Electronic Writer

Finally, someone is making electric cars that are SEXY! And, finally, someone is building a nation-wide network of charging stations.

Reimagining the Automobile Industry by Selling the Electricity

Maybe we can finally dent the oil-guzzling car market . . . .

Ahhh. I love retro things–some of them, that is. This may NOT be one of those retro things that I love. 😉

Today is a picturesque fall morning, and I took the scenic route to breakfast. To be truthful, I did not really have plans for the route, or even where I was going to eat. It was an opportunity for me to get lost in my own city–to discover something new. On this un-formed adventure, however, I saw some REALLY funny business names.

The first business was called Gold Tooth Master. I can only imagine, by the name, that the service was targeted to the African-American community. Big, gold teeth popularized by rap stars, I am sure, were available and apparently installed on your teeth. There were plenty of question that arise from a business like this: Are the gold teeth installed by a licensed Dentist? Are they considered medical or cosmetic (makes a difference for dental insurance)? Are they permanent or temporary? The biggest question, however, was whether or not the owner realizes the connection between his terminology and slavery.

The second business name that caught my attention was simply, “God’s Gym.” This is an obvious play on Gold’s Gym name and brand. The removal of a single letter from the name of an icon changed almost every aspect of the core business that they have in common. The new name conjures visions of Christians and evangelism. More importantly, it implies that going to the gym and lifting weights is not about vanity–but, about something greater. You are making yourself stronger to do the Lord’s will. The best part of God’s Gym, in my opinion, was the logo painted on the face of the building showing a cartoon-like musle-bound version of the Lord lifting a cross.

The third business name adheres to a strict business principle: a potential client should know exactly what you do by the name of your business. What is humorous about this business is not necessarily the name, but rather, what they do. Titan Barbershop and Auto Detailing has apparently combined car and personal grooming at the same location. While this is the absolute model for a niche-market business, the humor is that I have simply never considered combining the two services into a single location. I wonder if they sterilize shop-vacuums between detailing . . . .

The breakfast place that I discovered on my un-adventure had a train-themed decor, and made very uninteresting food. As soon as the hanging electric train was activated, the business was transformed. All of the children in the building began screaming and pointing in delight at the model train suspended in the air. That same magical button, however, did not transform my food into something more palatable. Discovering both the good and the bad is part of the adventure . . . .

A lot of people on Capitol Hill liked the Health Care Bill that would cover American children–from both sides of that remarkable political fence that divides American politics.

But, in our current struggle between the Executive Branch on one side of that fence, and Congress on the other, the President vetoed the bill purely as a display of muscle. Here is one Senator’s response.

If you are a word junkie, like me, check out these links. There is a free dictionary, thesaurus, as well as a few specialty dictionaries (medical, computer, etc.).

Try it out–it’s fun.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Why has the obvious has been so hard for our Congress to see? I suppose, when I think about it, there could be a host of things clouding their vision. Regardless of the reasons, I have lamented the Congressional actions (and inactions) over the past 7 years that have discarded our personal freedoms, disregarded our Constitution, and given away the power of the Congressional Branch.

I am not alone. There are plenty of people who cheer and root from the sidelines at the daily headlines, and we are rooting for Congress to do something. We want the underdog to stand up to the bully–to realize that they are not the underdog and that the President is not the bully. There is this brilliant document, called The Consitution, that is both the foundation of our country (also referred to as the “Supreme Law”), and it was composed to ensure the underdog/bully scenario would never come to fruition.

But, these are all things we learned in 3rd Grade. And, unfortunately, the supporters hopes have been dashed to date. To make an analogy: the political landscape in the United States is like watching Sunday football: there are two teams and a third group to resolve disputes (please excuse the crudeness of my analogy). The problem with the current game is that whenever Congress gets the ball, they simply walk over and hand it to the President. “Here–you take this.”

Someone else agrees with me. Mario M. Cuomo, the governor of New York from 1983 to 1995, has written this lovely op-ed in the New York Times titled, “How Congress Forgot Its Own Strength.” It is definitely worth the read . . . .

How Congress Forgot Its Own Strength, by Mario M. Cuomo

When I read that Lawrence Ferlinghetti was coming to Moe’s Books in Berkeley to read from his new work, I cleared the calendar. My first thought was, “this guy is still alive?” And, then, I thought, “AND, he is still writing?” In reality, Ferlighetti’s activities have been quite public for quite some time.

It really started when he opened his the first all paperback bookstore–City Lights in San Francisco. His partner left within a few years, and he opened the publishing wing of the business–to publish his own poems, as well as the work of Allen Ginsberg (including “Howl,” the famous poem that forced a showdown with the Federal government about free speech and just exactly what we, as a society, would do with “offensive” art), Kenneth Rexroth, Denise Levertov, and William Carlos Williams to name a few.

Today, Ferlinghetti presses on with his City Lights Bookstore and Press–even at the wise age of 88. But, at the reading, he seemed tired. Not surprising for an 88-year old man, right? Well, it wasn’t exactly the tired from lack of sleep. It seemed to be something closer to boredom than exhaustion–boredom from the heaping piles of praise that people unloaded upon him. He was eager to talk about politics and to engage the crowd–to start something. But, instead, he was told personal anecdote after personal anecdote about how someone was touched by a poem he wrote 40 years ago, what an honor it was to hear him read his work, and when was he coming to Boston again.

The now old man’s beard was full, and clean. His speech was articulate and poignant. His diction was precise. And, his piercing eyes were more piercing than I ever imagined. This is a man with a bone to pick–and, no one is willing to engage him any longer out of respect for his age.

He came to pick a fight, and instead, all we gave him were lousy hugs.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s new book is titled “Poetry as Insurgent Art” and is available from City Lights Bookstore in-person, or online.