Amazing Life Stories

See and Hear Amazing Life Stories

on June 24 at the Dragon Theater

Death-defying sky divers

Empathy of street musicians

Tough beginnings of Silicon Valley CEOs

Jazz musicians who change lives

The legacy of a musical family

How iron workers signal, “No one was killed on this job.”

Janis Joplin’s painful beginnings

Drag racing’s Big Daddy Don Garlits’ child-abusing father

Dave Brubeck breaks the color barrier in southern colleges

Child-hating first grade teachers

An Amish barn raising

Gloria Steinem’s real  legacy

Daniel Ellsberg’s life-changing turning point

Employee-respecting humanistic business practices

Order Tickets Online

Please
let me know if you are planning to come to the show. I need to know numbers for our after-the-show wine and cheese reception. Thanks.               rick@rickgilbert.net

Abortion

 It is unbelievable to me how much support there is from Trump and his “base” to reduce access to abortion, or even reverse Roe v. Wade completely. This, of course, is the way the top elites want it. Forget this “pro-life” bullshit. It has nothing to do with life.

It has a lot to do with keeping women down, i.e. barefoot and pregnant. But, I think there is an even more sinister reason. The elites (top 1/10 of 1%) need manpower to fuel their wars and money machines. Why else would they want pregnant teenagers and children having babies?

Three Reasons

1) Cannon fodder for the military.

Uneducated, inner city youth or redneck country men, and sometimes women, are given false hope through the military. Boy, they sure look good in their uniforms. Aren’t their families  proud? BTW, how does our country support them when they return? “Thank you for your service.” Really?

2) Low-wage workers.

The way to keep our labor costs low is to make sure we have a large pool of uneducated workers who have no other options. They can sling burgers at McDonalds or take care of grandma in the old folks’ home. All for minimum wage!

As Voltaire said, “The comfort of the rich depends on an abundant supply of the poor.”

3) Prisoners for the prison industrial complex.

Failing the military or low wage option, we can bust young people, mostly minorities, for crimes like marijuana possession and toss them in private, for-profit prisons. For the people who run and supply these prisons, this is a gold mine.

To do my part to keep birth control and abortion legal, available, and affordable, ALL proceeds from my June 24 show will be donated to Redwood City Planned Parenthood.

News and Notes

 New Car Paint

 Have you noticed recently that some newer model cars have paint that is so vibrant that it almost sucks you in? I started seeing this about a year ago and decided to check it out. Was this just my imagination? No. It is all explained by Jane Harrington of PPG at the Detroit Auto show in January:

Here’s what’s going to be hot in automotive paint and trim colors for …

Turns out many car companies are now using a different paint process. It involves applying more layers of paint, including a clear coat, that make the paint look richer. See if you notice this on Hondas, Subarus, Fords, among others.

 Changing Language

 One and done! Please, let’s nip this one in the bud.

Thoughts and prayers. Even dumbo politicians are starting to realize how stupid this sounds. How is the “prayers” thing working for you? Guess your god isn’t hearing your prayers. How about skipping the prayers and instead change our gun laws?

Existential. The word “existential” has been commandeered by every two-bit TV news reporter to mean someone or something (like a country) is facing possible extinction. It sounds so hip and so cool. My one-man campaign to stop this nonsense is having zero effect. Why do they not consult me on these things?

The word comes from the post-WW II philosophy of “Existentialism.” Think Sartre, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, etc. Our existential challenge is to find meaning in our lives on our own terms, not through religion or other institutions. We are totally on our own. That creates “existential dread.” In a word, this is the fear of existence, not the fear of going out of existence.

But, hey, guess I must accept it. The meaning is changing right in front of us, and this is creating an existential crisis for me.