausoleum for himself and his first wife. His body is inside a glass-topped concrete coffin.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ed Klattenhoff</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #161a1e; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAl8pFuq5UHuuG8CnKRK85depWyQx4y1NvdGvPnaNz1wLD7UvNASqAYLNDwzSZBMxMMnNvgXGubfMO4Gs8PTG32kd3C7AUUtTDWDDoy5PbiUmDyAJGpCloz1-vV565-ZXT45xO-Namr4pKlWu1MjhU2a_YzqCwf7cow5tz9IP2XQnMa-LlXovRCg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAl8pFuq5UHuuG8CnKRK85depWyQx4y1NvdGvPnaNz1wLD7UvNASqAYLNDwzSZBMxMMnNvgXGubfMO4Gs8PTG32kd3C7AUUtTDWDDoy5PbiUmDyAJGpCloz1-vV565-ZXT45xO-Namr4pKlWu1MjhU2a_YzqCwf7cow5tz9IP2XQnMa-LlXovRCg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #161a1e;">Ed Klattenhoff, photo by Michael Hooper</span></div><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 15.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Long before transgender became a popular issue in America, there was Ed Klattenhoff, who made and wore his own skirts. He also wore women’s jewelry, wig and a hat.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The year was 1988. Shortly after being hired as a reporter job at the Fremont Tribune, I drove to nearby Hooper, Neb., to see if I could find a story or two. Of course I was fond of the name Hooper because that’s my namesake, but the newspaper covered this town as part of our regional reporting efforts. I went to the most popular bar in town and asked the bartender: Who is the strangest, most interesting person in town? The bartender said, “Ed Klattenhoff because he makes and wears his own skirts.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“Is he harmless?” I asked</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“Oh yes," she said. "He is strange but he’s harmless.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After gathering a few more ideas, I left the bar and went down to Ed’s house and knocked on his door. I told him I was a reporter from the Fremont Tribune, and I was interested in writing a story about him because I had heard he made and wore his own skirts.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He kindly let me into his humble home. His house on Main Street was a small clapboard house with dark carpet and plain walls with picture frames. We sat down in his living room. His octagon shaped table was between his couch and two television sets. It’s built with a block of wood topped with a sheet of plywood stained in oil. Apple cores were scattered on its base. Klattenhoff said he eats an apple a day, it keeps the doctor away. Klattenhoff was 77 years old, and still getting around and living on his own when I met him.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A 1980s Playboy magazine laid on top of his side table next to his chair.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He told me he tried to find a wife. He proposed to a woman many years ago. “We got as far as the doctors office to check our blood and then she went back to her dad’s in Idaho, and that was the last I saw of her,” said Klattenhoff.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So the man adjusted to bachelorhood.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He taught himself how to cook, clean, decorate, and make clothes, while most men would have a wife take care of these duties.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“It’s easy,” he said. “I just follow directions.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He has baked his own bread for many years. He recently found out he was diabetic so he had to cut back on his baked bread.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Klattenhoff used his hands to make a living as a carpenter, farmhand, plumber, and well digger. His father, Fred Klattenhoff taught him many skills, including well making.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Klattenhoff sews by hand and with an old Singer sewing machine. The machine and cloth are in his living room along with his two television sets, radio, couch, lamp, and gas heater. He admits it’s slightly crowded. Several cotton skirts that he made hang on a table. “I got five of them over there and one on,” he said. The skirts, he said, are comfortable to wear around the house.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Standing there wearing his white cotton skirt and a white T-shirt, he looked like a Chinaman in a laundry.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Although some people might believe that a man wearing a skirt is odd, some neighbors in Hooper don’t seem alarmed by his eccentric ways.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“He’s a fine old gent,” said Marvin Marreel, an auctioneer in Hooper. “He worked hard all of his life. I saw him picking up the mail once in a skirt and I asked him why he wears them and he says, ‘cause they’re cooler than jeans.’”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A woman in Hooper who asked to remain anonymous said women in Hooper consider Klattenhoff odd. “I really don’t think he means any harm to anyone, but you know he wears a wig too,” she said.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Klattenhoff said he wears a pair of coveralls when he goes to town. However, he isn’t afraid to put on a woman’s dress, a wig and jewelry in public. He unabashedly shared his life with me, a reporter.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Klattenhoff came to Hooper in 1946 from Stanton, Nebraska. He served three years in World War II on the islands off the south coast of Alaska. The military maintained a presence on the Aleutian Islands because of threats from Japan.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“People always asked me if there were a lot of women out there,” he said. “Yes, I say, one behind every tree. But there were no trees.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He was discharged in 1945. He hung the American flag on his wall. When the weather improves, he hangs it on his flagpole in his front yard. Klattenhoff said he is content in his home and happy in Hooper. "It’s a good town," he said, "there is a lot of interesting people here."</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A few days after that story was published I received a letter from a person who didn’t like the story about Ed Klattenhoff: “Mr. Hooper, I hear people complaining all the time about the Fremont Tribune wondering why they subscribe because there is never anything in it. After reading your article on Ed Klattenhoff, I agree with them more than ever. Why in heaven’s name would you devote that much space to a kook who goes around town dressing in dresses and women’s jewelry and hats. He was kicked out of a bar and told never to come back looking like that. What was there in your article that was newsworthy? Nothing and I’m ready to cancel.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My editor, Pat Waters said, don’t worry about that reader, she probably won’t cancel. Waters said Klattenhoff was worth writing about because he’s so colorful.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I ended up writing several stories about Hooper, Neb., including about its Head Start program for children, but none as unique as the Klattenhoff story. He was certainly a man in touch with his feminine side.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-10122708032820497662023-05-09T08:00:00.025-07:002024-03-27T11:58:54.964-07:00Mary Huntoon, Pioneer in Art Therapy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgN3dXWCQaXzwzR6VE4lc1j5FSRjwhINeWmNWCD_8ChLpkCOP1qjZISaHjTzpTorjWWY1I8MXp-_HLPb0N2aWvO1KwZF72n57c-ZlN4ddHoFehnifNBqOTqMpZlIPtdUyVVZ9Z9FkDWAGE1bxHuse-K-0Z13wknWnhSMmp8XYKQYh5Mu1EQ6fgWrw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3358" data-original-width="2534" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgN3dXWCQaXzwzR6VE4lc1j5FSRjwhINeWmNWCD_8ChLpkCOP1qjZISaHjTzpTorjWWY1I8MXp-_HLPb0N2aWvO1KwZF72n57c-ZlN4ddHoFehnifNBqOTqMpZlIPtdUyVVZ9Z9FkDWAGE1bxHuse-K-0Z13wknWnhSMmp8XYKQYh5Mu1EQ6fgWrw" width="181" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mary Huntoon Self-Portrait</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library<br /><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mary Huntoon (1896-1970) was an exceptional artist who worked in New York and Paris before practicing art therapy in Kansas.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Huntoon grew up in Topeka, where she was a pioneer in the field of art therapy, working for Dr. Karl Menninger at the Menninger Clinic.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: inherit;">Huntoon </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">trained at The Art Students League of New York and worked in Paris for five years. Huntoon’s own artistic style might be called expressive realism. Her graceful lines are similar to the style of Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938), a Parisian artist who worked in Montmartre at the turn of the 20th Century.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtVXHXbVh_fBIF2EsIj8q0LuIlsBryd25Jt1Ng1AyEsCMhPyo3V8HluikmnL2NuzFws3ZfXwzyxPDowq84uBrlV2gN6PBeRDalfFe05dz2amkD2uqZMsdrieYr2UYETSWGHhmzCuduVBSIS-8rj1cU1gFdsj_xHcmAzigBQd5aQXld9Ttk0CRbFQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtVXHXbVh_fBIF2EsIj8q0LuIlsBryd25Jt1Ng1AyEsCMhPyo3V8HluikmnL2NuzFws3ZfXwzyxPDowq84uBrlV2gN6PBeRDalfFe05dz2amkD2uqZMsdrieYr2UYETSWGHhmzCuduVBSIS-8rj1cU1gFdsj_xHcmAzigBQd5aQXld9Ttk0CRbFQ" width="316" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Painting by Mary Huntoon<br />Topeka library</span></div><p></p><p class="p5" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Huntoon’s great-grandfather Joel Huntoon was a Topeka pioneer who mapped out the Topeka street plan, including Huntoon Avenue.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mary Huntoon was born in 1896 and raised on a cattle ranch until age 8 when her mother moved to Topeka and remarried. They lived in the old stone Huntoon home at 219 Huntoon Ave. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Huntoon was editor of The World newspaper at Topeka High School, and contributed art to the student yearbook. With a desire to become an artist, she attended Washburn University. George M. Stone, a highly paid portrait painter, taught her landscape and portrait painting.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After graduating from Washburn in 1920 Huntoon married Charles Hoyt, a veteran who served in France in World War I. He was a journalist and writer. The two moved to New York City where he worked as a writer and editor for the New York Evening Sun and the New York World-Telegram.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mary Huntoon attended the New York Art Students League for six years, alongside Ben Shahn and Mark Rothko. Her anatomy instructor George Bridgeman taught students to develop discipline and stamina to withstand criticism. Her metal plate media instructor was Joseph Pennell, a leading American etcher and illustrator. Huntoon quickly learned the skills etching and printing and was a good draftsman.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mary Huntoon attended a lecture class by Robert Henri, a beloved and charming teacher, who championed women students, as well as the American experience as art. He encouraged artists to paint as they wished, and to portray their subject as they themselves felt about it, not simply a representation of its outward appearance. She emulated his style to a certain extent. His painting, the<i> Beach Hat</i> in 1940, is similar in style to portraits that Huntoon painted in her later years. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In 1926, Huntoon went to Paris. She had only intended to stay for a few weeks, but ended up staying five years.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In Paris, she fell into a crowd of Montparnassians who gathered at Le Dôme Café at 108 Boulevard du Montparnasse. Le Dôme, which is still operating today, was an intellectual gathering place for artists and writers, particularly the American literary colony, during the interwar period. Letters archived at the Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas show Huntoon had a wide ranging group of friends at Le Dôme. Her friend Edith “Nellie” Thain writes that their mutual friend “Abbie continues to drink too much, and judging from what I saw the other day does not eat enough.” </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Other friends include Mr. Hogg, Oscar Gray, Moreton Hoyt, Ludwig and Wally. “Mr. Hogg is back.…I always suspected him of having a weather eye out for you. Ludwig thinks this is disgusting,” wrote Edith “Nellie” Thain in Nov. 4, 1930, letter to Huntoon. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In 1929, Huntoon wrote that Paris has greater sympathy for artists than does any part of the United States. "Paris appreciates and encourages the artist. His struggle for material is less, and is often given a chance to work out his own destiny without some of the handicaps facing him in the United States," she wrote. Her sixth floor apartment and studio in the Latin Quarter became a focal point for much activity, according to research by Mary Lou Casado, author of Mary Huntoon: In Search of the Meaning and Duty of Modern Art, a book Casado submitted to KU for her bachelor of arts with honors in April 1980, now located in the Topeka Room at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In 1926, Huntoon demonstrated her etching technique to Stanley William Hayter, who gave his first print, <i>Bottles</i> to her. Both studied burin print making under Joseph Hecht in Paris. In 1927, Hayter created the Atlier 17 studio in Paris for etching and engraving. Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Wassily Kandinsky visited his studio to make prints.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Huntoon stayed in Paris alone, leaving Charles Hoyt, her husband back in New York to carry on his own work, Casado wrote. But in 1927 he joined her for a nine-month stay on the island of Corsica. Mary Huntoon had her first show at the Galerie Sacre du Printemps, Paris, in 1928. Seymour De Ricci said her paintings had robust brush work, and original, colorful, broad flat tints. Her etchings were refreshingly original.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Charles Hoyt carried out a hoax to test attitudes using the synonym George O’Keefe, writing a letter in the Paris edition of the New York Times, referring to Mary Huntoon, insisting no woman has distinguished herself in 5000 years and it is a little late to begin hope. Readers immediately responded with disgust for the misogynist, defending Mary Huntoon, and other women artists, said Sherry Best, art collection curator at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, during the height of her success in Paris, her beloved husband, Charles Hoyt died in late 1928. His health was never very good since being gassed in World War I, and he died struggling with tuberculosis. Nevertheless, she stayed in Paris for another year after his death.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlei0DU_E6iYGhabtngW1KN3lyBDgieOs5eRQ1G4vLqaq8tgsgtM9-q-jMM5D-5Y3-yZwBC08ZUd9a4sIX0QE1PaRUFgoZaLBYJrtWqUrfC_JxTWZTihjr2txbISYLqYe83C7qjWrO6TDsO3jxR9jtsF3dD4sleYCybPeWrW_BFw7U2bib3u8jBA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlei0DU_E6iYGhabtngW1KN3lyBDgieOs5eRQ1G4vLqaq8tgsgtM9-q-jMM5D-5Y3-yZwBC08ZUd9a4sIX0QE1PaRUFgoZaLBYJrtWqUrfC_JxTWZTihjr2txbISYLqYe83C7qjWrO6TDsO3jxR9jtsF3dD4sleYCybPeWrW_BFw7U2bib3u8jBA" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cradle of Thought by Mary Huntoon. Portrait appears to be her first husband Charles Hoyt. Painting courtesy of the author</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Casado’s book says it’s unclear why Huntoon left Paris, but she was perhaps like other ex-patriots who discovered that while they loved Europe, they were deeply American. I can relate. When I lived in Greece and Spain in 1990, I gained a lifelong fascination for Europe, but I felt a longing for the Great Plains, where I eventually returned to work as a journalist, marry and raise children.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yet her time in Europe sustained her for the rest of her life. Huntoon wrote, “The net result of living in old Paris and Europe is that I feel more than ever the newer civilization of the states and more specifically the pioneer states and my dream has changed.” </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the 1930s, she taught art at Washburn University, including etching, painting and art history. In 1932 she married Lester Hull, who worked in the art department at Washburn. After they married, they studied and painted in Germany, Czechoslovakia and Italy. When they returned, she continued to immerse herself in the art world. Lester Hull had health problems and required constant care and attention. This was too much of a burden for her and eventually they divorced and he returned to Chicago to be near his sister. He died in 1948. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In 1934 she worked for the Public Works of Art project, later the Federal Art Project, created by the Civil Works Administration under President Franklin Roosevelt. She did several works of art under the FAP until 1939.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9AVuzSP6rfqFsE08ESodjfeIgxRIwfLP4nz3Id4qV5dtPhMMKVVokia4sHsoPFCLDo1yIAdvuYe17aisAxmLfFlcVcsZyOSLVGqUu92ez9B5mLoSmntKY6nCUqu-lMQq6NTKa3LM0F1zo70JY3mGTzLGbOoisae5aO5XF5oYPF71HeuEo38Zgsg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="2068" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9AVuzSP6rfqFsE08ESodjfeIgxRIwfLP4nz3Id4qV5dtPhMMKVVokia4sHsoPFCLDo1yIAdvuYe17aisAxmLfFlcVcsZyOSLVGqUu92ez9B5mLoSmntKY6nCUqu-lMQq6NTKa3LM0F1zo70JY3mGTzLGbOoisae5aO5XF5oYPF71HeuEo38Zgsg" width="177" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span>Mr. Jones by Mary Huntoon, Topeka library</span></div><span><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the late 1930s she was also working as an art therapist at the Menninger Clinic. Dr. Will, Dr. Karl and their father Dr. C.F. Menninger founded the Menninger Clinic in 1925. Using Freudian concepts, they believed that trauma or conflict hiding in the subconscious is discernible and curable through psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Therapeutic activities might include woodworking, garden therapy, music therapy and art therapy.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“It was never just busywork,” said Dr. Bob Conroy, a retired Menninger psychiatrist. “Dr. Will wanted activities to help patients deal with their pathology.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Everyone at the Menninger Clinic was involved in therapy, whether it was the nurses, the doctors, the janitors or the cafeteria workers who all offered kindness and friendliness to the troubled patients.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Principal mediums in Huntoon’s art department were oil painting, clay modeling and engraving. Huntoon said Ruth Faison Shaw used finger painting at Menninger’s Southard School for children.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rosemary Menninger, daughter of Dr. Karl Menninger, met Ruth Shaw in the 1950s when Rosemary was probably around kindergarten age. Ruth was a friend of Rosemary’s mother.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“My Dad told me something when I was working in garden therapy,” Rosemary recalled. “He said, ‘don’t fall into the trap of analyzing the person by trying to interpret what they are planting. Instead, focus on the fact that they’re working on something and bringing it to fruition. Is it the idea that they are creating and cultivating something that is more important.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Writing in the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic in November 1949, Mary Huntoon quoted Freud as saying the creative process is a way to keep destructive tendencies at bay. Picasso claims that a painting is worthy of the name of art when it takes charge of the painter at a certain stage, in other words, when the creative process is aroused in a person, it is a liberating agent for unconscious material of the mind.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">While working at the Winter VA Hospital in the 1940s, under the direction of Dr. Karl Menninger, she found that art therapy could fall into four categories, including fantasy or wish fulfillment. Sometimes the patient expresses fantasies which are a prophecy of what is to come. For example, when a bedridden patient came to the studio in a wheelchair, he painted himself outdoors in a daisy field.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The second function of art therapy is dexterity, this helps the individual gain strength and security at developing a skill. The third function of art therapy is relief of anxiety. By drawing or painting, the patient puts down in a graphic way the aggressive and traumatic feelings that are deep in his subconscious. This is a form of art synthesis.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The fourth function is externalization and mastery of subjective thoughts and emotions. A patient who was diagnosed with psychoneurosis, anxiety type, with an obsession for masturbation, was too self-conscious to paint the first day, but the second day began with encouragement to try to put some paint on canvas just to get a feel for it, Huntoon wrote. Over time, he began trying to paint still lifes, including a trash can. This marked a turning point; painting became fun. He painted several credible paintings during a two-week leave. Through his paintings, this patient turned his emotional expressions into socially acceptable forms, thus gaining some mastery over his emotions, so that he was no longer at their mercy, Huntoon wrote.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“Another very important function is the interaction with the art therapist,” Conroy said. “My good friend, art therapist Bob Ault (who worked at Menninger) encouraged the patient to draw or paint, but that was only the beginning. He also was part of the therapeutic team and participated in the patient evaluation. He was able to use the conversation and comments the patient made to help with the treatment. Thus, there was a double benefit. The first was the art work itself which tapped the unconscious and hidden dynamics. The second was a psychotherapy process as the patient interacted with the art therapist. The process of creating the art often took away the fear that some patients had of interacting with a traditional therapist. Bob Ault and the therapy team worked together with many patients and the therapy was greatly enhanced by this joint effort.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Huntoon worked in art therapy for about three years at the Menninger Clinic and 12 years at the VA, serving thousands of patients, most with no formal art training. She exhibited her students’ works, believing recognition of their talents was therapeutic, Casado wrote.</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Huntoon was a pioneer in art therapy because of her contributions to the emerging field in the 1930s-1950s. In the 1970s and 1980s, authors like Arthur Robbins more clearly defined art therapy as a profession. His book The Artist as Therapist is a popular book in this field. In a discussion on colors, Carl Jung says green is for sensation, yellow for intuition, red for feeling and blue for thinking.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mary Huntoon is largely unknown, but her work is popular in Kansas and the Midwest, and can be found in the Spencer Museum at the University of Kansas, the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, and the Mulvane Museum and the Newark Museum of Art. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sherry Bes</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">t, art curator for the Alice Sabatini Gallery at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, said Friends of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library has been selling duplicate Huntoon prints through Soulis Auctions, Lone Jack, Mo.</span></span></p><p class="p6" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When Mary Huntoon died in 1970, her third husband donated her remaining artworks in her studio to the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, said Best. Two of her paintings now hang in the library’s reading room; other paintings and prints are stored in the basement.</span></p><p class="p6" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Best recently gave a tour of the library’s Huntoon collection to me and artist Luke Van Sickle. Her work is contemplative, somber, harmonic, philosophical and sublime. She is one of the best portrait painters in Topeka's history. She was an excellent educator and effective art therapist. Best said her clients usually got better after working with her. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Huntoon stayed in Topeka, partly because of the opportunity to work with Dr. Karl Menninger. Had she stayed in New York or Paris, she probably would be more famous today, Best said.</span></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiPqh_3MIi_w_XuQQrDE8p5-5lQePfAaPQna9xWv1TP2HkqYHCKVLpw215h7alixA1t80gpLlY0zmMT66-QlwApDk8q70VeJxkYkA3czdxo9I79iH8oprvMKXUbpS1E0uvhUvVHH8DnlXqxb33XZs58W4vwJrKZsZ4rvLV_GmIeqElBimSYgUtwQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2268" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiPqh_3MIi_w_XuQQrDE8p5-5lQePfAaPQna9xWv1TP2HkqYHCKVLpw215h7alixA1t80gpLlY0zmMT66-QlwApDk8q70VeJxkYkA3czdxo9I79iH8oprvMKXUbpS1E0uvhUvVHH8DnlXqxb33XZs58W4vwJrKZsZ4rvLV_GmIeqElBimSYgUtwQ" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Portrait by Mary Huntoon</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3xFyXHYcB53yAbx2eNVRVv8kUngLZviQNcQ4Sp7aVPL3FOL8mbHuH0xuWLpHmGv5aWBIOqqLBC4b27w0QsTAAAZHJDLfoID7UceA4NK46bYKO5abnaxPXd_BbGZ153b7LzSowzCWsihta5V31WlnZ1pMFuFY0eMcxVBUi91aGn0dL6n_cqEPhBA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3xFyXHYcB53yAbx2eNVRVv8kUngLZviQNcQ4Sp7aVPL3FOL8mbHuH0xuWLpHmGv5aWBIOqqLBC4b27w0QsTAAAZHJDLfoID7UceA4NK46bYKO5abnaxPXd_BbGZ153b7LzSowzCWsihta5V31WlnZ1pMFuFY0eMcxVBUi91aGn0dL6n_cqEPhBA" width="184" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fredda Burwell, print by Mary Huntoon</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpzDdDP0kkMpCZmrSsylnbe1LlW2y9k82vuqL65E2Dz1SutzltzM-dQNkbRMbln9R5ZbyPZVplESx__WI572sZDK35L69eMQTPUSrAGbZXRb7sFnK9XknMUa-vu7IDeY4Mj7zl3xmaIN-95oiQIS8zAqRpTFWMrLVmqgrrnf2d-bltvVyF6RWF9g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3279" data-original-width="2418" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpzDdDP0kkMpCZmrSsylnbe1LlW2y9k82vuqL65E2Dz1SutzltzM-dQNkbRMbln9R5ZbyPZVplESx__WI572sZDK35L69eMQTPUSrAGbZXRb7sFnK9XknMUa-vu7IDeY4Mj7zl3xmaIN-95oiQIS8zAqRpTFWMrLVmqgrrnf2d-bltvVyF6RWF9g" width="177" /></a></div>Painting by Mary Huntoon<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-2172450380673431102023-04-04T07:14:00.022-07:002023-04-17T06:34:00.533-07:00CapFed Stock Falls To Historic Low<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo6aA-8EvvlyagSyum9UeiBIcJIlj6pf_G7w_ClEV9FwCyYGJxoqfvoAc5AjkdR1itXhjqzrADeseHeydTYFygnVzhWtGBBaBko0abwQMh2POYcs11Zt0xC90lJH-G98U2y3MN3MBvS9ukm3B7vfpDjLOwlFspLg9-prFs8Zu7qvoRj55hGRO_Q/s527/Screen%20Shot%202023-04-04%20at%209.03.39%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="527" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo6aA-8EvvlyagSyum9UeiBIcJIlj6pf_G7w_ClEV9FwCyYGJxoqfvoAc5AjkdR1itXhjqzrADeseHeydTYFygnVzhWtGBBaBko0abwQMh2POYcs11Zt0xC90lJH-G98U2y3MN3MBvS9ukm3B7vfpDjLOwlFspLg9-prFs8Zu7qvoRj55hGRO_Q/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-04-04%20at%209.03.39%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Stock in Capitol Federal Financial (CFFN) has fallen to a 20-year low following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.</span></p><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">CapFed stock already was near a historic low before the banking crisis hit March 9, but plunged another 20% to $6.50 per share.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Capitol Federal stock came out at $10 per share in its initial public offering in 1999. The stock ran up in the early days after the IPO hitting a high of around $45-$50 per share. The bank did a stock split offering 2.2637 shares for every single share in Dec. 22, 2010. The split adjusted low for the stock occurred around Feb. 25, 2000, when the stock was around $4 per share.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The stock traded around $11 to $15 per share for many years, but has fallen 50% from there.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>The banking crisis, led by Silicon Valley Bank, has hurt nearly all stocks in the banking sector. Banks' long-term bonds have lost value due to the Federal Reserve Bank raising interest rates over 400 basis points in a year. </span>Capitol Federal Financial has $132 million in unrealized losses in its $1.7 billion bond portfolio. The losses don't necessarily have to be realized if the bank holds the bonds to maturity.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But there are other reasons why Capitol Federal Financial stock is suffering.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">CapFed earnings have been trending down in recent quarters, with $0.12 per share in first quarter 2023, a penny short of estimates.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Capitol Federal has limited itself in growth; the bank has resisted growing over a $10 billion bank. When a bank is larger than $10 billion in assets, the institution faces additional supervision and regulatory costs.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After the IPO in 1999, CapFed bank was flush with cash, with capital representing 17% of total assets. The bank distributed that excess cash through dividends and special dividends over the years. Some of that cash also was used for buybacks of stock. The bank has paid out more in dividends than it earns every year over the last decade. Last year, for example, CapFed paid out $0.82 in regular and special dividends but only made $0.58 in earnings per share.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The bank's capital has fallen to $1.05 billion or 10.6% of the total assets.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Capitol Federal is fond of using a leverage strategy to borrow money from Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka and reinvesting the money at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Capitol Federal had borrowed up to $2.6 billion from Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka and put the money with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The company made $763,000 on this arbitrage deal in the most recent quarter. However, because this leverage strategy has fallen in profitability, the company has paid down a portion of the debt owed to Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The largest owner of Capitol Federal stock is Black Rock with 20.3 million shares or 14.8% of the company. T Rowe Price recently sold 12.8 million shares, but still owned 248,069 shares in February. Meanwhile, Dimensional Fund Advisors, led by David Booth, a KU graduate, has acquired 7.8 million shares or about 5.2% of outstanding shares of Capitol Federal stock. </span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">About 86% of Capitol Federal’s loans are residential home loans. This is a good investment. The Kansas economy is doing fairly well. Unemployment is low, and jobs are plentiful. During the mortgage crisis of 2008 and 2009, many banks suffered losses, but Capitol Federal's loan portfolio survived that crisis pretty well because of the high credit quality of its loan base.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The book value of Capitol Federal stock is around $7.75 per share, so the stock is actually trading below book value at current prices. This is not uncommon in the banking sector, especially during a financial crisis. However, most bank stocks typically trade above book value, which is assets minus liabilities.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Capitol Federal stock has historically been viewed as a good dividend paying stock. However, when the stock price falls below the amount paid in dividends, the shareholder ends up losing value. With falling earnings, it makes me wonder about the future of special dividends. The board of directors shouldn't deplete capital in order to pay dividends.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Last year's total dividend payout of 82 cents per share would equate to a 12.35% yield at the current price. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The yield for the regular dividend is 5.12%.</span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>Capitol Federal</span><span> will weather this latest banking crisis, but the size of the company probably will not grow over $10 billion. As a result, I don't see much upside in the stock. However, if the stock gets super cheap, say around $4.00 per share, you may see deep value investors invest in the stock.</span></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Author Michael Hooper does not own any shares in </span><span>Capitol Federal Financial (CFFN). </span></span></i></div><div style="outline: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></i></div><div style="outline: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span>David Tangeman, an accountant, contributed to this article.</span></span></i></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="outline: none;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; outline: none;" /></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-29545775978459189552023-03-03T08:05:00.009-08:002023-03-07T06:49:05.183-08:00Union Pacific Needs New Leadership<div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIzrdB4_wvvLrihFpTS8Ok_eTBjsBJmU9Z30d5dKOiSIq6CLakDpGcJPazq3hrEwaGEuESdL7Qr6jWFllo92ggRBbH5eHzw0Mv2gFOksIotRsSg4vIOEiy8nLwc6dx6GaIW8QonVPjGPu7fkxVAEvF6zmrEUAyLb02mgYhxa3ot4YUVt9ycGS7-A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1269" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIzrdB4_wvvLrihFpTS8Ok_eTBjsBJmU9Z30d5dKOiSIq6CLakDpGcJPazq3hrEwaGEuESdL7Qr6jWFllo92ggRBbH5eHzw0Mv2gFOksIotRsSg4vIOEiy8nLwc6dx6GaIW8QonVPjGPu7fkxVAEvF6zmrEUAyLb02mgYhxa3ot4YUVt9ycGS7-A" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) needs new leadership. Union Pacific recently announced it plans to replace CEO Lance Fritz. The announcement on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, follows a Wall Street Journal report citing a hedge fund's call for his replacement.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60ad6c502b44e43fe7a303b9/t/63fbb43a83c4855b6df06392/1677440059367/Soroban+-+Presentation+to+Union+Pacific%27s+Board+of+Directors.pdf">Soraban Capital Partners</a> says that under Fritz, UNP employees are disgruntled. Among all S&P 500 companies, UNP is rated by employees as the worst place to work, and has the lowest employee CEO approval rating. The company is not delivering on its commitment to customers, and the Surface Transportation Board has singled out UNP as providing the worst service among Class 1 railroads.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Union Pacific has around 32,000 employees, including about 800 employees in Kansas where it maintains about 2,199 miles of track.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One of the disturbing trends of Union Pacific is using debt to re-purchase shares and pay dividends while ignoring the needs of customers and employees.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Union Pacific easily makes enough money to cover its dividend, but has been re-purchasing shares at a significant rate, resulting in the need to borrow money.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Long-term debt at Union Pacific has grown from $15.6 billion in September 2016 to $33.3 billion on Dec. 31, 2022, essentially doubling the debt during that time. But -- and this is huge -- total carloads/intermodal traffic actually declined from 9 million in 2015 to 8 million in 2022.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yet Union Pacific continues to re-purchase shares and has announced a new share repurchase program with authorization to re-purchase up to 100 million common shares through March 31, 2025. Under this new program the company could reduce share count by a whopping 16%. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">However, share repurchases essentially benefit only shareholders of the stock, i.e. Wall Street. This form of using capital does not benefit customers, it does not benefit employees unless they own the stock, and it also doesn’t benefit the rail network. A better way to grow a company is to build organic growth in the business, using capital in strategic places that will benefit customers and the network. There have been times in the past few years that Union Pacific has turned away business because it did not have the employees or equipment in order to serve these customers. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In April 2022, <a href="https://www.uncoverdc.com/2022/05/31/crisis-on-the-rails-pilot-flying-j-ceo-on-rail-mandates-fuel-costs/">Pilot Flying J CEO Shameek Konar </a>said Union Pacific informed Flying J to reduce diesel rail shipments by 26%, then in subsequent conversations with the railroad, Union Pacific asked them to reduce rail shipments by another 50% or face embargoes. Essentially Union Pacific was turning away business because it could not handle it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Railroads cut employees too deep while lengthening their trains from 1 mile to 2 miles. So you have more cars on the track with fewer people looking after them. As a result you get situations like what happened in Ohio with Norfolk Southern, a disaster that will have health and environmental consequences for years to come.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Borrowing money in order to buy back shares is going to cost more money because interest rates have been rising over the past year. This strategy will be crippling to the business if we have a recession and earnings decline. You can’t continually raise prices in order to grow earnings. Shippers will look elsewhere for moving their freight. </span></div><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I hope the next CEO improves the balance sheet and puts capital into growth markets, and looks for ways to increase safety, morale, and ensure the franchise grows in book value and market value at the same time. Earnings will grow as a result of all these other measures over time. Don’t grow value by buying back shares.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: white;">Union Pacific released a <a href="https://www.up.com/media/releases/ceo-succession-update-nr-230226.htm">press release</a> on Feb. 26, saying under Fritz's leadership, the</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> company has achieved a 52% increase in net income, a 27% increase in operating income and a 3.7 point increase in return on invested capital. Fritz guided the company to achieve this financial growth despite the volatile operating environment spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruption, labor negotiations and service and labor challenges, while instilling an inclusive and accountable organization with an industry-leading sustainability program.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“The Board is grateful to Lance for his unwavering leadership, dedication and oversight in driving our company forward over the last eight years as CEO. Lance created an environment that has allowed Union Pacific to make a measurable impact with our customers, communities and employees alike,” said Michael McCarthy, Lead Independent Director of the Board. “He has capably led our company during a time of significant challenge and change, positioning Union Pacific to deliver long-term sustainable value for shareholders and customers. We are immensely grateful to have Lance’s continuing leadership and support and know he will ensure a smooth transition.”</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“It is my honor and privilege to serve this great company. I am proud of our team and all we have built together,” said Fritz, Union Pacific Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “I’ve always said that our fundamentals for long-term success are powered by our people – our best-in-class employees and the passion they have for our customers and communities. Union Pacific has embarked on a transformative journey that will result in stronger, more consistent service for our customers, with enhanced earnings growth and value creation for our shareholders. Union Pacific has been my home for 22 years and I am confident that now is the right time for Union Pacific’s next leader to take the helm. I look forward to working with the Board as we identify our next CEO to lead the Company into the future.”</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Michael Hooper, editor of Thoughtful Investor, owns shares in Union Pacific (UNP).</i></span></span></p><h5 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: RobotoSlab, roboto, serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></h5>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-24116917378032549352023-02-21T12:43:00.028-08:002023-05-09T09:44:00.912-07:00100 Billion Souls<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjem4vC7TKe7zzI-9LDkt8erz1EZj61iJ4o54wyotQRsOLKaYp0BHFzppCx1m4yVGOUQvHK2a4cT3NUxrdQz-OrlFKREmxWIQLIN4zj1W7OM8Q1ooWYb2dk5SBeQ5kiOjklSRe12m3UJIYq2W9sGKBdXaFiX8xDkLpswdrWC8kdCgPOUYtIZAEHtg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjem4vC7TKe7zzI-9LDkt8erz1EZj61iJ4o54wyotQRsOLKaYp0BHFzppCx1m4yVGOUQvHK2a4cT3NUxrdQz-OrlFKREmxWIQLIN4zj1W7OM8Q1ooWYb2dk5SBeQ5kiOjklSRe12m3UJIYq2W9sGKBdXaFiX8xDkLpswdrWC8kdCgPOUYtIZAEHtg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">The Universe by Michael Hooper</p><div><span style="font-size: large;">There are 100 billion souls on the other side</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">They live in the ethereal afterlife</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Some live in my memory</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Some in my heart</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Like a gigantic swath of solar power</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>The dead rise up, giving life to history</span> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">in books and manuscripts </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">these noisy ghosts try to change the direction of humanity</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The artist is hard at work, toiling away in poverty and shame </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Injustice everywhere, yet he carries on with a passion for his art, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">he knows there is something exquisitely divine </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">in the wonderment of sands washed upon the shore.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Trash comes up from the ocean and spits out plastic on shore, the Earth is trying to heal itself.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Pain and</span> anguish are unending. He prays without ceasing, he hopes for a moment of relief.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The artist knows the sublime beauty of the sounds of the sea at night </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>He looks at the dazzling lights in the dark sky and</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>contemplates the knowledge </span>that there are more stars in the universe than sands on the Earth.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">He ponders the vastness of the universe and what is beyond.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The artist has neglected his lover; she is feeling abandoned. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Where is my husband? she cries. Why is he not here beside me in bed?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">why does he wander the streets at night like a vampire? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">When is his wanderings going to end?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>The artist believes he will never feel satisfaction, contentment, or peace, </span>because the bubbling inferno of his soul constantly is striving for the heavens</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Searching for harmony, a glow in wonderment, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">100 billion souls haunt him tonight. What are they doing in this afterlife?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Where are they going? What are they thinking about? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Do my parents pray for me? This soul lying here, on this empty beach at midnight.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">He says, "Alone, alone, alone, I wander, I strive, I struggle to create something sublime." </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The artist walks the ruins of Rome, graveyards of statues, chasing mystic reveries and ghosts among the 100 billion in the afterlife. He finds these beautiful ecstasies a melancholy sweetness.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And in the morning he feels despair raging with sadness, pain and emptiness.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">When she finds him awake, she says, don’t spend another minute, chasing the dead, your friends are among the living, these cemeteries are just in your head.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Death is the ultimate conquerer of life, but don’t stop fighting now, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">you have a long life ahead of you, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">death may win in the end, but today is for the living, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">go now, and climb your mountains, swim in the seas, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Make love to me</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">engage with your friends, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">there is joy, and peace for the man of love </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Buildings crumble, ships decay, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">and people die, but love lasts forever</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div><div><br /></div><div>-Michael Hooper, Feb 21, 2023</div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-2403632987979696322023-02-16T07:32:00.011-08:002023-02-16T08:06:06.342-08:00Artie Ravitz Remembers John Lewis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvHkybLFL3X9j7dQe710rM7SLuyGZvEgqXcepwk-R1y0APBVQTEPhNxkMWzuiZZeyNG41gGSY2aPTsaYNmncVT2nK1urL72tgB5U4Mkbl3desJS2-Ype1Rq8oIQVVyxBpWjHOm1KbfUzMffbGg-2kxmkgKdhhvL-RDk7oH9eSQ4bbZyyVJMzb9oQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="363" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvHkybLFL3X9j7dQe710rM7SLuyGZvEgqXcepwk-R1y0APBVQTEPhNxkMWzuiZZeyNG41gGSY2aPTsaYNmncVT2nK1urL72tgB5U4Mkbl3desJS2-Ype1Rq8oIQVVyxBpWjHOm1KbfUzMffbGg-2kxmkgKdhhvL-RDk7oH9eSQ4bbZyyVJMzb9oQ" width="169" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS_MZX-RJTttDBQylM-Oku1DQv3hznnUjbEmPQY0Nuqru0_mlrCAcm53yKYLh2af5c4jUUIFnbRPW5EGGHGgUfwAR0qYSM4n_4PXk_1T0FkGHTVmJEOt83bjnFUXG7xjcZEy91SXyNwSg4MIfJmvEExF6e4-072mx9xh-1LOblIKmTN7OFI22rNg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="355" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS_MZX-RJTttDBQylM-Oku1DQv3hznnUjbEmPQY0Nuqru0_mlrCAcm53yKYLh2af5c4jUUIFnbRPW5EGGHGgUfwAR0qYSM4n_4PXk_1T0FkGHTVmJEOt83bjnFUXG7xjcZEy91SXyNwSg4MIfJmvEExF6e4-072mx9xh-1LOblIKmTN7OFI22rNg" width="171" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Lewis, young & old</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Credit Wikimedia Commons</div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px;"><i><b>Editor's note: </b>In celebration of Black History Month, I want to remember the legendary civil rights activist John Lewis who was born on Feb. 21, 1940, and died July 17, 2020. My friend Artie Ravitz met Lewis while he was a student at Penn State University. Ravitz witnessed extraordinary events while in the company of John Lewis. I met Ravitz while staying in Esperanza, Vieques, PR in January. Ravitz, 82, is a former toy manufacturer, who now devotes himself to writing about various topics including civil rights and crime. Here is his story: </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px;">By Artie Ravitz</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px;"> </span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px;">I had seen the horrible beating of 300 citizens of Selma Alabama,</b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px;"> and civil rights workers on the 6 pm TV news, on March 7, 1965, while attending a NY toy show. I was so upset that I told my wife Susie that I was leaving the following morning for the next Selma march. She stopped me by telling me that there would be no march tomorrow. Instead, I should call the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) office in the morning, to get word about the date for the next march. She was right. When I called the SNCC office, </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px;">Constancia "Dinky" Romilly, the Northern Coordinator, promised that she would call me when SNCC leaders had spoken with government officials and had settled on a new date for the next march.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>The march was the culmination of years of voting efforts, </b>by SNCC and others, to conduct voting classes throughout Alabama and Mississippi. SNCC was a small civil rights group of students who led the student sit-ins in states throughout the South and currently were concentrating their efforts to teach voting in two of the toughest states governments whose officials tried to keep Black voter registration down to an absolute minimum.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b> In 1965, all SNCC efforts were focusing on one thing, </b>getting the right to vote for all persons of color in the South. So, it was a big deal for millions of Black citizens of the USA, to see state officers and Alabama State Troopers, charging into <span style="font-size: 18.7px;">the marchers, on horses and on foot, with clubs, assaulting and beating the marchers until they fell back and returned over the bridge to Selma.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: 18.7px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>I had been sending “care packages” t</b>o the SNCC voting rights workers who were only getting $9.00 per week for bare necessities of life, when Dinky called me back a week later. She told me that the new march would be the 20th of March, but that I should come directly to the SNCC office a day before, in Atlanta, and join the SNCC officers on their drive to Selma. I agreed to her offer. Dinky and I had been speaking for the past few years. Eight days later, Lee Harris and I drove to Newark Airport, jumped onto a plane to Atlanta, and took a taxi to the SNCC office in Atlanta.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>We arrived there early afternoon </b>and<b> </b>after greetings, we are told to wait in the lunch room and help ourselves to sandwiches until Dinky would tell us when we were leaving for Selma. Just before 4 pm, Dinky came in, telling us that everyone was waiting downstairs for us, ready to leave. Lee and I went down stairs and joined them. Lee got into an old blue Chevy and I got into the white '52 station wagon. Both cars left for Selma at the same time. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>The Atlanta traffic did not allow us to stay togethe</b>r and soon we were weaving in and out of traffic, heading northwest. At one stop light, there was a cop looking into the car. That was when the short guy sitting next to my right, pushed my head down. A few blocks later, we spotted a police car nearby when the short guy sitting near to me again pushed my head down.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>After the second time, </b>I decided to ask him why he was pushing my head down. He told me that he did not want the cops to see me in a car full of Black guys. I found out later that the short guy’s name was John Lewis and he was the current chairman of SNCC. After we passed the police car, he explained to me that he did not mind being arrested when he was on the Selma March; but, he did not<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-size: 18.7px;">want to be arrested by some racist cop stuck out here in the “boonies”, where he could be forced to miss the big Selma to Montgomery march, and have to wait a few days until he got bailed out.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: 18.7px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>Three hours later, after having my head pushed down </b>a few more times, we arrived at the small town of Tuskegee, Alabama, and a few minutes later, the entrance to Tuskegee College, in northern Alabama. The driver stopped directly in front of the dining room. When we entered, the SNCC kids were greeted as home town heroes. I learned later that many of the students here were SNCC summer voting rights workers. John told me that we stopped here because it was one of the few places where we could safely eat as a mixed group. After an hour discussion, a warm meal, and warm goodbyes from everyone, we jumped back into the car and headed southwest toward Selma.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b> When we got Selma, we again stopped at an integrated diner </b>for a light snack. After we were done, none of the SNCC kids would get up to leave. Each asked the other to go outside to see if their car was still there. They were giggling and kidding about delaying our departure, but I didn’t know why. But after one guy finally, got up and left, we all followed him out. I was told later that the joke was about all of them being afraid to go out, since 10 days earlier Reverend Jim Reeb, a white minister, was dragged out of the restaurant, beaten by a white mob and dying two days later. Humor was their way of living with the grief of his murder.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span> <span> </span><span> </span>The March to Montgomery started at 10 a.m. the following day. John Lewis was up front, of course, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other dignitaries and I was half way back walking with, talking to and listening to Joan Baez sing a few songs, and to Dick Gregory tell us a few jokes. </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>John Lewis held on to the chairmanship of SNCC </b>for a few more years and participated in hundreds of demonstrations and arrested 40 more times until other more militant members took over the reigns of SNCC because the SNCC leadership got frustrated and in 1967, the organization's leadership was taken over by H. Rap Brown and Stokley Carmichael. The new leadership took a more militant path calling for “Black power” for Afro-Americans. They had many followers. The Black Panthers movement grew out of their efforts.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>The big mistake the new SNCC leadership made was </b>they began flirting with the Palestinian terrorist group who persuaded SNCC leadership to publish photos showing Jews shooting Palestinians, who had their hands up. But, as soon as the ADL ( Anti Defamation League ) learned of SNCC’s mislabeling of the photos, the ADL published the same photos, which had been taken 30 years earlier, but which were taken of German troops aiming at Jews with their hards up in the Warsaw Ghetto taken in 1944. This major scandal caused SNCC to loose 75% of their funding and forced them to close their doors, for good, a year later.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>When Lewis was 17 years old, he went Montgomery </b>to speak with Dr Martin Luther King for help him in getting into all white Troy State College, but although King offered to help, his family was against a law suit, so he dropped the idea. But, from that day on, Dr. King continued call Lewis, “the Boy from Troy.” After he attended a workshop of a follower of a Gandhi philosopher on non-violence, he joined CORE to participate in many sit-ins at Lunch counters, movie theaters, and businesses. He was elected to the board of the (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) SCLC in 1962, and in 1963, he organized and took over the leadership of SNCC.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span> </span><b style="font-size: 18.7px;">But, John Lewis did not stop there.</b><span style="font-size: 18.7px;"> In 1963, he helped organize and spoke at the historic March on Washington where Dr. King gave his famous, “I have a Dream” speech for jobs and for an end of racial discrimination. And on Sunday, March 7, 1965, John Lewis led 600 members of Selma voting group over the, now famous, Edmund Pettus Bridge, only to be beaten back by brutal Alabama State Troopers with clubs injuring a hundred marchers. This brutal attack was seen in hundreds newspapers all over the world and became known as “Bloody Sunday.”</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: 18.7px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>After leaving SNCC</b>, Lewis took a job with the Field Foundation in NY City<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-size: 18.7px;">organizing voter registration campaigns all over the segregated South. He was successful in adding 4 million minority voters to the voting rolls, forever changing the voting landscape. In 1981 he was elected to the Atlanta City Council and in 1986, to the US Congress. He authored many bills favoring civil rights, lobbied for the poor, disadvantaged and was re-elected to Congress 16 times. </span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: 18.7px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>When Susie told me that John Lewis was speaking at Moravian College</b>, we immediately decided to go and hear his talk. I called his office the following morning and spoke with Mike, his legislative assistant, telling him that I would like to speak with him for a few minutes. Mike agreed to give John my message.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>The following Thursday, Suzie and I got there</b> early enough to get two front seats in the auditorium. We listened to John’s speech about how he learned to speak by giving speeches to the chickens in his dad’s chicken coop and what his plans were for the following year in Congress. The auditorium was packed with his admirers and he got long lasting applause after his talk. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>We went up and gave each other a hug and asked about each other’s health.</b> We then spoke about the ride to Selma, and when he was pushing my head down so that the cops would not see me in the SNCC car. We parted again with hugging each other when saying goodbye.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <b>It was quite a thrill for me to see him again</b> and remember many of the things John went through to protect the rights of his fellow man. It was a great end to an early decade and chapter of my life; but for John Lewis, the fight goes on. John Lewis died on July 17th, 2020, of pancreatic cancer at age of 80. He left our world, as one of the top Civil Rights heroes of the 21st Century.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> </p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9wUDjalNPCDJCUGfDoo2urN41hcXLnAfh4eBcmayxE-TtPG446aDlwjeDD24ihWL5Y9A1QKQYd7I0AQ7qs5FP70Olcu3M5IdZnGShnOy0fzPMSHVi-mthlAeXSMUhhVBmR9U11zsIO_uX-dudDd2_r-HENKDtnzisPbiZH5WMz3w87gBGXC0qDg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9wUDjalNPCDJCUGfDoo2urN41hcXLnAfh4eBcmayxE-TtPG446aDlwjeDD24ihWL5Y9A1QKQYd7I0AQ7qs5FP70Olcu3M5IdZnGShnOy0fzPMSHVi-mthlAeXSMUhhVBmR9U11zsIO_uX-dudDd2_r-HENKDtnzisPbiZH5WMz3w87gBGXC0qDg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Hooper & Artie Ravitz eat breakfast together in Vieques, PR</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.7px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> </p></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-87592498136855486602022-12-05T12:28:00.015-08:002022-12-08T06:37:55.480-08:00FTX Bankruptcy Should Be Wake-Up Call For Congress & Investors<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaI4IRu9AJqnDkuXN8O8GtmdmInC2Oz45vRjWFIWUC0xX_QtQw1edxl-qLCBQMX6NiNhsb_c_-QxGSBKCK_vx-sJKmwqjtRslD3URqSlxc28HcE3baQKYOg5nMP6T1cmZIUtOUh3BJ2W-qvTvNF6j6xp0EyawQ-1mCMSzJR1HSoztsUZtphBQ9lg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="448" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaI4IRu9AJqnDkuXN8O8GtmdmInC2Oz45vRjWFIWUC0xX_QtQw1edxl-qLCBQMX6NiNhsb_c_-QxGSBKCK_vx-sJKmwqjtRslD3URqSlxc28HcE3baQKYOg5nMP6T1cmZIUtOUh3BJ2W-qvTvNF6j6xp0EyawQ-1mCMSzJR1HSoztsUZtphBQ9lg" width="230" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sam Bankman-Fried</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>By Michael Hooper</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">The failure of Sam Bankman-Fried's company FTX has far reaching implications. Even though it operated in the Bahamas, many investors, including the state pension fund of Kansas, are from the United States.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c2f34;">FTX, an international cryptocurrency exchange, and its subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy on November 11. The company at one time was valued at $32 billion, but now more than a million customers fear their assets are gone.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bankman-Fried told the New York Times Deal Book conference in Manhattan that the failure of his company was due to huge management failures, and sloppy accounting. But others like CoinDesk say the failure was due to the company using customer funds for the hedge fund Alemeda Research, losing much of the money on bad trades with too much leverage.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Missouri public pension fund invested $1 million into FTX via Blockrock, a money manager. The Kansas pension fund KPERs invested $187,400 into FTX.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sam Bankman-Fried had specifically promised customers it would never lend out or otherwise use the crypto they entrusted to the exchange.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Another red flag with FTX is the lack of a Board of Directors. Operating in the Bahamas, it appears there was little oversight. A board of directors can provide accountability and oversight while conducting annual audits to make sure the books are clean.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">How Sequoia Capital, a reputable investment firm, gave $213 million to FTX as an investment is beyond me. Promoters billed Sam Bankman-Fried as a wonder kid who grew up with highly educated parents in Silicon Valley. He believes in effective altruism; earning as much as possible so you can donate it to charity. But the reality is Sam Bankman-Fried is a con man. He was holding up a house of cards with his mouth.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/11/30/ftxs-collapse-was-a-crime-not-an-accident/">David Morris </a>at crypto website, CoinDesk, says many news outlets have perniciously described what happened to FTX as a bank run or a run on deposits. But the exchange was not a bank. The big problem is that FTX assets were intimately linked to the trading firm Alameda Research where it seems they were simply gambled away, Morris wrote.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">FTX was using leverage to make trades. Leverage can be very dangerous. Extreme levels of leverage brought down some of the biggest financial houses in history, including Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The FTX failure should be a wakeup call to Congress, which has failed to come up with a formal crypto regulatory policy, even though Bitcoin has been around since 2009.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When public pension funds in Kansas and Missouri put money into crypto companies like FTX without any real scrutiny, the public is likely to get burned. I know I could have managed that money much better than Sam Bankman-Fried. I got into crypto in 2017 and sold out in 2018 and moved the proceeds into my vacation fund. I also invested some of the proceeds into gold and Berkshire Hathaway. Both choices turned out well. I still own a little crypto but never saw the crypto market as stable enough for large amounts of assets.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I wouldn't recommend betting your retirement on crypto assets. It's better to have your wealth diversified across stocks, bonds and real estate.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><br /></p>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-24821375062480900782022-11-29T10:25:00.005-08:002022-11-29T10:42:39.618-08:00Your Last Act<p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaphfdj8_KWdOmAbqGeCiZAZHg0x0cE3yFcyNFhQeFROMI8DpXLGNvFBjiSfRKMEX-VDKaT9Je3REIRQwzGUw9Rz6n0HMI55sGUCkVK_YCmIU8Hm0MEQXgjJe44G2au2F4-dPxMSsgGHX0FB1g2y1rCbZslbgCKk63REo8yeAIOVbnya2kP3iZ2w/s453/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-29%20at%2010.15.47%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaphfdj8_KWdOmAbqGeCiZAZHg0x0cE3yFcyNFhQeFROMI8DpXLGNvFBjiSfRKMEX-VDKaT9Je3REIRQwzGUw9Rz6n0HMI55sGUCkVK_YCmIU8Hm0MEQXgjJe44G2au2F4-dPxMSsgGHX0FB1g2y1rCbZslbgCKk63REo8yeAIOVbnya2kP3iZ2w/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-29%20at%2010.15.47%20AM.png" width="237" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Ken Lindeen</span></div><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The death of a friend has reminded me how important it is for us to give people our very best with kindness all the way to the very end of our lives.</span></span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.wibw.com/2022/11/17/one-dead-early-morning-house-fire-thursday-topeka/">Ken Lindeen</a>, 68, died tragically in a house fire a couple of days after he had done work for me at my house.</span></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Another contractor was doing some drywall work in our basement and noticed that an electrical outlet was shorting out. I called a friend of mine who recommended Ken Lindeen. Ken came over right away and fixed the outlet, which was ungrounded. He also fixed other outlets to make sure they were grounded. He came back another day to finish his work but had one more outlet to do and left me a message saying he would come back but he died tragically the next day on Nov. 17, 2022.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am grateful for the kindness and generosity Ken showed me in his last days of his life. Indeed, he first showed up on a Saturday, typically a day off, but he came out to help me.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>Recently, </span><span> a former employer’s spouse died. I recall the last time I tried to talk to her, she was stuck up, better than thou, and wanted nothing to do with me even after I tried my charming best to win her over, she left a bad taste in my mouth, and to this day, I can’t get rid of it. She can’t make up for all the mistakes that she made being an elitist. She can't offer any apologies. It's too late. She's dead.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My friend <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/obituaries/phut0364239">Ken</a> was no elitist for sure. Indeed, he was quite humble. He had been on top of the world when he was creative director for Payless Shoesource, but his crowning glory fell away after the death of his son in a car accident in 2001. When Ken and Chris Wright came to my house to do some floor refinishing in the early 2000s Ken was still suffering from the loss of his son. He was tearful and shaken up when he displayed his pain, but somehow he found his way and carried on like a soldier with grief just below the surface. In my last encounter with Ken, he helped me without grumbling or anger; he gave with kindness the best he had to offer.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I don’t know when I will die. No one does. But surely it will happen soon as I am approaching 60 years of age. I have made some of these same mistakes, elitism, ungratefulness, meanness, pride, arrogance, gluttony, and a few others, but I am not giving up. Redemption is possible. Jesus commands us to love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our might and to love one another as we love ourselves. There is a kindness in my soul that I want to bring out. The Beatles had it right. Love is all you need.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The lesson here is to make our last act our best one. Give when we don’t feel like giving. Help others when we don’t feel like helping. Love others when we don’t feel like loving. Take the time to call someone who could use the attention, offer an ear, don’t do all the talking, listen and love. It may be your last act.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-45033007566189872802022-11-01T07:19:00.013-07:002022-11-01T07:38:21.137-07:00Cry For My World<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcyep9qKMdOC30JtbqoIbLIBO9lL7rwXdqkR6zwhNSxW54eyO9xuJJmEBKwmMsCCsTI7GeHSVyZbOo0HxDM9wiwigswxt4gS7VxfQ12mNz08hGPwW6eO4pKup0nbO0HFyRI3rhh0PRwu7H627Zp7ptFxkPZRih7b6m-QmieZAzFkF1OtM2MsQtag" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcyep9qKMdOC30JtbqoIbLIBO9lL7rwXdqkR6zwhNSxW54eyO9xuJJmEBKwmMsCCsTI7GeHSVyZbOo0HxDM9wiwigswxt4gS7VxfQ12mNz08hGPwW6eO4pKup0nbO0HFyRI3rhh0PRwu7H627Zp7ptFxkPZRih7b6m-QmieZAzFkF1OtM2MsQtag" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Square, Pleasure & Death by Michael Hooper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I’m hearing this industrial sound</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">of cars, trucks and motorcycles;</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">an intersection of steel, gas and rubber</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">pounding the pavement</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The machinery of our lives</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It’s a mad world </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">run by a specialized </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">stop and go system</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Stop and go, stop and go</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The semblance of order</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">in chaos and smog that</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">tears holes in the atmosphere</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">dry winds and empty waterways</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">bring a scorching dryness </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">to the Southwest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lake Powell and Lake Mead are empty mud holes</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">showcasing the skeletons of their past</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">the Colorado river all used up</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Now the Mississippi River is drying up, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">the sands have opened up </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">walkers look for treasure in the muddy shipwrecks of the river.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Barge traffic is dying because of the shortage of water.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It's the fast incineration of Earth</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">No wonder William Shatner</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After a trip into space</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">shed tears for this fragile planet</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Like an aging man on meth</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Earth dies faster </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">losing its balance</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">with rising temperatures</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Cry for our Earth</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Cry for our Earth</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Save our Planet</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">We need to change</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">the stop and go </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">system</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">the machinery of our lives</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">so that our systems</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">benefit the Earth</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">not destroy it</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">-Michael Hooper</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-37427909787812975482022-10-31T06:56:00.023-07:002022-11-02T15:39:42.028-07:00Nature's Last Golden Glowing<p> </p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKkyhndfZyILgp_htwHVGBuIkhaDXc3MIw1b_7SePRGAbrAH20q762gfXG-nJJgb_s86RyEUZu9AVzpatG8MH98Ny7CCJBkhWfJ5g6iwzxyM1QQ35B3ez07FBYpwDUSNtppQCBKna9J1iF_8wSD3cM4GJXSuhTVo7KtCZvAka4tl1j3jWtETeXg/s4032/IMG_2481.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKkyhndfZyILgp_htwHVGBuIkhaDXc3MIw1b_7SePRGAbrAH20q762gfXG-nJJgb_s86RyEUZu9AVzpatG8MH98Ny7CCJBkhWfJ5g6iwzxyM1QQ35B3ez07FBYpwDUSNtppQCBKna9J1iF_8wSD3cM4GJXSuhTVo7KtCZvAka4tl1j3jWtETeXg/s320/IMG_2481.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Red Tree at Illif Commons</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">by Michael Hooper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">October is Nature's Last Golden Glowing</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Leaves are singing </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"look at me, look at me, before I die."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Red, brown, yellow and gold</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Are the colors in my eyes </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Autumn is enchantment</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">with a creative vibe</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Before </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">it’s gone </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I carry my blanket and art supplies </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">to the prairie, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">to capture</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">nature's magic moment </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I see foliage and trees dressed </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">in orange, green and brown </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">dancing in the wind around</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">a red crimson tree</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">A runner stops to take a picture</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">of this lovely oak tree</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">full of glory</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This tree with its</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">intoxicating </span><span style="font-size: large;">red leaves</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">is a poet's delight </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span>You </span><span>raise me up</span><span> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">like transcendent dreams</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">You take me away</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">from the madness of the world</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Lying on this prairie</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">overlooking big skies</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I see planes </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">at 36000 feet</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I see the chem trails of</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">passenger jets</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">criss crossing the sky</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The light changes in October</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The skies are more gray</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;">October nights</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">are filled with mystery</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">and melancholy </span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The turn of the earth</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">kills most of the light</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By candle light I sit</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A sad mystery </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">is left behind</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Why does my heart</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">feel so sad, so bad</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Such a fleeting moment, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">October's golden glowing,</span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">now it is already</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">November, the reining</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">month for gray</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael Hooper</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Nov. 1, 2022</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-88991291224340521942022-10-21T07:55:00.008-07:002022-10-21T09:24:39.891-07:00Why Paris?<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;">Notes for talk 6:30 pm Friday. Oct. 21, 2022, with Visual Artists of Topeka at Arts Connect, NOTO Arts District</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4lTrnpttmVEpV8C32Hepcj_640SEk0s-L3K3U9VXGlCcgR9aWGe52tKhBHmPMTZKT3ucm2TR_F7dBzGUDpb1kdKfJbtrLTt5K2ArBJOYP6hIwO9A40qr3XDYBWi3cUG0Tmg5_1rApmrb8fXZ1LZ_fqd9EncBGc5a3bLdgP0oIBxm-UvKVyzM3lw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4lTrnpttmVEpV8C32Hepcj_640SEk0s-L3K3U9VXGlCcgR9aWGe52tKhBHmPMTZKT3ucm2TR_F7dBzGUDpb1kdKfJbtrLTt5K2ArBJOYP6hIwO9A40qr3XDYBWi3cUG0Tmg5_1rApmrb8fXZ1LZ_fqd9EncBGc5a3bLdgP0oIBxm-UvKVyzM3lw" width="180" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Heather at Les Deaux Magots, Paris</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It’s fantastic that you are all here tonight. Thank you. Some of the brightest minds I know in the world are here in this room. This should make for an engaging experience for all of us. Feel free to interrupt me at any time to make comments or questions.</span><p></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Every artist has likely experienced some time in their life a heightened sense of awareness, a transcendental, meditative state, inspired by a place where they are at their creative best. For me it is a state of being connected to my subject, feeling a sense of the sublime. I'm furiously trying to capture this feeling, this message, this composition that is saying paint me, paint me, paint me.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In some ways the experience of creating art is superior to the outcome. Yet what remains is something startling to the eyes, a reminder of this magnificent state of transcendence. How do we sustain this artistic feeling? Sometimes you find it in a place. You go to this place, you feel this place, you draw and paint this place and suddenly your brain reflects this place and you see it in your dreams.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For three years I was working on my art in my studio, and dreaming of going to Paris. Why Paris? Because it is the art and literary capital of the world, there is a painting around every corner. I'm in love with its art and architecture, parks, food and culture, its people and their language.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A year ago at this time I was there living in a hotel on the rue de Seine, making this dream a reality. I experienced Paris with my own eyes as an artist, it was a delight and a challenge and sometimes uncomfortable and even painful doing something I’ve never done before, meeting people I had never met, and experiencing conversations with other artists and writers. </span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The outcome was actually pretty good. I feel very grateful that I painted a dozen paintings of Paris, most of them while I was there, and then produced a book about it three months later. I was in the Paris zone. I came back a better painter. This talk will focus on my 21 day experience in Paris and briefly in Puerto Rico and then back to Paris again over the summer with my wife.</span></p>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-13906780150704168942022-05-18T07:30:00.014-07:002022-08-24T06:45:17.392-07:00Midnight in the Garden<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbFFZ_sm5HObMxqwkDUN3YzWz1sfE4XGwvIk0PwILQnzdgMsCuikwCKD7qqFMftOhHfagsI083CpzAfCSXXBLkGN-QkoNWuBHjZ1BMVRVz2_AWYpXmnS_Ot7YrR5Xlvrye7Is_aYbjt84ypV5qtFJXzHRrFaRLWQy-qaN4RahS8iYC3AkVh9Dytw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="569" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbFFZ_sm5HObMxqwkDUN3YzWz1sfE4XGwvIk0PwILQnzdgMsCuikwCKD7qqFMftOhHfagsI083CpzAfCSXXBLkGN-QkoNWuBHjZ1BMVRVz2_AWYpXmnS_Ot7YrR5Xlvrye7Is_aYbjt84ypV5qtFJXzHRrFaRLWQy-qaN4RahS8iYC3AkVh9Dytw" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Midnight in the Garden</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I sit in the garden by candlelight</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Listening to the sounds of the night</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Water trickles over stones</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">While cars s</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">treak down the street</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Peace, overcome by chaos</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I hide under a canopy of trees, </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">the largest is a silver maple 100 years old,</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">she has a gigantic trunk with deep roots </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">and a broad span</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The maple has taken a lot of hits, </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">many branches have fallen yet new growth continues</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I sip my wine and listen</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There’s a rumble in the clouds and</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">lightning on the horizon</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I feel sad for all the tragedy and madness in the world, the war in Ukraine, the Covid-19 Pandemic, illness and decay. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I look at Willy Dog's stone, lying next to me, his resting place. I remember his loving excitement. Yet I feel a sense of </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the crypt, looking at his grave, the dread of death. </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Time waits for no one, I’m getting older, I can feel it in my bones</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My candle shimmers in the night, cutting through the darkness, its light is golden.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I think of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, the high drama queen who came from nothing and became the most famous name in poetry</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">She is full of lust, independence and beauty, </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">she is intimate with lovers in a gripping embrace.</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Edna is the leader of the Bohemians swimming together, cozy in the hot tub, water dripping from their lips</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I want to see water, the beach, the sun and the sand with my lover</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But I am </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in the urban forest</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">under the canopy</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">in the center of the city, </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">in my garden </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">at night</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I end my romance</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">with this moment</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I blow out the candle</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">go inside and </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">then it begins</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">to rain</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: #161a1e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">--by Michael Hooper, May 18, 2022</p>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-46594654983150709122022-05-13T06:58:00.023-07:002022-05-13T11:39:32.465-07:00Union Pacific Is Attractive With Five Positive Trends <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaWv43zRL9C8Sqg2HIFK5zFoS8FxxkL4uXj5gLrefBIR8pn3bf9BBj5nl2TRhdt6KhtwrIpEWhC-iGbBq-zDDXugA9iMSdWKmlG5xJKWb_taMbiylR4SKPHGp06sw7u3BaCwI_M723Q/s1600/Union+Pacific+Pic.JPG" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaWv43zRL9C8Sqg2HIFK5zFoS8FxxkL4uXj5gLrefBIR8pn3bf9BBj5nl2TRhdt6KhtwrIpEWhC-iGbBq-zDDXugA9iMSdWKmlG5xJKWb_taMbiylR4SKPHGp06sw7u3BaCwI_M723Q/s320/Union+Pacific+Pic.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span></p><p><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Union Pacific (UNP) has recently exhibited five positive trends that make its stock look attractive at current prices.</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The five trends are steady-to-growing volumes in the first 18 weeks of the year; higher pricing; a fuel surcharge; a dividend over 2% and a stock buy-back program that is like a revolving bank.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">With those trends in place and the stock down 9% year to date, Union Pacific looks attractive.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The S&P 500 is down 18% so far this year, through May 12, 2022. The NASDAQ is down 27% year to date. My portfolio is down 4% year to date. I am overweight Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/B) (48% of my total portfolio), the rest of my portfolio includes consumer defensive stocks like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and Hershey, railroads, utilities and dividend aristocrat ETF (NOBL).</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I’ve watched Union Pacific stock for over 20 years. I once had a client who paid $8,500 for shares of Union Pacific Railroad stock in 1948. By 2012 those UNP shares were worth over $2 million and paid $36,000 annually in dividends.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Another reason Union Pacific is such a good investment is limited competition, its chief competitor is BNSF Railway, owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Union Pacific owns the Central Corridor from Denver to Winnemucca, Nevada. The route includes the famous Moffat Tunnel in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the tunnel with 6.2 miles represents the highest point in the UP line. There were 28 people who died during the construction. Many of them died when they discovered a lake inside the mountain. Water from the lake goes to Denver.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZk5PVR6Ay5zCs_lbsc_qklB9CvvxXQaMeKPU_PDoj4PEIVQMp-QeUJSCLIqfixGziuG8xZbxLTlv5xtn86O_YZGTdZ751f7Dtg85iwqEy0-xtwCxyS4SSI4oiqwh2zMTv01ymb9dERsE6yZaEYQ_GXiZ9BGySTf3DJjAJvlbxe04KAcJczH6ew/s1033/Union%20Pacific%20Week%2018%202022.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1033" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZk5PVR6Ay5zCs_lbsc_qklB9CvvxXQaMeKPU_PDoj4PEIVQMp-QeUJSCLIqfixGziuG8xZbxLTlv5xtn86O_YZGTdZ751f7Dtg85iwqEy0-xtwCxyS4SSI4oiqwh2zMTv01ymb9dERsE6yZaEYQ_GXiZ9BGySTf3DJjAJvlbxe04KAcJczH6ew/s320/Union%20Pacific%20Week%2018%202022.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Total volumes of traffic at Union Pacific railroad were up 2% year to date and total carloads excluding intermodal where was up 9% year to date through Week 18 ending May 7. So far in the second quarter, carloads were up 3% but intermodal was down 10%, so total volume was down 3%</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Revenue was up 17% in the first quarter due to higher volumes, fuel charges and favorable pricing and mix. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Union Pacific Railroad will struggle to grow volumes because of a shortage of staff and constraints in the supply chains. The war in Ukraine, the Covid-19 Pandemic in China, where so much of our imports come from, and inflation may hurt traffic. Intermodal traffic will decline as imports fall off.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The railroad's dividend is yielding 2.09% yield at today’s prices. Generally speaking a good rule of thumb for this stock is Union Pacific is a buy when the dividend is over 2% and it’s a hold or a sell when it’s under 2%.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzMB_hdvhX_BfvZBEG0ib0OmxqaACf74iQdVMkHBVK_3GFPhctdoQW7DcpWsn9LPgctcCaEOgqFamWChqHlzpOC4tjPgW858URk2U8WOCeUQ4xSmMOFXq8OySztzP3cddUSj13cv0w9D8Wk3gPpPCpYppcxtdDGGiGcX9oQRRaLaQ4rOP2FeFEg/s1045/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-12%20at%201.32.10%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="1045" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzMB_hdvhX_BfvZBEG0ib0OmxqaACf74iQdVMkHBVK_3GFPhctdoQW7DcpWsn9LPgctcCaEOgqFamWChqHlzpOC4tjPgW858URk2U8WOCeUQ4xSmMOFXq8OySztzP3cddUSj13cv0w9D8Wk3gPpPCpYppcxtdDGGiGcX9oQRRaLaQ4rOP2FeFEg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-12%20at%201.32.10%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">Historic Dividend Yield for one year from <a href="https://ycharts.com/companies/UNP/dividend_yield">YCharts</a></div></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The one-year chart shows the dividend yield spent much of its time below 2%.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2hA7emNJlJrqPl-tvhPkjUDan1QGNB7xmnb3WvF17NuDGfRf1VANRpgc_ledxyXDgNkSrXZSAFuoOzBxJWDdCBUJGfeDCA0R63ZATxokS5S2I-nnSglcPJ31ohcaw6524PdW5qlrUUN4zfblom5sIY2U3vOym5FrB8vMRlddKyfZH5g_QGuP7mQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="1051" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2hA7emNJlJrqPl-tvhPkjUDan1QGNB7xmnb3WvF17NuDGfRf1VANRpgc_ledxyXDgNkSrXZSAFuoOzBxJWDdCBUJGfeDCA0R63ZATxokS5S2I-nnSglcPJ31ohcaw6524PdW5qlrUUN4zfblom5sIY2U3vOym5FrB8vMRlddKyfZH5g_QGuP7mQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">According to <a href="https://www.gurufocus.com/term/yield/NYSE:UNP/Dividend-Yield-/Union-Pacific">gurufocus</a>, UNP's dividend yield has ranged from 1.47% to 3.22%, with the median of 1.92% over the past 10 years.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I own UNP and CSX (CSX), Canadian Pacific (CP), Canadian National Railway (CNI) and Norfolk Southern (NSC). My favorite is Union Pacific.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Union Pacific was recently trading at $230.80 per share. I think it's a buy from here to $241.00. However, because of extreme volatility, the stock may revisit current prices or go lower in the near term. But I expect this stock to perform well over the next two to five years and beyond.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Editors note: Michael Hooper owns shares in UNP, CSX, CP, CNI, NSC and BRK/B.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-37391440495106611752022-05-10T11:07:00.004-07:002022-05-10T11:15:41.311-07:00Michael Hooper's Journey from Clarinda Native to Author<p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-Z6SF-ftjnShJtDwrH-L-KoEI84To8xCpxltN6kS-EE_b5xovZVI5QyrAYhxjL3m0Cqnrb0j6Pe1YTZ-dz-mtCfIwDLCIaoZNtF0QJY9_aihR4E6DyZddPvdHS6XlBtTGYU5mvjjnyBflMAlrmub03DWWPMO99jJfs0nEsqstqfHTYoblLipp8A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2304" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-Z6SF-ftjnShJtDwrH-L-KoEI84To8xCpxltN6kS-EE_b5xovZVI5QyrAYhxjL3m0Cqnrb0j6Pe1YTZ-dz-mtCfIwDLCIaoZNtF0QJY9_aihR4E6DyZddPvdHS6XlBtTGYU5mvjjnyBflMAlrmub03DWWPMO99jJfs0nEsqstqfHTYoblLipp8A" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Thank you for having me in this book talk tonight Monday May 9, 2022, in Clarinda, Iowa. In the past 12 months I published two books: a Painter in Paris and the Wonderment Years.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The story behind my books is a long and wandering Odyssey of trials and tribulations and lessons learned, sometimes the hard way but it’s also a story of dreaming, Studying and saving and investing and working daily toward a goal.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">First let me say I am grateful to my family for supporting me especially my wife Heather and out children Hannah Dale and Reid and Hannah Marie Hooper, my brother Tom and my brother Richard. I also want to thank my cousins and aunts and uncles in the states, Ohio and in Puerto Rico!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As a freelance writer I get jokes all the time about my way of life. What do you do all day? Dream up thoughts. Well yes. Ideas can change the world. What do you call a writer with health insurance? Married. Why does a writer enjoy writing about fantasy fiction so much? Because it’s better than real life where the scribe's pay is miserable.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Strangely enough. Around 1978 when I was in 9th grade I was a librarian in Clarinda Junior High School, in this very site where we are now, I was hired to work as a Librarian during study halls. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At that time I could relate to the books of SE Hinton, the Outsiders, That was Then This is now, About the break up of a friendship. Something I experienced when I was young.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I was born in Maryville, Missouri, in 1963 and my family moved to Clarinda around 1966. I remember my family and I gathered around the TV in 1969 to watch Neil Armstrong step onto the moon as the first human to touch the surface of the moon. We were so in awe of this. My brothers and I built this huge 5 foot model of the rocket used to go to the moon. This rocket is a metaphor for our adventures. Our parents Jovita and Charles Hooper encouraged us to build these models airplanes. When we were little kids we saw the home of Kathy and Ken Hunter and saw Kenny Hunter built these model airplanes that flew in the sky and we thought that was cool and we wanted to do that too.</span></div><div class="yiv2328305718yqt4412573518" id="yiv2328305718yqtfd15772" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My grandfather Thomas Reid Hooper gave me a pocket knife and said don’t sell it or give it away or lose it and I still have it to this day. I think there was something in my grandfather wanting us to save everything, his house was full of collectibles of all kinds books art tools cartoons. When I was 10, he gave me a book about Klondike Mike who was Canadian who sought to make his fortune in the gold Klondike gold rush in Dawson Canada in the late 1890s. Mike was an entrepreneur and perhaps that story influenced who I am. Klondike Mike made a lost and made another fortune. As Phil Anschutz, the billionaire said, You will make mistakes but you can make up for them.</span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My grandfather Thomas Reid Hooper gave me my first diary book for Christmas 1981. I’ve been keeping a diary ever since so that is 40 years of diary keeping. I used the diaries to help write these two books.</span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I worked 20 years for newspapers in Nebraska and Kansas. I wanted to be the best reporter I could be, one who could be trusted with integrity and a desire to be fair, accurate and thorough. Credibility is everything in journalism.</span></span></span><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> I cultivated sources who could keep me informed and often had exclusive front page news about the biggest story of the day. </span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of my favorite stories </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">were interviewing a true granddaughter of a Civil War veteran, covering Ronald Reagan in Hastings Nebraska for USA today, Touring with a rock band in Italy and writing about it for The Topeka Capital-Journal. I remain friends today with Civil War veteran Samuel Dinsmoor's granddaughter, </span><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Janet Stevens Holmquist</span></span><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-weight: inherit;"> Smith. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dinsmoor was a folk artist sculptor from Lucas, Kansas, whose sculptor garden is there today as a museum.</span></div><div style="color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></div></span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Before there was a Painter in Paris and the Wonderment Years I wrote three other unpublished books called Shattered on the Plains, with Arlen Lazaroff, Shattered on the Plains was about eccentric men in Nebraska and Kansas, including a Hermit named Bogie Savage who lived in a sod house in a ghost town. I also wrote a biography of poet Arlen Lazaroff story and a third book called Bar Stories which were written as short vignettes.</span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In 2019, I watched a friend of mine Skyler Troughton write and self publish several books on Amazon. She advised me that I could do it but needed to download Microsoft Word. </span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I had learned how to dictate into my phone in order to write on deadline. My shoulders and wrists suffered carpal tunnel syndrome from pounding the keyboards over my 20 years as a journalist on deadline. I was always looking for a new way to write and dictation was the answer. I was so thrilled to be able to quickly dictate an entire story into an email to myself, using my phone. This saved my arms from all this clickety-clack clickety-clack. So inspired by my friend Skyler, I started dictating my choicest diary entries into a word file. These choice diary entries began as a look back on memory lane, what are the real things that happened back there, is my memory of them accurate? My diary has information that would otherwise be irretrievable if not written down.</span></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"></div><div style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As a freelance writer, I have the entire day to set up like I choose, so I can be productive at my favorite times of the day, early morning, and midday. I prepare dinner for Heather and me. We love fresh fruits and vegetables, like avocados, tomatoes, onion and rice and beans. All this <span style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">cauliflower</span></span> and broccoli are great vegetarian meals, but sometimes I just want a fat double cheeseburger with a layer of bacon, mayonnaise and tomato.</span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Wonderment Years opens at a very difficult time in my life when I was picked up as a runaway. </span></span><span style="color: #26282a;">When I left Clarinda, Iowa, at age 16, I never thought I would be coming back here to do this. If you read my Wonderment Years, you will see I was transported by a policeman to Council Bluffs, Iowa., where I stayed in a group home for a month before moving to the Omaha Home for Boys.</span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I had been getting in trouble with smoking marijuana and lying and stealing and even some vandalism. My parents moved me to the Omaha Home for Boys where I lived on a ranch with 12 boys, some of them very challenging and difficult people. I was lucky that I immersed myself in my studies at school and found out I was pretty good at literature and art and drafting. I connected with Charles Gould who gave me his own poems to read and introduced me to Henry David Thoreau. Mr. Wilke my drafting instructor showed me home that he built with his construction class. And then Mr. Johnson my art teacher encouraged me to draw and paint every day in watercolor. He said, "your work today is practice for something greater tomorrow."</span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After graduation from high school in 1981 at Benson High School I went to Hastings Nebraska where I enrolled in Central community college in their drafting program. While there I met a man named Keith Marsh who told me about Yellowstone park and encourage me to get a job there and live there and work there. You’re gonna love it. So I finished my studies for the spring semester and left for Yellowstone and had the most amazing time of my life ever it was so explosively awesome, seeing the Rocky Mountains for the very first time I think and in a bus all the way to Livingston Montana where I met all these philosophers playing frisbee waiting for our transfer into the park where we were given places to live in dorms and and I had all of this good backpacking equipment so I had my job taking care of dormitories cleaning them and then I moved up to resident assistant. </span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span>I just thought this was the best time of my life, I work during the day and then go hang out with my friends at night we go hot putting in the Hot Springs or we go hiking somewhere or we listen to some music or maybe go to a Bible study or sing songs at the employee pub. And I loved it and I wrote about it every day in my diary and I thought this is awesome I wanna be a writer and told my Dad that I wanted to switch majors and he said well you can’t even spell and I said well I can learn how to spell a word there’s dictionary Dad said finish your associate's degree and then go on to get your bachelor's so I finished my drafting degree and then went to the University Nebraska Lincoln finishing four years later in 1987. My first job out of college was at the Fremont Tribune in 1988. I </span></span><span style="color: #1d2228;">worked there a year and a half and then went to the Grand Island independent for nine years then I ran a staffing firm in Kearney for a year, I sold my share of the business and bought Coca-Cola stock with the profits. We moved to Topeka where I became business editor a the Topeka Capital-Journal for 10 years. I worked four years at a trust company and sold my shares in the business and went out on my own as a full-time freelancer writer investor.</span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Oh yeah there’s some trippy things That happened along the way like losing my virginity in a hayfield. While in high school. But in my early 20s I did not go to college to get a wife I went there for an education first and foremost. Period. I wanted to work a couple of years outside of college and save up some money and go on a trip to Europe.</span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I had received a postcard from Jeanne Bourne in Greece of an empty park bench on an empty beach and she said what is missing from this picture and I thought to myself me I should be there right now on the beach. She said don’t worry about saving up too much money just get here you’ll find a job.</span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In a years time I had saved $5000 and paid off $2000 in credit card debt and now was taking off for the adventure of a lifetime.</span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I traveled around Amsterdam Germany Austria and Switzerland with a friend from Nebraska Lauren Lazaroff and then went to Greece. In Athens at the train station, I met woman named Archie from Australia and Bassim this man from Cairo. They took me to their hotel. I really liked it. I liked the Bohemian travel crowd. I asked Archie how they got their jobs as working for this hotel. And Archie said well I can introduce you to the boss. I pulled out my résumé and showed the boss and he talked to me and asked me where I was from and he hired me and he said as soon as you’re done with your trip on the islands come look me up and I’ll find some work for you . So I went out to the islands for a month and hung out with these German girls on this island of Anti Paros and we also visited Irakli yeah it was just awesome I was like I can’t believe a human being can do this. I was jealous of this Englishman who had a beautiful campsite against a stone wall on the beach, he said, yeah I’m living here all summer.</span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My lifestyle in Greece on the island of Antiparos was pretty simple I would get up eat a little cereal and fruit and water and juice and maybe go out for a cup of coffee and sit in a café and write in my diary. I also wrote numerous letters in the morning and then in the afternoon I would go to the beach and swim and in the evening Read and perhaps hang out with some friends.</span></span></p><div class="yiv2328305718yqt7621845051" id="yiv2328305718yqtfd21789"><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; 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margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We used to hang out at a place called the Doors in Antiparos. This is where we would listen to songs like riders on the storm by the doors or satisfaction by the Rolling Stones and Don McLean‘s by by miss American pie. I thought this was the perfect life like why would I wanna leave this? I met one person who had enough money saved for two years and was taking the his time on his way to the trans Siberian railway across Russia. And he was interesting we were inside of bar that was blue and melancholy and there was another man and spent 20 years traveling around the world and he seem kind of lonely. These two people were fascinating but I’m not sure I wanted to be like them? Yeah there was for sure a wonder lust for me. </span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="yiv2328305718yqt4698087928" id="yiv2328305718yqtfd63461"><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I traveled through Italy France Spain on a backpack and ended up in Barcelona. I was walking a loss along Las Ramblas in Barcelona and this guy says hey hello and I said hello and he said are you British and I said now I am an American he said do you like to party and I said yeah and he said follow us. And so I did we ended up in the Square sitting around there were musicians in the Square and please and children playing and people drinking in the bars and we sat in the courtyard there on this beautiful day and drink beer and and enjoy the camaraderie among the patriots X patriots from England South Africa the United States Germany and we talked about human distraction of indigenous people all over the world including in the United States and Australia and the genocide of peoples was kind of sad but it linked us to our concern about humanity and at five minutes before midnight I said hey I’m gonna be 27 years old in five minutes and all these guys I said hey they they ordered more beers and rolled up some joints and and we drank and got hire and they sang happy birthday to me and it was probably the most amazing birthday I’ve ever experienced and it was with strangers and it was so full of love.</span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I learned some really key things from Europe and one was maintain my youthful spirit and Wonderlust an adult and sense of adventure and most of all my sense of wonderment. This is why I call my book the Wonderment years because they’re full of all of this Out Loud, Wide awake hyper awareness of how intensely amazing this life is and I try to carry that sense back to the states with me. And I also learn to work efficiently you know as a writer I would write intensely all morning long and accomplish a lot mostly letters and journals and and short stories while I was in Europe but nonetheless I was constantly working working working and yet had all this time to see life and go to the Prado in Madrid. </span></p><div class="yiv2328305718yqt4412573518" id="yiv2328305718yqtfd15772"><div dir="ltr"><div class="yiv2328305718yqt7621845051" id="yiv2328305718yqtfd21789"><div class="yiv2328305718yqt4698087928" id="yiv2328305718yqtfd63461"><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I returned to the Grand Island independent to work As a regional reporter covering 14 counties in Nebraska. Total blast of a job. I covered the story of Cathy Beard of Ord Nebraska missing person who is a body was eventually found two years later in a lovers Lane. Jim Helm and I interviewed the killer in jail, Using psychological techniques like such as flattery saying that we’ve heard he said very well read and intelligent human being and that he have many thoughts and his friend going and would love to hear them and he talked to us for 2 1/2 hours on tape. He knew he was the killer because he said he wanted to have sex with her but she refused him and said now now now please John now I always thought those were her last words. A film called buried in my backyard was made of this killer John Oldson and Cathy Beard and it’s now on the oxygen network .</span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span>While in Grand Island , This new intern showed up with her mother. I saw her and I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. And my friend Christine Romano sitting next to me said she has the purest most blonde hair. I was supposed thunderstruck by this woman that I didn’t say anything to her all week and then on Friday she says hello and asked me what do you do around here on a Friday night and I said whatever you wanna do and we went to a park and she rollerbladed as I walked in we got on the swings and started swinging up and down in the flight in the sky and I told her about Europe and she said she wanted to go to Europe and I said we should go together and we did two years later. After we got married. On our honeymoon we went to Paris, we climbed the Eiffel Tower, </span></span><span style="color: #1d2228;">we swam in the south of France including Nice where we bicycled in this gorgeous city on the French Riviera. We stayed a night in orals the town where Vincent van Gogh painted and lived with for a time with him Paul Gauguin. You definitely can feel the hot sun that place at the time there was a woman who lived to be the oldest living woman in the world living in orals and her name was Jeanne Calmet who lived to be 122 years old dying in 1997 she knew van Gogh and called him a dirty smelly man. So she was alive while we were there. Heather and I went on to Prague where we sat on cafés near the Charles bridge and took a tour of a palace with an American ex-patriot named Mike Rainey who took us to restaurants where we ate well we bought a bunch of Crystal and garnets in Prague and then went on to Sweden where we saw Heather‘s cousin Bengt Okie and dined with their families and then we lived in a little cabin in the woods and rode bicycles around the neighborhood it was awesome. Awesome is a really popular word in Topeka especially at church people say awesome man and awesome. </span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When I started painting in oil three years ago I began dreaming of going back to Paris. My first thought I have to be ready to go there I need to know how to paint at least with the basic fundamentals so I hired teachers to teach me how to paint and after three years I felt somewhat ready to go. My wife couldn’t go but she encouraged me to go and I received encouragement from a friend of mine who lives in Paris. I figured I would keep a journal of everything I do in Paris as I paint every day with the goal of turning it into a book. So that was my mission is to make it an authentic book of my own creation of my own paintings but I met these wonderful artists along the way and I fell in love with their artwork and asked to produce their work with mine and now have multiple artists including Robert Lobet an artist from the south of France to I met in Paris Robert Lobet makes his own books by hand and I bought one of them and featured that artwork in my book.</span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To write your own book</span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Write an outline for your book with a beginning, middle and end. And write a little every day just one page and you will have 250 pages in 250 days. Even just write one paragraph a day.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I always prepared my material first and had it all in front of me and then I dictated the book into my phone as an email to myself and then I would copy and paste it into a word document and add photos as appropriate.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Once I was done writing and editing, I ship it over to Amazon, write out the copy for the necessary things such as name of the book subtitle of the book description of the book. Write a good description. There is a way to look at how your book would look. You can proof it in front of you on the computer before sending it and if you send it and you find a mistake later well collect that all your mistakes and then fix it and resubmit it and it’ll be submitted in the new way the corrections will be in place so the nice thing about publishing with Amazon is that you can improve your book if you see a problem you can change it. And it’s still your own book.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Looking back, I am inclined to rewrite diary entries into a narrative. Told in a single voice with a theme that develops over the duration of the book.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rather than lists of people or places, I would write about the philosophical implications of my observations, and more humor! The twisted messy side of relationships, how politics is driving a wedge between friends and family.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My wife wanted me to tell the story of my childhood when the some friends and I went underneath the city of Clarinda in the sewer when it was about 0° outside it’s kind of cold and the water was frozen and we took a sled and hiked it all the way through underground kind of crawled on the ice crazy we ended up downtown and crawled out of the sewer and probably smelled like it too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Perhaps more than anything, I cherish the experience of literature, the gathering of poets on a blanket on a hill, or by the riverside around a fire. Heather and I took a bottle of wine, a blanket and some snacks, and sat on a hill at Illif Commons, sharing poems about the sky by Eileen Myles.</span></div><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv2328305718ydp5fc4005cMsoNormal" style="color: black; margin: 0in;"><br /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-75887425827830152442022-04-20T10:04:00.019-07:002022-04-20T12:14:23.502-07:00A Punk Rock Memoir: Face It by Debbie Harry<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6x3-g1RlrMo3YVctaxowrZldMmGdxkL0i3BAeVdld3M_eUMF6qRF6FBhinE-KTwUQpzvVPShcVjcy-RjWEjfDsNy456TDkhFqMZDJKmfXCqBYuYCRwrqFZ1Xqi0pXAO5b2UkHdhmPQQcTV8OjbaGM7Ql3maNwiryz19aTa_AotIdOfbjUZ21dg/s3035/IMG_20220420_133434275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3035" data-original-width="2521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6x3-g1RlrMo3YVctaxowrZldMmGdxkL0i3BAeVdld3M_eUMF6qRF6FBhinE-KTwUQpzvVPShcVjcy-RjWEjfDsNy456TDkhFqMZDJKmfXCqBYuYCRwrqFZ1Xqi0pXAO5b2UkHdhmPQQcTV8OjbaGM7Ql3maNwiryz19aTa_AotIdOfbjUZ21dg/s320/IMG_20220420_133434275.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Debbie Harry's autobiography Face It is a fascinating read through the 1960s and 1970s New York City. This woman was at the right time in the right place to perform music with people at CBGB's the famous punk rock alternative rock hangout in New York. Blondie achieved fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, selling millions of albums, with hits like</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-size: large;"> Heart of Glass, Call Me, Rapture and The Tide Is High.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Blondie performed alongside the Ramones, Television, the Talking Heads, Iggy Pop and David Bowie.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She worked as a waitress at Max's Kansas City and served as a Playboy Bunny at the Playboy Club. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was hard work, harder than at Max's, and the clients were mainly businessmen, suits, she wrote.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"You got treated well but really it was just another job and not as much fun as the last one," she wrote.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Her book is an odyssey of her life and memories. She says she wishes she would have kept a diary or a journal and then she would have remembered more.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, co-founders of Blondie, were lovers and partners for 14 years. He took a lot of photographs of Debbie. He made her feel confident and sexy. Sometimes these photo sessions would lead to passionate loving making. He later moved on and married and had two children, but he and Debbie continued working together. They put out a new album and toured the world.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAAEdfZMq1kyREQWyrtM2dRnuE7fvNJ6ZEovKxt2uTEwCTnhJ9PMut8VnFy2JMjsWAyhx7foaf9Y0UG3fhpcgmLlVn-1LZlYGQVye3Uo4xLZEzpCuZe9CECjZvkDVXPuj1R-fnA3yps-0b4PqFzNSZOrakb5tmi_aUFC7YZszlKyWjexScoIzNQ/s4032/IMG_20220420_111141075.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAAEdfZMq1kyREQWyrtM2dRnuE7fvNJ6ZEovKxt2uTEwCTnhJ9PMut8VnFy2JMjsWAyhx7foaf9Y0UG3fhpcgmLlVn-1LZlYGQVye3Uo4xLZEzpCuZe9CECjZvkDVXPuj1R-fnA3yps-0b4PqFzNSZOrakb5tmi_aUFC7YZszlKyWjexScoIzNQ/s320/IMG_20220420_111141075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were friends with Andy Warhol. Andy painted a picture of her. Andy took some photos and showed some to her. She picked the one she liked. And he made it. She still has the original.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYolFXfXnargvpxbdVjFVKeuqeQv88HG3Yx2Z8A2szsUdiuJbi9f2u3dipse8xz1uYGHPrOwJV6DtecqXKTVd36Vbijjww6bnas5WL6hvu_LdLvvPNSIo9hrxgsiKp4KDxm_8D4ZmpfM1r2gxtGmH0oJTXGQx0TDSPNx1AAPdMw1pZ7s3DIQHzg/s4032/IMG_20220420_111224111_BURST000_COVER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYolFXfXnargvpxbdVjFVKeuqeQv88HG3Yx2Z8A2szsUdiuJbi9f2u3dipse8xz1uYGHPrOwJV6DtecqXKTVd36Vbijjww6bnas5WL6hvu_LdLvvPNSIo9hrxgsiKp4KDxm_8D4ZmpfM1r2gxtGmH0oJTXGQx0TDSPNx1AAPdMw1pZ7s3DIQHzg/s320/IMG_20220420_111224111_BURST000_COVER.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Nevertheless her memories are very vivid from her fascination with the television set as a child, watching cartoons and wrestling. She met Andre the Giant. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Her sense of fashion is legendary. Designers created many outfits for Blondie. She wore a striking double edge razor blade dress that hugged her body yet all these razor blades have been softened to prevent injury.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaH6uLoERWK38eEDOA0BU27k1CS3l2kig8pBpWFv3D9N3dPZNKYyZPuruxL2r05bfxSkyz0qCsZb7DJO4Rv20lqb3sq3csrQHHydYfnN6tHsymhCT8QAVR1T1SO2iyAVkk7dx7Ez8jnTDdGrvjQz5ikXHzoY9dK7zdhi6At9bb5zXvG6u2Py1EOg/s4032/IMG_20220420_111650171.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaH6uLoERWK38eEDOA0BU27k1CS3l2kig8pBpWFv3D9N3dPZNKYyZPuruxL2r05bfxSkyz0qCsZb7DJO4Rv20lqb3sq3csrQHHydYfnN6tHsymhCT8QAVR1T1SO2iyAVkk7dx7Ez8jnTDdGrvjQz5ikXHzoY9dK7zdhi6At9bb5zXvG6u2Py1EOg/s320/IMG_20220420_111650171.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Debbie Harry says, "I was playing at the idea of being a very feminine woman while fronting a male rock band in a highly macho game. I was saying things in the songs that female singers really didn't say back then. I wasn't submissive or begging him to come back, I was kicking his ass, kicking him out, kicking my own ass too. My Blondie character was an inflatable doll but with a dark provocative and aggressive style I was playing it up yet I was very serious."</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There are some really dark and hard things like when she and Chris got attacked and she was raped, or when they quit the band in the '80s while Chris was sick. But hey the two are still alive today and they've seen a lot and done a lot.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I find that amazing because they were drug users for a long time. She discusses their drug use in the book. Heroin was a popular choice. Chris Stein would grow cannabis on their deck at the apartment in New York City.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">She just loves NYC. She dreamed of living and working in NYC when she was a teenager. She was adopted, she discusses this in the book. Her childhood seemed middle class, her parents did well but were not among the wealthy.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Her childhood included Girl Scouts, ballet. She changed schools, met new friends and began dyeing her hair blond. She wanted to be platinum blond like Marilyn Monroe.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The fan art in this book is great. I love the photo of these women artists:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oduDpSD4t3N8mwnCk50zvLwluG9STxaucMh96pPi3paxw0Iwl4xRtwOeW73RvleIGsoKNCLlTTguR7PEbzh3dtV-4PAfV3wlm_oex-mNQemAyOGG7OxRo32AzIzEWbBB9XR2JofB2jdBHRUB0QrHrxa49uzRV48WINyyazBbdx2rkacMeP6Ttg/s4032/IMG_20220420_114943242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oduDpSD4t3N8mwnCk50zvLwluG9STxaucMh96pPi3paxw0Iwl4xRtwOeW73RvleIGsoKNCLlTTguR7PEbzh3dtV-4PAfV3wlm_oex-mNQemAyOGG7OxRo32AzIzEWbBB9XR2JofB2jdBHRUB0QrHrxa49uzRV48WINyyazBbdx2rkacMeP6Ttg/s320/IMG_20220420_114943242.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;">Debbie Harry has engaged with some brilliant artists over the years. I'm fond of Joan Jett, Chrissie Hynde and Siouxie Sioux. Very powerful artistic women!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;">In conclusion, Debbie Harry's book is a wild ride through the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond. She has lived an extraordinary life. She worked with some great musicians over the years. </span><span style="font-size: large;">She also performed in multiple movies.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;">Blondie is a class act.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5325542309435954903.post-22719877054172981792022-04-13T07:29:00.022-07:002022-04-14T06:01:17.005-07:00Heroin's Wrath: Sing Backwards and Weep by Mark Lanegan<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwZcIYy1ljk6HJf3Q4dcjKXTWijqd0ETknqwjmi-aQEfKTZvX74koOUiW79QzhmlFHap8vt98oRJabp2vyXsqK7r92qyF3mq6ES77XKN4wAhAj61SwuV8GaQ_mk2_BSZM-RrXvjftfd2HaOBX9uNuCXTRgdZ7QzetwHq-uiG5yWWdcoFvOkOsrg/s775/Mark%20Lanegan.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="775" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwZcIYy1ljk6HJf3Q4dcjKXTWijqd0ETknqwjmi-aQEfKTZvX74koOUiW79QzhmlFHap8vt98oRJabp2vyXsqK7r92qyF3mq6ES77XKN4wAhAj61SwuV8GaQ_mk2_BSZM-RrXvjftfd2HaOBX9uNuCXTRgdZ7QzetwHq-uiG5yWWdcoFvOkOsrg/s320/Mark%20Lanegan.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Michael Hooper</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mark Lanegan's memoir Sing Backwards and Weep is a gripping story of a heroin addict/musician struggling to find his way out of darkness.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lanegan was the lead singer of Seattle grunge band Screaming Trees and a prolific solo artist and collaborator with other musicians including Isobel Campbell and Moby. He was involved with Queens of the Stone Age and Gutter Twins. His solo work could be described as a haunting Leonard Cohen. He is America's equivalent to the French poet Charles Baudelaire. He is influenced by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Velvet Underground, Gun Club, David Bowie, the Saints, Joy Division and Lou Reed.</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lanegan died Feb. 22, 2022, at age 57, of undisclosed causes. He had struggled with Covid-19 and wrote a book about his experience called Devil in a Coma while living in Ireland with his wife.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOvekSEfaMRlPNUVCbfGvhp2JH4m-gzDGF-EC8rXfp53gwx3e84kRBbtnuWH84_uptwWhzEhFutHTATP-b9nAv-7q3pe-g60AoYlhUik-V8cdi0yTVLa1EY9CuF_uAAusGutyFBcaDcTdXcXj8N3VkCvaGVaE_O-k3i94VaIYacR7NSFjLEur2w/s4032/MarkLanegan.jpg" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOvekSEfaMRlPNUVCbfGvhp2JH4m-gzDGF-EC8rXfp53gwx3e84kRBbtnuWH84_uptwWhzEhFutHTATP-b9nAv-7q3pe-g60AoYlhUik-V8cdi0yTVLa1EY9CuF_uAAusGutyFBcaDcTdXcXj8N3VkCvaGVaE_O-k3i94VaIYacR7NSFjLEur2w/s320/MarkLanegan.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In Sing Backwards and Weep, published in April 2020, Lanegan is stripped bare, he seems to hold nothing back. The book was so compelling, I read it in three days. At various times in his life, Mark Lanegan was a porn addict, a whore willing to have sex with just about any woman, he suffered multiple sexually transmitted diseases, he was a liar, a cheat, a thief, a drug dealer and a man driven by revenge who fought with his own bandmates and with strangers who pissed him off and sometimes with other musicians. He seemed heartless yet there was a deep profound sorrow and agony at moments in his life when he realized how many people he had hurt.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">His voice is so throaty and damaged, he sounds like he is going to cry when he speaks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He shares the needle with Kurt Cobain, of Nirvana. One time Kurt and Mark Lanegan went to an ATM together and Kurt withdrew several thousands of dollars from various accounts, kept a couple hundred dollars for himself and gave the rest of the money to Mark. Another time Mark needed a fix in Denver where he was stuck in a snowstorm. Kurt sent him some heroin inside a coffee bag but the snow storm prevented quick delivery.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark Lanegan grew up in Ellensburg, a small town in Washington State where he started drinking and became an alcoholic by age 12. He had a terrible relationship with his mother. His father let him do whatever he wanted but warned him that his rebellion was going to lead to a life of struggle and hardship.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark did all kinds of drugs but used heroin to get off of alcohol.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1984, he joined guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bassist Van Conner, and drummer Mark Pickerel to form Screaming Trees. </span></span>He saw the band as his way out of the small town.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He often fought with members of the band about the direction of the music and eventually won out as their lead singer and main songwriter. They moved to Seattle and became relatively successful but never as big as Nirvana, Soundgarden or Alice in Chains. Nevertheless Screaming Trees performed at concerts and festivals over the years, often with other grunge bands in the United States and Europe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Perhaps the most challenging thing in his life was finding heroin in order to avoid dope sickness. Without a fix a heroin addict gets really sick and starts throwing up and suffers diarrhea as the body works to eliminate all its toxins. The only way to stop the dope sickness is to get another fix. Lanegan was given a limit of $200 a day while on tour and he spent most of it on heroin. I'd say more than a third of the book is devoted to his struggles to score drugs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There are so many missed opportunities in his life. He turns down a chance to provide the music for a movie in<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Massachusetts</span> because he is afraid he can't find heroin there.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Perhaps the most harrowing tale of scoring drugs is when he's in Europe and he's suffering from dope sickness and needs a fix in Amsterdam. He goes out at 2 a.m. to a square where drugs are sold. He buys some dope but when he returns to his hotel he finds out it's fake. So now he needs more money. He pounds on the door of the merchandise sellers and asks for money and they threaten to call the cops but finally give him two 50-pound notes for his share of the merchandise. He then goes back to the same square to buy drugs but two people rob him at knifepoint and take all of his money. You would think at this point he would give up, but no, he takes a cab back to the hotel and fights with the cabbie over his lack of cash to pay him. Inside the hotel he finds out at the front desk that he's been authorized to charge up to 500 guilders on a credit card so he takes the money, pays the disgruntled cabbie, grabs another cab and goes back to the same square to try to find heroin. No one is there and he begins wandering the streets of Amsterdam. A strange person riding a bicycle comes toward him. He asks if the cyclist has any heroin and sure enough the guy does. Lanegan needs to do a shot right now. The Dutchman locks his bike up and sees an unlocked bike and steals it and takes it up five flights of stairs. When they enter his apartment he throws the bicycle on a pile of bikes. Lanegan is by now full of dope sickness and vomiting with diarrhea. The Dutchman prepares the heroin for him to shoot up. While sitting in the stranger's toilet he shakily finds a vein and shoots the heroin into his bloodstream, and for the first time in over a week he starts to feel well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The book includes a story about a Swedish fan who is pompous and entitled. He partied with her and her friend but didn't like her at all for her better-than-thou attitude. On a second occasion, he was doing heroin with a couple of friends. They had washed needles in a tall glass of water. When she burst into the room, she said she was thirsty and saw this tall glass of reddish water and guzzled it down in one full sweep. It took all his might to keep from bursting out in laughter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The book includes his encounters with musicians like Bernard Summer of Joy Division and New Order, Johnny Marr of The Smiths and encounters with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Courtney Love pays for much of his rehab in California.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The book ends with the news that his long time friend and co-drug user Layne Staley of Alice In Chains has died from a speedball drug overdose.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the book's dedication Mark writes, "For Tony (Anthony Bourdain) and all my other absent friends."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I never did heroin, but Mark Lanegan's life reminds me of the drug addicts I knew as a teen-ager. They seemed like loyal friends when we would score a bag of weed together, get high and listen to music. But sometimes they would steal from me. Or one time, Mike Hughes beat me up because I didn't get him high. As a drug dealer, Mark would sometimes burn his source, steal the dope and keep it for himself. One time his source threatened to kill him. I learned the hard way, I had to get rid of these lying druggie friends to find people I could trust.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I am also greatly disturbed by all the self-torture in the book. He's throwing up, he's cold, he's got the chills. One time his arm swells up from an infection, at one point doctors considered cutting off his arm. All of this self-torture says one thing, stay away from heroin.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Sure Mark was the exception in terms of production. He wrote and performed high, and seemed to do all right. But his life was a living hell. And most people are not productive on drugs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's some of the lyrics from Mark Lanegan's song, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: inherit;">I Wouldn't Want To Say</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">I wouldn't want to say, my friend</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">So I’m not saying anything</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">You say you'll fall, I'll fall lower</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">A love letter was what I meant</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">A bullet to the heart was sent</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">The way my body lay here bent</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">In the freezing exposure and frozen to colder</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">I wouldn’t want to say</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">No, I wouldn't want to say</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">Get out while you can, get out while you can</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">I will bring bad luck and misery to you, man</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">I'll paint this shadow across your land</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">While putting something graveyard dark</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">Straight into your hand</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">I wouldn't want to say</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">I wouldn't want to say</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">Finally, there are some sad haunting sounds generated by Mark Lanegan. Search him out on YouTube and you will find his music. I learned a lot from this book, mainly what it's like for a heroin addict. It is a frightening experience.</span></span></div>Michael Hooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867063867585799016noreply@blogger.com0