October 25, 2005
As you know, Gus the Mapinator, is leaving us next month. I set up a final jam session for November 23rd in the office and Mike Torres is coming out to gig, with me on drums. So, True West magazine is looking for a creative, edgy, map nut, who loves great design, and funky treasure maps. Must know 3-D, illustrator, Quark Xpress and In Design. Email me at the above address if you want the gig.

Our phone women, Samantha, Sheri and Carole are the best. Last week I wrote about a guy from Utah who was livid about the gay issue, wanted his money back. Samantha suggested I write him a letter and I did, telling him we wanted to hear his side of the debate. He called today and Carole answered the phone. She tells what happened next:

"I told him that we accepted that there are many points of view and we were not promoting any of them — just reporting. It really struck a nerve with him."

He un-cancelled his Maniac membership and is writing a letter to the editor. That is so cool, I can’t begin to tell you. The other thing is that most people are literally stunned when the girls answer the phone. "Whoa! Excuse me, is this a real person?" is the most common response they get. "Yes, we’re real and we’re not in India!" is the answer they've been trained to say back.

I got the film back from the plein air art trip and one of them is of the boys under the Kaiser Springs Bridge. I told them if they do a hip-hp album this is their CD cover. Kaiser Springs is off to the left. That’s T. Charles on the left and Carson Mell on the right. I also got a nice one of Ed Mell behind his oil transformer on the backside of the Hualapais and I’ll run that one tomorrow.

Two of my old underground friends are worth $400 million today. Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin just bought the Village Voice newspaper chain, bringing their newspaper holdings to 17 papers, I believe. Back in the mid-1970s when I was thinking of going to work for them at New Times, a person who I greatly admire and trust told me not to get involved because they would never amount to anything. Fortunately, that loan officer is no longer at our bank.

"Lord, Grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."
—Michelangelo