February 1, 2008
Had a going away party for Joel Klasky yesterday afternoon in the conference room. Trish Brink brought champagne and snacks and I played "Wipeout" on the conference room table as a going away present. Joel kind of teared up, but maybe it was merely the flying drumstick splinters.

Speaking of drumsticks, the Exits Exit postcard invitations are printed and I sent out the first two batches: the first batch went out two days ago, and the second batch last night. If you get the postcard with the Liberty Bell stamp on it (get it?), it means you were in the first batch and by extension a favorite of mine (I just cherry-picked the names off the mailing list). If you get the second batch with the Marvel Comics Super Heroes stamps on them, it means you are my second favorite friends, and if you haven't received the postcard, well, it means you need to send me your mailing address (click above to contact me). Here's the poster design, which goes to the printer today:



Our musical director, Mike Torres, has ordered the first musical rehearsal at his studio tomorrow morning. The only time I've played in the last two years is when Gus Walker, Mike and I put on a True West noontime concert for the crew (and, of course, my Wipeout session yesterday). Rusty? Oh, I think so. But I'll be in shape by March 21st. You can count on it. . .Uno, dos, one, two, tres, QUATRO!" (Wooley Bully anyone?)

Buck Naked Immigration
"True West's Marshall Trimble gets a cameo in today's Wall Street Journal, 'Arizona Seizes Spotlight in U.S. Immigration Debate,' making a wry observation about transplanted Americans -- migrants from the other 49 states --influencing Arizona's attitude about immigrants from Latin America.

"Note the graph, in the 1870s -- when the territory was but two decades out of Mexico -- 60.1% of the inhabitants of the territory were foreign born, as opposed to 14.4% of the entire country. Today, Arizona's percentage, 15.1%, is not much higher than the national average, 12.5%

"Of course, if we sold Arizona back to Mexico, 85% of the population would be foreign born, if you get my drift.

"Question: what percentage of the state's citizen inhabitants were born outside of Arizona? Which is to say, how many Arizonians live in Arizona.

"When I lived in Colorado (a transplanted Minnesotan, by way of Peru) in the early 1970s, the catch phrase was "Don't Californicate Colorado." All for naught. Not only did we Californicate, our state became so attractive, Californians began moving there. "
—Dan Buck

News From The Front Lines
Carole Glenn took a call from an elderly lady (she's 84 and her husband, Jasper Parson is 91) who pulled out an ad in True West from 1978 featuring a metal detecter, which they bought. Their son now has it but doesn't know how to operate it, and wanted to know if there was an operating manual for the Metroteck 220A. Carole Googled the company, called them and got the owner's manual shipped to the Parsons. Now if that isn't good customer service, I don't know what is.

By the way, their original order included a subscription ad for True West (Gift Rates!) and you could get 6 issues for $4.95 or $8.85 for 12 issues. Ha.

"And now I have to confess the unpardonable and the scandalous. I am a happy man. And I am going to tell you the secret of my happiness. It is quite simple. I love mankind. I love love. I hate hate. I try to understand and accept."
— Jean Cocteau