Zack in Washington, He's third from the right

This Might Make You a Bit Suspicious of McCain's Speaking of the Truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c Check it out to see if you really think he is competent to be our president.

Malan Writes from LA

I'm in Los Angeles - Studio City living in the Hollywood Hills. It's absolutely beautiful here and I am so glad that I came. The weather is spectacular. I just got back from a 1/2 hour walk with coffee to see more of my neighborhood.

I live in Laurelvale Canyon, the neighborhood that Frank Zappa lived and died in. I'm up in the hills so I'm surrounded by nature, but in 10 minutes I can drive down and be on the Sunset Strip and in the middle of everything whenever I want. I haven't gone out much yet, I've been focusing on getting my house set up, working and going to AA meetings.

I'm working from home, no 9-5 for me doing freelance design and marketing a few products online. Right now I have some nice automated income on the search engines that pays for my rent and bills so I'm not getting rich but I'm not going broke either. I'm doing a few websites for clothing lines that are starting soon that will pay nicely and give me something cool to work on.

I spend most days either at AA, floating around the internet, at the beach or out at Italian restaurants. My girlfriend is Italian and from New York and loves Italian food so we're there ALOT. :)

Things are good. I talk to mom as much as I can and I know she will be fine. I would love to see her do something with this time now. She just bought a new car, so that's a good first step. I know she wants to move to Ogden and we're working on figuring out how to help her do whatever she wants to do. She's taken care of others for so long I think she's forgotten herself - she is the most kind and selfless person I have ever know. ever known.

Malan and Kara and nonalcoholic beer

Richard wants to do a book about Wintersmith Park

Hey Mom, Will you get me started on this?

The very first thing is, “Wintersmith”, a poem by you. All you have to do is remember the “pool”, the “monkey pit”, and the “snow cones”… the idea of “Greater Ader”…. You also may remember the great “Forth-of-July” parties at the Love’s house. Or, Chuck in that Pie-Eating contest….

I do remember going to the “Park” with my first nephew, along with Deb and Charlie… and a duckling…

I do remember “Annie Get Your Gun” as presented in the amphitheater there… And of course, I remember Judy Barker directing…. and all of us doing that play on the grass…

Then there was the Ada Arts Program with Gary and Steve…. And that summer of “Oliver”!

I think that “that” was the most magical of all summers for me. More than anyone else, Gary Kramer changed my life…. From the “King’s Creampuffs” to the summer of “Oliver” – to the “Great Cross-Country Race”, with me, as a stuttering hedgehog… to the horribly realized production of “The Me, Nobody Knows”…. (For “Oliver”, we students of the Ada Summer Arts Program actually made the material that would eventually be made into costumes. “Nancy” actually wore a skirt with a print that I had created during the day, using a “linoleum-block” print…

Wow!!!

When I went back to Ada, now it has been 12 years, I DID go out of the way and found Judy (Bill) Sanford… She and I drove out to Wintersmith Lake… and we talked and talked…. I absolutely love her… she means everything to me. She, and her family, just “adopted” me for a period of time. She and I were inseparable for a couple of years…. And then, we reached the awkward age of “puberty”…My “Coming-of Age” story would always include Judy and her wonderful family. And that would be for another time…

Anyway, write the poem; “Wintersmith!”. I will anxiously a-wait … and will use it to “coerce” the others to participate and contribute

From Ruth and Michael

I sent a photo to Susan that was taken on the porch of our home when she was talking to Michael. I will attach it to this email so you can see it too. It was so much fun to have her here. I wish I could see her more often, she is a great person.

Laura's daughter Sarah went to the homecoming dance last night so I went to her house to see her before she left. She was beautiful of course. She turned 16 this summer so she is allowed to date once in a while.

Lisa and her family are coming next weekend. Ron's nephew is getting married so they are coming for that. They will only be here for the weekend and will be at his parents home most of the time. but will be here on Sunday. I think I will plan to have all of the children who live here come to our house for dinner that day after church. That way they can all see Lisa for an hour or two before they leave again on Monday.

Photo of Susan and Michael

From Ariel Gore, from Deepak Chopra... Obama and the Palin Effect

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin’s pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and turning negativity into a cause for pride. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of “the other.” For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don’t want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin’s message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision

Look at what she stands for:

Small town values — a nostaligic return to simpler times disguises a denial of America’s global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
Ignorance of world affairs — a repudiation of the need to repair America’s image abroad.
Family values — a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don’t need to be needed.
Rigid stands on guns and abortion — a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.
Patriotism — the usual fallback in a failed war.
"Reform" — an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn’t fit your ideology.
Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from “us” pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of “I’m all right, Jack,” and “Why change? Everything’s OK as it is.” The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness

Obama’s call for higher ideals in politics can’t be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow — we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

Jessica

Richard

Julie

Haley and Joel

Reilly

Ethan

Some photos from Susan's visit to Utah

Debra Lafon Says:

I went to see Jenny and Hannah, her new house is quite lovely....like an italian villa........architecture digest came to mind....She has done a really wonderful job of decorating and it was all clean and light....lots of windows and "french" doors. I am really happy for her to have such a beautiful home. They are working on the yard and planting bamboo trees, bushes and there will be a "hot tub" and small pool put in soon. She and Hannah look really good and seemed to be very happy. I will use some of her ideas to help make my little "dump" look better someday.

News From Deb

Zac is back in Ft. Lewis enjoying his new car and taking to be quite the responsible man. He has not had anything to drink since he bought his car, and was surprised at how much $ he saves.....I need to write my feelings about him sometime if i can....he has grown up/changed in many ways. Really loves and appreciates his family.

Malan Anthony is loving LA....went to his first movie screening (vince vaughn? I had to ask who is that? like a complete dork) loves AA and is finding great friends out there.

Rachel loves her job and Nick is happier than ever.......Malan Christopher had a bit of a melt down and cried to come home, but realizes he was just missing his friends and school is starting here in two days so I think he just panicked a little bit. We are arranging a visit home so he can see everyone before his school starts in Sept. I miss him like crazy.

Went to visit Ben this weekend, he looks good, but tired. I worry that the wear and tear is getting to him, but he has been sick alot too, and battling allergies and mosquitoes. I took some meds down for his teacher to take in to him.

Called Dad, he sounded good........good days bad days. Alan doesn't come by as much any more....hope to go visit soon

Oh, and bought another car.................empty nest crisis.........has lots of gadgets no normal person really needs..........the car told me my tire pressure was low.........OBama would be so proud.

And to continue:

Well, the family is all gone. Rachel, Malan Christopher and Nick left on Monday. They have arrived in Yorkville, IL yesterday, and are unloading today into their new apt. Rachel starts to work on Friday. It is cooler there she says. Malan seems to be having a fun time. It will be an adjustment for them to move from a house with a back yard for the dog, to an apt with a dog and a 12 year old and no yard. This is Nick's first time to have a full-time child...........well Rachel's too so it is going to be an adjustment. But they seem to be doing fine so far.

Malan Anthony and Zac left today. Malan A. from Tulsa at about 10am and Zac from here at about noon. We had lunch together before he left. He is not an experienced diver and the 2000 mile trip is a bit overwhelming, but he called me after he was 80 miles out and again when he got to Kansas. He has a navigator device with him as does Malan to help them know when to turn and where to go. That is a GREAT help. They both say I need one of those since I have always been directionally challenged. All those hours lost and now a little device that sits on your dash and tells you turn left in 1/4 mile in a variety of voices you can program in.

I am left with the two cats and lots of clutter from going thru stuff. I am putting together a program for the kids at chuch to perform on the 24th of Aug, trying to be primary pres....and not feeling very good about my job so far. I have paint and boxes and hope to get rid or at least pack up lots of junk and sort out my life. Or maybe I will just go to bed and watch tv.