SO LONG, BABY

LIVING IN THE SUBWAY SHADOW -

BSC, CA – [Ed note: this story was written before the new year, 2018, but pushed back from publication due to breaking news stories happening at the time] Fresh back from the latest wrinkle in the exploding pre-2018 legal cannabis scene, I had to add an extra 20 minutes in my start time because the entrance to a neighborhood for married student couple was green-walled off. The reason, a demolition project.

With all the talk around Riverside about needing more student housing and the planned increase in student body [no reference to our previous feature, Food Brood], you might surmise the dorm neighborhood, which has hundreds of old trees and is home to thousands of birds, would be getting the University axe to pave the way toward filling that student need. Well, Sports Fans, you'd be wrong.

Soon [in a couple of years unless the Chinese do the project] the view that you see in our lead-in shot above will be forever changed by a five-story monolith to block out the sun, standing where trees, birds, and grass used to grow; our, er, their brand new 5000 seat Soccer Stadium. Let's hear it. Boooo! When you understand that this neighborhood was built entirely by women and the town-view city mag, Explore Riverside, made a big issue out of one building [also built by women] out in Anza; double Boooo! See the view that's being razed by UCR,after the jump.

So long, Babies!

The magazine that brought it all to my attention, again.

This view will be forever changed. Picture a five story soccer stadium arena area in the space behind the center palm tree but in front of the chem trail. With the growing global atmosphere from the secular academia Ivory Tower, the only diff between here and the OC is graduate/alumni gentrification versus the Corporate/Subway takeover of infrastructural services the campus used to provide for the students. Of course with today's internet classrooms it's easier just to farm out such services; the proof of the corporate pudding is in the selection of brands accepted.

It's telling when you have a University [and town] that has the brand Subway as its go-to spot in the face of the company's yoga mat buns, announcements proclaiming the recent use of 'real' meat now, and the ongoing drama of the Corp ex-spokesperson, a convicted child sex trafficker the company kept on payroll for 7 years after they knew the deal. Now we see the deal $$$$.

My old shortcut, a path dozens, if not hundreds of students used daily, back and forth, (especially adding more expense for delivered pizza and that's not a joke - Ed)

And now, what's being leveled.

End of Part 1.

BILLY GRAHAM'S CROSS IS OVER

THE LAST GREAT WHITE MAN -

BSC, CA – Legendary evangelist minister Billy Graham died last Wednesday and today his public viewing started after a brutal thunderstorm overnight that settled into a drizzle to start the day. He was 99. The 9s are numerical for double completion. The rain is also a sign as I can never remember going to a funeral on a sunny day. Strange. 

I was born in the South when social segregation was done entirely by skin color, which seems quaint now given the transgender, the nerdy, the homeless, the druggie, etc. Because of this, I was aware but insulated through my position in the fam as an only child. Our neighborhood was all black but the merchants were white. There were also black businesses. The church I was raised in was Protestant, based off the original pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock [an interesting historical story if you look it up]. Our all-black [various skin tones ranging from 'white' to dark but mainly shades in between] church even had the name Plymouthin its name.

As I remember, around 1957 my idyllic middle class view of life began to crack. It was a year after my summer magic [see story of the same name, this site] that I saw the dichotomy in US religion. In the North there was social integration because that was the liberal side of Christianity [NT]. The Southern style was more literal and OT based, starting from Genesis. When I saw my grandfather listening to a Billy Graham radio broadcast the first time, I noticed it and wondered since Billy Graham was out of the South.

In my tweenybopper pre-Motown days, I stopped to ask my grandfather why he was listening to a Southernwhite man when he went to church every Sunday and was a deacon? He answered that it was the things Rev. Billy Graham spoke of and the way he spoke of them. At the time I wondered if this was just a passing fad for my grandfather, but it wasn't. He listened to Billy Graham for years. My grandfather also never believed the original moon landing was real either. When I say in Memoirsthat my grandfather was a lighthouse, I am not bullshitting. He is the wisest man I have ever met.

As the 60s came Billy Graham's star got brighter. I watched to see the measure of this man who was in the middle of a turbulent time on many fronts. Though there were other TV and radio religious personalities, Billy Graham rose to be theAmerica's Preacher. In the halls of oratory like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Graham was as commanding a speaker who delivered a powerful message full of emotional appeal, wholly based on the KJV Bible.

Coming from a different POV than Dr. King, however, Rev. Graham's message was all Jesus and spiritual politics, not cultural change. But then, Rev. Graham was an evangelist. He didn't have a church or belong to that system. His job was to bring the Word into a person's life in such a way that they could see it and believe it. That would make them better persons and curb their racism.

If picking up the Cross of Jesus is a symbol of spreading the Word, then Rev. Graham through his scandal-free, noble life has certainly earned his brief rest now outside of time. Although many now have a disdain for organized religion, were it not for the learning you receive, you would be ignorant. People are just awakening from that learning as it was written but they know the characters involved.

The University of Kentucky had a coach named Rupp who believed that he didn't need a black player to win a National Championship, so he kept his basketball teams all-white as other college teams grabbed 7' tall black players.. His last team to win a National Championship in a thrilling hard fought game against a team with at one black player was nicknamed Rupp's Runts because they didn't win it on height advantage. Was he racist, yes, but he was using a racial principle to coach.

Billy Graham may be seeing things differently now on the other side or he may be still greeting his many adoring fans who passed on before him, but no one can say that Rev. Graham's life wasn't based on Christian principle. He believed a true Christian wasn't racist because your heart has compassion for your fellow man or woman, but you weren't made gullible either.

RIP Billy Graham, you can lay your cross down now. You outlived all your contemporaries, now time to catch up.

MOTHERS SEND LOVING TO LA

SIGNAL HILL STORE OPENS -

BSC, CA – In these days a great idea only grows and so the brainchild of friends 40 years ago to have better food than found in the local Kroger's, Safeway, and A&P, in a market called Mother's, opened its first store in LA Country. It was a beautiful day in Signal Hill for a Grand Opening. The even better news with this organic news article besides it contains pictures is – wait for it – There will be a second Grand Opening this coming Saturday.

In addition to these decorative and delicious sample cupcakes from the onsite kitchen cafe, there were raffles, happy faces, welcoming smiles, and two over flowing parking lots in a day filled with music, Celtic music live. So join us and make the jump, plus...

Yes folks, longtime readers knowme. Now on the journey back from Signal Hill I was asked to record the Geo-engineering taking place right above our heads as we rolled back into Orange County. Going over all the pictures, well, I captured something else besides a chem trail. You tell me what [?]. See the last picture in this weekend news report.

Two years ago the Mother's chain of natural, non-processed 'real' food markets was purchased and this Signal Hill marked the changing of the guard. On hand for the special occasion was original founding member, Sharon, seen here with Marcia, longtime friend from past various awareness campaigns.

The day started with crowds coming to the new store even before the 'official opening' ceremony began. The reason was a $50 gift certificate to the first 100 customers. Pictured below are two of the morning's winners. Each winner got a bright red shopping bag but these two were also old faces from the Label GMOs push back a few years ago here in California.

The official opening ceremonies started with the area dignitaries showing up for the ribbon cutting. The community turned out to catch a glimpse of the people who steer the city for the residents present and future with their collective vision.

The new store manager got his suitable for framing office certificates welcoming the latest area merchant across the street from the Home Depot.

And then there was the ribbon cutting, a rapt moment for all the crowd out front.

The crowd was lively..

All under the ever invasive, advancing, 5G microwave tower reverse Faraday Cage grid.

Meanwhile, John and Marsha, volunteers for Moms Across America, provided additional info to an audience who were very knowledgeable about GMOs and organic food nutrition. This factor was evident considering the first day of business turnout.

An added blessing of good food is good music and we were treated to live Celtic tunes from the Da Capo Players.

Our "I'm a Mom, Bring it On" stickers were a big hit with the brisk crowd.

And the crowds kept coming.

Face painting was also very popular.

But the grand finale was the raffle drawing, with plenty of winners in the audience.

The second 'grand opening' for those who missed the event last Saturday, it will be repeated minus the ribbon cutting, again at the new Signal Hill Mother's Market this Saturday, just across from Home Depot.

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And now that surprise picture.

Click on the picture to enlarge then go from center toward 3 o'clock. Space Invaders, anyone?

FIN