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Wednesday, April 2, 2025

ENGAGING THE REPUBLICANS

                  UP THE CREEK 

     Glenn's Latest Newsletter, April 2, 2025

Dear Reader,

Photo by Eli Redmane
  Welcome to another edition of my monthly newsletter. 

We've much to be thankful for like this squiggly brown anole and the Rainbow Bridge beyond...but outside our city, the very foundation of our country is being shaken. You'll find a bit of this news, both good and bad, in the latest edition "Up The Creek".

 

 

 A SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND

At last Saturday's Tesla protest the Republicans were expected to come out in large numbers. Some friends and I saw this as an opportunity to engage them.

 


We made signs that were politically neutral, messages that they might agree with. 

 

THE EAST SIDE GANG

When we showed up at the Tesla dealership there were already a hundred Trump/Musk fans lined up with signs and flags.

THE WEST SIDE GANG

Across the street were more than a hundred Democrats protesting Musk, fascism, and Swasticars. After saying hello we crossed Main Street to talk with our flag-clad neighbors.

 

George Papadi discussing clean air
For the most part, the conversations went well. We'd introduce ourselves saying things like, "Good Morning.  Thanks for being here. I am a Democrat who supports clean air.  Do you?"

 

 

 WE REALLY DO NOT WORSHIP SATAN

We tried to find common ground with the Trumpers for 90-minutes. Gerrick, seen with me here,

admitted that Trump lies about everything but that's just his way to make this country "right".  He is still quite bothered by trans men competing with women and Hunter Biden's laptop.
"Democrats: Party of Satan"

 

Most of our conversations ended with handshakes. I walked away with a better understanding of why they worship the 47th president and the richest man in the world.

If any of you want to join us for "unique conversations with Republicans" let me know. We intend to have more of them at the future Tesla protests.

 

MID CENTURY HOUSE TOUR

     It was great fun to tour the houses featured on Gainesville Modern Weekend’s home tour last Saturday. 

     Most were located in our Florida Park neighborhood. Local restaurateur, Rodney Germain,

served delicious chicken sandwiches from his truck parked on NW 11 Road.

    

The final house we toured was that of the well-known surrealistic photographer, Jerry Uelsmann.

It was really "Jerry's Fantastic Art Museum", seemingly untouched since he passed three years ago.
Jerry at his desk ten years ago

Few people get to peek into private art collections like we did. Lucky us.


ART WALK

    The Last Friday Art Walk events are such a treat.

Sculpture by Sylvia McIntyre-Crook
It's a pleasure to see good friends and great art every month in downtown Gainesville.

 

City Church Gallery
Local artists' work is exhibited in 12 different locations. While most are art galleries others are bars and restaurants. The latest to open is the City Church Gallery  at 14 So. Main Street.  It's a big space with room for big art. 


"

FREE CONCERTS

We are amazed that so few people attend the outstanding free concerts at the UF's school of music. We enjoyed sound artist/throat singer, Ken Ueno's performance last Saturday.  He was out there, sort of like Bobby McFerrin on acid.

 

PROTESTS

    There are two on Saturday, April 5th. The usual one at the Tesla dealership from 10 to noon and the,

     The "Hands Off Protest" at Depot Park  begins at noon. Among other things, we're asking D.O.G.E. to take their maniacal hands off our federal agencies.

These gatherings are a chance to make some noise and to mingle with your compatriots. My wife and I attend 'em all.

 

 

CHATS WITH THE KAT

 

Would you like to share your complaints with Kat Cammack, G'ville's congressperson? 


She's been invited to two town hall meetings taking place in Gainesville this month.


My friends and I are putting the first one together at Heartwood Soundstage on

Wednesday, April 23. It'll takes place from 7-8 p.m. in the 125-seat "Listening Room".

To get us in the proper mood there will be a Happy Half-Hour at 6:30 on the patio. Moderator Gregg Jones will take your written questions then.


The Alachua County Democrats are sponsoring the second meeting on

Friday, April 25th, from 6 to 8 p.m. It will take place at the Upper

Room Ministries located at 3575 NE 15 St, Gainesville, FL,

32609. There should be plenty of room in the church's 900-seat auditorium.


While Ms. Cammack has been invited to both meetings she has not agreed to attend either one.  If she shows up, fine. If she chooses not to attend

the meetings will go on as "open chair" gatherings.  People can ask the

representative's empty chair their questions. Meetings like this often

result in meaningful discussions among those attending.


Both events are free and open to the public. Check the GWFD Facebook page for further information on the larger event. For more information on the Heartwood town hall meeting call me at 305 299 5607.

 

Our country is in big trouble. Let's ask tough questions, rally for truth, and continue the fight to preserve our democracy.

__________ 






Tuesday, March 18, 2025

GT's NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER- March '25

                                   UP THE CREEK 

      I gave my newsletter the "creek" name as I live near a narrow, gurgling, stream. Now it takes on a more dire meaning, "deep trouble", 'cause we're in it. Before the President declares war on Canada, California, the Ukraine -and- my blog I thought I'd squeeze off a few more words.

      Glenn's Newsletter  March, 2025 

        UNIVERSITIES UNDER ATTACK

What's to become of our college town as our President assaults higher education? The University of Florida, Gainesville's biggest employer, like every college, is under attack.

 


The UF is having funding reduced and diversity programs eliminated. Free thought is being diminished and research projects eliminated. 

Why is this happening?  Before Trump and DeSantis higher education was cool. It was considered a benefit to society.

The current trend reminds of my friend, Bo Prum, who recently owned a restaurant downtown. As a boy in the late 70's, he and his family escaped "the killing fields" of Cambodia. That's when the country's Khmer Rouge regime decided to exterminate over one million of the country's "professionals and intellectuals". The only reason his family was spared was because -at the time- none of them could read or write. 

There's something similar going on when politicians are telling the universities to dumb down, to "get in line or lose your funding". Governor Ron has ordered the UF to teach more "classical courses" (what ever that means) and hire more conservative faculty members. 

What's goin' on? Is it now hip to be ignorant and dumb? Will questioning authority become a criminal offense?

 

Let's move on to some happy news...


ACT'S ANNUAL

Last Saturday five hundred

of us enjoyed a glorious sunset dinner hosted by the Alachua Conservation Trust. It's the popular non-profit that preserves and manages over 66,000 

 


acres of wild land in North Florida.


We gather at Prairie Creek Lodge every March to raise money and honor people for their efforts to promote land conservation. This year's honorees are Freddie Johnson and the Greene family of Lake City. 

It's always a special evening that supports an outstanding local organization. Maybe you can join us at Prairie Creek a year from now. 

 

 STREET ART

You've probably noticed all of the spray painting on our Florida Park streets. Those are AT&T's instructions to the guys digging holes in our front yards. 

More high-tech cables, they say.  We say, "You guys did this last year and the year before. Can you now just leave our yards alone?". 

 

WARD DOES HONG KONG

Our neighbor, artist Ward Shelley, is overseeing his latest project on the other side of the planet.

 

 



The Hong Kong performance piece is a 22-foot hamster wheel that, at times, carries an assortment of performance artists around a track. Next to it are their colorful residences.

As much as you may love waterfront living, you can not live there. All of the beds have been spoken for.


 

 

  

 

 

EYE-POPPING COLORS

Yes, it's Azalea Time again. Our neighbors, Susan and Jeff, have a garden that greet us with beautiful blossoms every spring. 

 


Pinkster Azalea
  KANAPAHA GARDEN'S          SPRING PLANT SALE

Gainesville's big plant party is at Kanapaha Gardens' Spring Festival, this Saturday and Sunday.  You can buy azaleas there or most anything else that grows.  After your visit, why not stop by Gainesville's new Tesla dealership?  We'll be raising hell instead of flowers at,


OUR TESLA PROTESTS



Join us to let President Musk know how much you resent him taking over our country. It's at 2501 N. Main St.

 

We're gathering  every Saturday from 10
to noon to protest the heartless hooligans that are dismantling our democracy.  

   It gets worse every day. Just last week Elon wrote on X, "Hitler and Stalin never killed anyone".  Last month #47 called Zelensky a dictator who started his war. Don't be surprised if our air force bombs Kiev next week. 

 PROFITS OVER PEOPLE

At Saturday's rally we got to have civil conversations with several young Republicans.


A fellow from Ocala told me Elon, being such a great businessman, can surely run a country. Someone asked  if he approved of Musk cutting off aid to the sick and hungry people we help throughout the world. He replied, "They're not our problem" which, I guess... is something a businessmen might say.

I asked the another Musk fan if he approved

of the un-elected Muskrat making major decisions for our country. He quickly responded with, "What about Jill Biden?  She wasn't elected when she ran her husband's cabinet meetings". 

It's hard to argue with Fox News fans.

 

Two more rallies are coming up soon, the Hope Fest at Heartwood (Sunday, March 30th) and a the "RRR" gathering at Depot Park on April 5th.

 

 

TOWN HALL WITH KAT

"Kat", our congressional representative
Unfortunately Kat Cammack continues to be our congressional representative. Every time I call her office to discuss national affairs she is unavailable to speak with me. When I ask her aides, "Will she ever come to Gainesville to talk with her constituents?", I am told her plans are uncertain.

That's why we're putting together our own town hall meeting a month from now. She'll be invited but she probably won't attend. That's why we're calling it "Catching up With Kat, A Conversation With a Chair".  

We have many questions for Ms. Cammack like "Why is she helping #47 destroy our country?". We deserve opportunities to speak with her. We will  save an on-stage seat for our representative.

If she is unable to attend will pose questions to her chair. 


When the time and place is certain I'll let you know.

 

 

IS BIG BROTHER HIDING IN YOUR POCKET?

I met a computer engineer at a party recently.  He works for an international company that provides computer hardware services for large companies. 90% of his work involves taking advantage of and promoting the use of AI. The man supervises 100 people world-wide. 


We've all heard rumors that our smart phones and pc's are listening to us, collecting data in the Information Age.   He says it's true.

He went on to tell


my wife and I that everything we say near a smart phone and a computer is recorded, sorted, sold, and used to influence us. This all seemed a little weird and fantastic but our new friend seemed to know more than most of us.  


He cited an example, "Three days ago I was talking with one of my employees in India asking, among other things, if vegetarianism is on the decline in his country. A long discussion followed.  The next day our new friend had a pop-up article on that very subject. He's convinced someone (or a "robot") was listening in.

Similarly, my sister-in-law was complaining last year -on the phone to my wife- about a leak in her kitchen sink faucet. She did not seek help online but nevertheless, she got a pc pop-up offering a product that "drains kitchen faucet leaks fast".

I feel a bit crazy typing this but what if it is true? That the powers that be are listening to and recording  all of our conversations conducted near electronic devices?  

Obviously virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa listen in 24/7. If they are listening today what keeps Elon's and Bezo's bad boys from hearing your conversations tomorrow? Maybe its time to take break. Leave you phone at home and walk over to,

RING PARK

After being closed for months of renovations our neighborhood gem is open again. Enjoy rebuilt bridges and boardwalks. Be surrounded by lush vegetation with no houses in sight. Pause to view the sparkling creek ever-flowing down the middle of it all, a wonder to behold. 

 

 

The experience will make you forget about a world filled mad men, climate change, and spies in your pocket.

                      _________



Messing around on a Lake Alice bike ride this week, I spelled out my son's name in a UF parking lot to see what it'd look like on my bike ride app map.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

UP THE CREEK- FEBRUARY EDITION


       Democracy dies in darkness and  honest news continues to fade. One exception is the UF's Alligator newspaper. There is still no shortage of student reporters in Gainesville doing great work.

In a recent issue we learned a state audit  found that former UF President, Ben Sasse, went "cra-cra" with his UF checkbook.

Among many things, there was the $900-a-plate sushi dinner for forty friends, $300,000 spent on private jets and he is currently getting paid about $5000 an hour to teach a course on campus. The audit goes on to say "the public purpose of his getting a $1 million teaching salary is not readily apparent".  

What is apparent is that power-hungry politicians are pulling the strings that control our local university. They are a dire threat to its standing and integrity.

Five years from now the UF might be a larger version of our recently dumbed-down state school, Sarasota's New College.

 

THE SUN SHINES ON THE PIG 


Last January our pigish parade made the front page of the Gainesville Sun.   

   We're already meeting to plan the next one. This time we'll do it well after Christmas, on 1-3-26.

 Get in touch if you want to help. 


 

 BLACKOUT FRIDAY

     Our country is in trouble. We're having an Economic Blackout on Friday, Feb. 28th, to express our disgust with big businesses falling in line with #47's make the rich richer policies. For 24 hours don't buy anything unless it is from a small, local business.  Ward's YES, Publix No.


WORLD PREMIERE

    Earlier this month 140 of us enjoyed a festive evening watching the film we made of last December's Flying Pig Parade.  We thank our friends at the First Magnitude Brewery for making it all possible.

 

FINALLY CUBA

   We flew south to Cuba last month, an  eye-opening experience.

While the Cubans have limited income they do a lot with a little. Their citizens have free medical and dental services, free education, and low-cost housing. I was told no one is hungry or homeless.

Still, if you criticize the government you might get thrown in the slammer.
  Cuba is spectacular, filled with friendly people who are healthier than Americans.

 Our friend, Taylor Stein, returned from his Cuban adventure this week. He told us, "I found it remarkable that so much of the island is pristine and undeveloped. It's rare to visit any country now where there are no KFC's, McDonalds, or advertising, anywhere." 

 

NERDS GONE WILD 

    I attended Hogtown's Medieval Faire last month in Depot Park. It was a great success attracting large numbers of NeverLand fans.


I tried to recruit the Ocala guy, who made this fantastic dragon for the Flying Pig Parade.  Said he, "The thing weighs 95 pounds.  I can't walk very far".

Chasing the runaway ballot box

 

To fly with the pig you've got to be able to move!

 

 

 

Where else can guys put on armor and wait their turn to fight.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's the perfect place to wear that tight leather outfit you haven't broken out since Halloween.

   A friend calls The Faire "a nerd fest" and that's a good thing, a coming together of dungeons, dragons, and pointy-eared fairies. We need things like this to distract us momentarily from our crumbling democracy. 

 

RAISING HELL

On Presidents Day 400 of us gathered on four corners downtown. For two hours we showed our disgust for the billionaires taking apart our democracy. 


 

 

Come join us when we raise hell again on March 4th.  That's from 4-6 p.m. at Main Street and University Avenue



MANGOES GROW IN GAINESVILLE

        As a lover of mangoes its nice to know a few manage to  grow here.

   They hate the cold so a fruit fan on NW 14 Av. built a heated tent to protect his front yard tree. I stopped to admire it today now filled with the glorious yellow blossoms of spring. Five months from now he's going to have a feast!

 

 ACT BENEFIT MARCH 15th


     The annual benefit for the Alachua Conservation Trust is coming up on Saturday, March 15th. Held at the picturesque Prairie Creek Lodge, it's not to be missed. The $100 tickets
include cocktails, dinner on the lawn, live music,and a silent art auction.  I donated one of my fish.

 

 DO THEY COME TOPPED WITH ZIGGY STARDUST?

  A new pizza joint, "Bowie Pizza", is opening next month on the corner of NW 13 St. and 16th Ave. Named after David, the dead rock star, the forty-seat eatery   could be Florida Park's new neighborhood hang-out.

 

A WORLD AWAY

Last week we ventured to Georgia's Cumberland Island for the first time.

It's just ninety miles away. It's wild horses, broad beaches, and tangled trees can make you forget -if only for a few hours- the incredible problems we face today. 

Wishing you peace,

GT




                    ___________