NEW NEIGHBORS

The students are returning and the street has been full of moving vans all week. The apartment next door that hosted the big party has turned over already. The party by the way did not live up its warnings. Never needed the earplugs as they were pretty subdued even though there was probably 50 people there at any given time. I never made it over myself, but word on the street from the attendees is that a good time was had by all.

I've lived on this block for over ten years. I've had more neighbors than I can remember. I've been lucky though, they've been mostly good or at least interesting. Jaya the Cat and also the Unband were conceived in the apartment above me. Although their early rehersals were painful to listen to, it was fun to watch them develop into real musicians. Both went on to become local legends.

That was long ago, however. Oddly, I haven't had an upstairs neighbor for the last four months. The grad students were there for three years. Vokker and his ever-changing assortment of housemates were great. They were never home. They rode their bicycles when they weren't studying. I barely noticed them and on the rare occassions they had a gathering they would speak in German and laugh a lot. I liked the sound of it - it felt almost like travelling. I still see him around town occassionally. He found new digs the last time George jacked the rents.

I hear from the landlord that a single woman in moving in above me this week. She's a social worker. Lisa says she very nice but I'm a little nervous about it. In my experience these counselor types tend to be complainers. Not that I'm usually noisy myself, but I do occassionally entertain. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. In any event the new kids next door that I just met seem like they're going to be fun. They're already using my community chalkboard.

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OLD NEIGHBORS

My dear friend Al Giordano, the mastermind behind Narco News, used to live next door to me. Al has been living south of the border for a long time now, shaking up the Latin Americas in his relentless battle to bring meaning back to the world and the word called journalism. Whether you agree with his politics or not, no one can deny his commitment to telling the truth. He lays his life down for it every day.

Well, hold to on to your hats folks. Al is about to blow into the Happy Valley and conduct a Halloween session of the Narco News School of Authentic Journalism at his old haunts in Rowe, MA. Now, I'm an alumni of the first session and I learned more in ten days in Merida than I had in a decade of institutionalized learning. You will not be bored if you sign up.

This is an abbreviated session, a three day workshop, at the Rowe Camp and Conference Center. It's really beautiful in those hills that time of year and this camp has hosted some of the best minds in the various movements for political sanity. I recommend it highly. I will at least be there for the party and Tom Lesser's presentation. Hope to see some of you there.

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NORTHERN LIGHTS

My new hero from our neighbor to the north, Marc Emery is once again raising some Cain in Canada. This footage comes from Windsor, Ontario, second to last stop on the Summer of Legalization Tour. Last stop is Ottowa on 9/25.

Keep in mind that PotTV.net is a low budget production, so the video quality is a little spotty and they lose the audio for about a minute but they at least have live video of Marc speaking this time and he has lot to say that makes sense if you can get past the minor annoyance of the technical glitches and just listen. It's funny, Marc reminds me of Al in this footage. They have the same acuity in their perceptions and passion in the delivery of their message and they're both reaching to the same audience.

I love the juxtaposition of their methods. Marc started a political party and is looking for votes; Al rejected the political system and started a revolution, yet they both seek the same goal. The end of absurd social policy. They would make formidable allies. What a funny connection in my world with these two tonight. Al brought me Out of the Shadows last winter but tonight the first last word goes to Marc, from the end of his speech in Windsor:

Never run and hide

AND the last, last word to Alberto:

Sunlight is the best disinfectant

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