Goodbye Utah

Utah Phillips who was an anarchist, hobo, railroader, folksinger, community activist, tramp, husband, father, amazing storyteller and honorable man, passed away while asleep Friday night in his home in Nevada City, California. As a regular listener of his radio show Loafer's Glory: The Hobo Jungle of the Mind, I found his storytelling fascinating. His stories are those needing to be told about the hard work and efforts of the Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies) from today and long ago. A hero dedicated to honor all workers, both men and women. He will not be forgotten.

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THE TWO BUMS

(AUTHOR UNKNOWN, FIRST PRINTED IN GEORGE MILBURN'S THE HOBO'S HORNBOOK, NEW YORK, 1930)

The bum on the rod is hunted down

As the enemy of mankind;

The other is driven around to his club

And feted, wined and dined.

And they who curse the bum on the rods

As the essence of all that is bad

Will greet the other with a winning smile

And extend him the hand so glad.

The bum on the rods is a social flea

Who gets an occasional bite;

The bum on the plush is a social leech,

Blood-sucking day and night.

The bum on the rods is a load so light

That his weight we scarcely feel,

But it takes the labor of dozens of men

To furnish the other meal.

As long as you sanction the bum on the plush,

The other will always be there,

But rid yourself of the bum on the plush

And the other will disappear.

Then make an intelligent, organized kick,

Get rid of the weights that crush;

Don't worry about the bum on the rods,

Get rid of the bum on the plush!

Whole Earth Festival

It's time once again for the Whole Earth Festival, a community driven festival of education, music, and art that happens every Mother's Day weekend in the quad grove on the UC Davis campus.



One of the many ways that the small, college town begins preparing!

Berkeley Mayor Takes a Stand for Patients and Caregivers

From Becky DeKeuster, Berkeley Patients Group


Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates this week joined Oakland’s Ron Dellums and San Francisco’s Gavin Newsom in urging Representative John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to hold Congressional oversight hearings into attempts by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to undermine state and local medical marijuana laws. Bates’ letter references a unanimous City Council resolution on January 29, 2008 declaring Berkeley “a sanctuary for medical marijuana patients, providers, and landlords,” and mentions that other cities have taken similar steps.


The letter calls Berkeley’s three medical marijuana dispensaries “regulated, tax-paying members of our community,” and says they “maintain clean, safe properties and play an active role in Berkeley’s civic life.” It then cites the DEA’s “aggressive tactics” and Berkeley’s “strong opposition” to federal interference as reasons for swift hearings.


Since 2007, more than 50 dispensaries have been raided by federal agents and their assets forfeited—including, in many cases, sales tax collections due to the state. In July 2007, landlords renting to dispensaries began receiving letters from the DEA, threatening them with forfeiture and imprisonment. Many have chosen to evict, although no federal action has been taken against a landlord since the letters went out.


In addition to Dellums, Newsom, and Bates, Mayor John Duran of West Hollywood and Mayor Ryan Coonerty of Santa Cruz have also sent letters urging Conyers to set a date for Congressional hearings. Read about the Mayor's statement and letter in the Daily Californian

Life's A Beach....