This morning, during breakfast, I pulled out Section B of today’s Chronicle and saw a great feature article on Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities’ (BLSP) newest educational-vehicle creation, the Topsy-Turvy Bus. Spawned from the brain of ice-cream wizard, and my former boss, Ben Cohen (with help from others including myself), this latest eye-catcher plans on heading to Vermont soon via Iowa and New Hampshire.
The Chronicle article mentioned a launching today at Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley, so I contacted BLSP ED Duane Peterson so see what was up. BLSP had planned on launching with the Hip Hop Caucus crew, but HHC canceled their show due to an ongoing janitors’ strike at UCB. Duane didn’t know what, if anything, was happening, but I still hopped on BART and got there around 1pm to find Ben Cohen and the Topsy-Turvy Bus creators about to leave. After a brief chat with Ben, he handed me some coupons for free B&J ice cream, a few 3-year-old pull-out pens, and then boarded the bus to head off amongst gawking, photo-snapping pedestrians. I got a few photos myself.
Papa Ben Cohen affectionately leans on his newest brainchild, the Topsy-Turvy Bus
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Different attic room; same job. Wait, the job just ended. Once again, Bram let me crash in his empty upstairs master bedroom. This is where my whole Priorities adventure began, so I like the idea of ending it here on the edge of Stick season. Hard to flash back to that April day when Duane, BLSP Executive Director, pulled up at the Burlington airport and introduced me to the CarnyMobile. After buying me dinner, he dropped me off here, my home away from home away from home away from…..
Amid champagne toasts to the demise of Donald Rumsfeld, address swapping, handing over my credit card, and buying a bus ticket out of Burlington to NYC, I once again go on the dole. I also stopped in the office to wrap things up with Ian, the CFO, but he took the day off. So I had to set up my receipts and strongly urge Erin and Courtney to encourage Ian to get that check to me on time.
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I just wanted to write you note of thanks for all your great assistance and attention while we lived together in Des Moines. I had no idea how little I knew about dogs until I moved in with you. I also think that I found a good soul in an animal that had a killer “pouty face” when you wanted something.
I admit that I am not a dog person, but I do have some experience with canines. I did live with another dog for about six months, but I wasn’t paying much attention to her. You demanded that I pay attention. Remember that morning when Amy kenneled you and you made Chewbacca noises and howled until I let you out? I had no idea what the rules where but could’ve cared less after you woke me up so early.
That was a great time!
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Alone in a room, with TV, while outside world crouches coyly around smoke-stacked visions
between man, and our “waffle”, stands a time to think of loss and cherish memories.
slinging mind, across shined floor, locked away from brightness of knowledge
upon a mighty river shall truth, bright and blinding, bare down upon the masses
mounds of garbage, neatly piled, hiding realities that lawnmowers and fertilizer cannot contain
leaves gone changin’, have mercy, veil wears thin. leaves soon fallin’, dear lawsy, dead be near.
all ends. away, there upon crunching trail. general grey, muted sun. and then begins again.
Relative calm during transition; once settled, popped out like a spotty light bulb
The last batch of masthead photographs taken over the last four months (masthead poem to be posted next). Go here to check out the first batch I posted in August.
Industrial wastelands of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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I have many plates spinning at the moment, so, this morning when a Wheel-of-Fortune player asked me if Sensible Iowans supported the politician that was speaking behind me, I forgot that I’m in the middle of a “historic election.” I had no idea who the candidate was at the podium behind me. I don’t even know if Iowa is a Red or Blue state. Blue is Democrat, right?
Since my job ends on election day, I’m trying to plan my return to VT, my hopeful trip to NYC, and my coming flight back home. I’m also busy promoting Ben Cohen’s Take It Back College Tour next week (two days before the election), I have had little time to put the election thing together, and being on the road has distracted me from the names, polls, close races, etc. Actually, I have been keeping up a little bit on the radio, and enjoying all the stenciled yard signs. I just now started poking around San Francisco and California politics, but I have become an official jaded voter.
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BLSP’s Topsy-Turvy Bus Debuts in Berkeley
An Exquisite Masthead Corpse
