I make it a point of never discussing work in these pages.. and won’t start now.. but I gotta say today had some of the most unusual and interesting meetings I’ve ever attended.

Since, that’s all I did today.. and I can’t go into it.. I’ll cop out and post two cool videos that my new friend Feargahl (is that a cool name, or what) just sent me . I met Feargahl through also-new-fried Whist , the guy who’s teaching the fire sports class with Homer at Middleberry. He’d put me in touch with Feargahl on the outside chance that he had a Tesla Coil to lend me for my talk San Fransisco on Feb 9th.
Turns out that the coil Feargahl has is 12 feet tall , shoots 8 foot sparks and requires a large gas generator..   Unfortunately , it’s hard to move.. so I won’t be borrowing it. But after we spoke. he sent me two  cool vids of pieces that he and his buddies at  ‘Omega Recoil’ studio has done. The first is their entry in the annual Sausulito lighted boat parade. .. This boat had a Burning Man flame sculpture in the front, a ton of fireworks,a Jet engine on the roof,several propane flame cannons (like we’re building)  a klaxon from an aircraft carrier, and the Tesla coil I was just talking about hanging over the side and sparking to the water. …Needless to say,  they won the contest..

The second vid was a piece on BoingBoing about their ‘Dr Megavolt’ show.. Same Tesla Coil, metal suits and weird dialog.. Check them out !.

 ..

I’m going to meet up with these guys the next.. (or uber-next) time I’m in SF..

Right now I’m going to take Scott and Mary to dinner.. So I better go..

Someday I’ll tell you all about my day
Night folks, Night Sam
-me

It’s an amazing and wonderful day. Obama’s inauguration signals the need of 8 very dark years for us.. and the beginning of something new. I have no doubt that it will be hard going for this new president../// and there the tough realities of our economy and foriegn challenges are going to defy any quick fix… but… he brings something we’ve lacked for a very long time.. and that’s hope.

I did my best to follow the inauguration on the radio today…   But I had an eye appointment during the swearign in.. I asked the eye folks to turn on the radio.. so we listened to the pomp and circumstancs as they dilated my eyes.. I will never forget that…  (eyes are fine.. a mix of far sightedness and a little astigmatism.. got the first perscription glasses of my life.. still only for reading.. and I confirmed thta I have a laser burn in my left retina from a YAG laser I was tuning 27 years ago  bummer)

Diane spent the time in the laundremat in defference to our failing septic system . She figured as she fed coins into the machine she was indeed experinceing ‘change’. 🙂

It was an amazing day after the swearing in.. my email and facebook epxloded with Obama fever.. everywhere you went folks were happy and optomisstic.. ..
Even the colleagues  I spoke wiht in other countires were happy and buzzing with the regiem change’ Even having that for this one day during this tough times was a gift.. Thansk for that Mr. Obama.. we all needed it..

Not much else to report.. other than I found that  Kirsten had decorrated  Gabe’s feet again..   Cool.. huh ?

OK..  Everyone breath a sigh of relief.. and let’s get back to work.. Back to my talk ..  Gnite all.. Gnite Sam
-me

I have much to do in my life right now.. but I have got to step back right now /.. like so many others around this country.. and marvel at the wonderful history we’ll be making tomorrow. I’m thinking back to the day I first heard Martin Luther King’s name. it was the day he was assassinated.. I must have been 4 years old. and I came in and my mother was crying. She told my about Dr. King.. Ever since that day he was one of my inspirations.. It’s amazing to think that 46 years ago he was working to ensure that a black man could eat in any restaurant.. stay in any hotel.. .. Could he have imagined that we’d be swearing in our first black president tomorrow ? Of course he could have..   I’m sure he’d be wondering why it took us that long..

Well the day is here.. and I’m proud and hopeful.. So thank you, Dr. King for putting the wheels in motion that are bringing us to tomorrow.’s inauguration…

“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring

from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will

be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white

men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands

and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last!

thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Good bye George Bush…
Welcome Brrack Obama..
Goodnight Sam

-jc