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.
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| Pinkster Azalea |
KANAPAHA GARDEN'S SPRING PLANT SALEGainesville'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
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| "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.
