Good afternoon from California 

I'm back in California, feeling pretty good.

Listening to the original version of For Free by Joni Mitchell from Ladies of the Canyon. There's a later version from the live album -- Miles of Aisles, but I like the original better.

The one man band by the quick lunch stand. He was playing real good for free. Nobody stopped to hear him, though he played so sweet and high. They knew he had never been on their TV, so they passed his music by. I meant to go over and ask for a song, maybe put on a harmony. I heard his refrain as the signal changed. He was playing real good for free.

Everyone is so confused about blogging. You don't blog to build an audience or have a conversation. You blog because you have something to say. There's nothing more to it.

I saw the story about the librarian who wasn't allowed to wait for a McCain event because she held a sign with a political message, a subtle one, a thought-provoker. She was playing real good for free, her instrument was our political system, but the cops passed her good music by.

When you put on your plastic lapel pin, you should think about the Government of the People, by the People and for the People -- people playing real good for freedom.

McCain could give a speech about that librarian, that would be truly impressive. Here's something he can fix right now. Tell the people who watch the people lining up to let people express their political thoughts, esp those who do it legally and peacefully.

The spirit of America, imho, is not the flag, not the government, not our pride -- rather it's the one man band by the quick lunch stand.

PS: Here's a live version of For Free, performed by Joni Mitchell on the BBC.