Whistle

I've had this whistle for nearly twenty years. I've carried it along from place to place, most times crammed without thought into a moving box. I never considered throwing it out. Since I took it "out of the box" and put it back into service in the last month, I've thought a lot about its symbolism.

I lived in California and worked at San Jose State University (SJSU). During that time, I had the great opportunity to complete the Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) program. It is a comprehensive training for responding to threats and emergencies in your localized area. In my case, it was tailored to the SJSU campus. We were trained in CPR/AED and more advanced first responder life saving techniques like tourniquets and injury immobilizations through slings and splints. We learned a lot more which I won't share due to its sensitive nature.

As you can imagine, the most likely catastrophic disaster in California is a massive earthquake which would come without warning. Our CERT kits contained many of the things you'd expect... flashlight, basic first aid, neon yellow reflective vests, hard hats, and this whistle. We took this whistle out of our kits and either wore it everyday on campus or kept it in immediate reach in our desks. I wore mine on my lanyard (like above) with my work photo ID.

But why a whistle? Here goes. If you are in a building that collapses during an earthquake, you may be able to survive if you are in a pocket of protection. Hiding under a desk is one example. There will be limited space and oxygen. A sharp blast of a whistle will be more effectively heard through the rubble by responders than a faint scream for help. More importantly, it requires less energy and oxygen to be expended. This gives you more chances to be heard, detected, and rescued.

But why a whistle today? It is now a signal for ICE. The Resistance carries whistles with us. Vulnerable communities know a blast of a whistle is a warning the American Gestapo is present. It could be a restaurant, a grocery store, a construction site, a school dismissal, a church service, etc. We are their first alert. Entry doors lock and employees have time to shelter or escape. Children can retreat back into classrooms which can't be breached without a judicial warrant. Their parents can escape the pick-up cue knowing their children are secured.

I live in Minnesota. We are a target. The terror from our federal government is real. You could ask Renee Nicole Good, but she's dead after they pumped three bullets into her skull because she was constitutionally protecting her neighbors.They want us to "shoot first" so they can escalate the violence against Americans. We won't fall for their trap; but we also won't concede. We will blow our whistles. We will protest and march peacefully. We will observe and record their movements and actions. We will disrupt them and defend our neighbors. And you damn sure know we will vote in 2026.

I've tested my whistle from time to time. I've never had to use it for its intended purpose. I'll never have to blow it here in Minnesota for an earthquake. I'm almost positive I will need to use it to protect and save the most vulnerable from the most tyrannical. This is the life we now live on the front lines.

Putting faith into practice

Since their start of the Walk For Peace in Fort Worth, Texas on October 26, 2025, Buddhist Monks (and Aloka the Peace Dog) have been walking on a 120-day, 2,300 trek to Washington, D.C. They do it to raise awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and around the world. I think it's pretty inspirational. Check it out. On January 7th, they were in Edgefield, South Carolina.

1,200 miles away in Minneapolis, MN, the federal government murdered American citizen Renee Nicole Good. No awareness of peace. No loving kindness. No compassion. Just cold blooded murder. Now the federal government has denied the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) access to evidence, witness testimony, forensics, etc. Without those tools, there will be NO independent investigation. The coverup has just begun. All that remains is a forthcoming edict from state propoganda media declaring no wrongdoing.

Following the monks gave me hope for a better country and world. Their message and their selfless devotion to such a monumental cause made me a better human being. It brought me solace in such an evil world (and Aloka is pretty darn cute). Then ICE agent Jonathan Ross unloaded a barage of bullets into the face of a 37-old single mother who was there as a Constitutional Observer. She was there protecting the rights of those targeted. She was putting the faith of the Monks into practice. And the government killed her for it.

What hope do any of us have anymore?

Facebook

I wish everyone who sees this a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year in 2026. There are MANY of the 277 "friends" I have on Facebook that only keep me here to enhance their statistics. How many of you have "liked, hearted, cared, etc. one of my status updates in the 2025? Agree or not, how many of you have reached out to me personally? I can honestly count the number on two hands. Do the math... only a third of you (9.23) would fit on two hands.

At some point in this world, I felt enough of a connection to invite you to my "inner network" or you felt compelled to invite me into yours. That's the way it works. A good number of you were industry collegues. Once my usefulness was exhausted, you ghosted me. "He's a nice enough guy, but if he leaves the business, I'll just ignore him." Oh look, he "liked" my family Christmas photo or "thumbs up" my most recent show. Yes, please continue to stroke my ego. I kinda remember who he was, but since he doesn't have any career value to me I don't care.

I get it. I wasn't a "friend," I was an asset. And once an asset has lost it's value, it can be discarded along with the rest of the garbage.

Happy Holidays... whatever you observe.

The Why Files may not be your thing. I totally get that. But I do want to share this Christmas message from AJ (btw... is Hecklefish on holiday already?) because I think it's important. It's been a pretty shitty year for me; but I'll likely dive into that later.

Don't forget the people in your life you take for granted. I know I can't shower people with cash these days, but a thoughtful card that was unexpected goes a long way. If you feel comfortable, let them know why you can't contribute financially, but that you still value and cherish their place in your life. In a lot of cases, I think this may mean more than a few dollars stuffed into an envelope.

Against All Odds... 30 years later

If you're new here, or if you don't remember 30 years ago, this song was burned into my soul for the rest of my existence. To this day... I can't hear it without devolving into a blubbering mass of tears. It is engrained into who I am. It sent me down a path, one that defined who I would become.

And if you don't know (or remember) why I carry this, you can refresh your memory here: The Last Valentine. Thirty years later, the scar hasn't healed. It changed everything, including today. I never really tried after that night. I was permanently broken. The "only one who really knew me at all" decided to "walk away" and all I could do was "watch you leave without a trace." 

There was no one after "K." There couldn't be. There wouldn't be. A young man (20 something) in the prime of his life, stumbles across the woman he believes deep in his soul he would spend the rest of his life with. They would share the joy of forming a family they could call their own. The house, the white picket fence, the 2.3 children, and the big back yard for the dogs to play.

All blown apart by a nuclear bomb that would spread its toxic effects for decades. Thirty years later these lyrics still ring true. "Take a look at me now, there's just an empty space." It stayed empty; so damaged it could never be salvaged.