A Memorable Handshake with Jimmy Carter

October 4, 2026 is the 50th anniversary of a landmark event in my life: I shook hands with Jimmy Carter as he campaigned for the U.S. presidency. 

The 1976 Democratic primaries featured many candidates. My favorite candidate, Mo Udall from Arizona, crashed and burned early, but my second favorite, Jimmy Carter from Georgia, advanced to the nomination. I liked Carter, and thought he offered a fresh way to unite the North and the South after the bruising Civil Rights battles and Vietnam War divisions of the Sixties. I volunteered at the downtown Denver phone bank for the Carter campaign. 

On October 4, 1976, Jimmy Carter’s campaign came to Denver. Polling indicated that traditionally-Republican Colorado was evenly split between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. I went to attend Carter’s downtown rally, and help out if possible. 

The crowd at the downtown Denver rally was huge. National news media set up a long table for their cameras, selfishly blocking views. Half the audience couldn’t even see Carter. Several of us started yelling at the news media to get out of the way. On the evening national newscasts, you could hear our inarticulate shouts. 

I got back late to campaign headquarters. The phone bank supervisor was locking up, and asked if I wanted to go to the airport. Well, why not? En route, I asked him why we were going to the airport. “To see Carter off,” he replied. Sure enough, there on the tarmac was Jimmy Carter! Carter shook our hands, and posed for photos. He put his arm around a pretty woman for one photo, reminding me of the newly-released and controversial Playboy interview where he mentioned “lusting in his heart.”

So happy! A banner day! 

Later, news media described the crowd at the rally as consisting of only 4,000 people. Surely there were more people there than that! Carter did not win traditionally-Republican Colorado, but he did win enough votes to become President. 

I've never seen a sitting President, but have seen several before or after their term in office:

• Jimmy Carter, Stapleton International Airport, Denver, CO, October 4, 1976.
• Ronald Reagan, Wells Fargo Arena, Tempe, AZ, March 20, 1989.
• I almost saw George W. Bush during his term, but I was standing on the wrong side of the road as the motorcade went past, in Bernalillo, NM, May 12, 2003.
• Bill Clinton, Pavilion at the ARC, UC Davis, Davis, CA, January 15, 2008.
• Barack Obama, Bonanza High School, Las Vegas, NV, October 25, 2008.

Here's a summary video of the campaign:

 

Les Miserables - Sutter Street Theatre - September 26, 2026

Larry did a great job as Javert. I also liked Fantine (Emi Madsen) for her clear, bell-like voice. I also liked Madame Thenardier (Audrey Burde), for her energy (but also because she resembled a player I knew 15-20 years ago at DMTC, McKinley Carlisle, who had similar energy).

Videos of the Cone Incident

To preface everything, Fuck SacPD! 

 I missed the Thursday evening (Sept. 24th) events at the John Moss Center in downtown Sacramento by about half an hour. SacPD keeps trying to enforce their idea of how we should use traffic cones. Even though SacPD is not supposed to be working with ICE, everything they do supports ICE. 

 I don't know why Faygo put music here. It wasn't funny. Faygo asks the officer if she's going to have any emotional breakdowns. We've noticed she doesn't seem well-suited to this kind of police work.

 

In many ways Allen's video is better. Allen speaks though most of the video.  Trouble and Jaxon were arrested and kept in jail overnight.

 

A Vigil

Joining the group tonight (*Sept. 24th) at the Sacramento County Jail. Two of our group were rather-brutally arrested tonight for cones intruding into the traveled way. SacPD at their petty best.

A Minor Incident On The Couch

Several Limericks

Here are several limericks in honor of things I've seen around Sacramento this week. 

First, I saw a drone hovering over Fair Oaks Blvd. just west of Watt Avenue, for no apparent reason: 

Once there was a drone named Dot 

Floating at Fair Oaks and Watt 

Dot hovered so well 

Above that streetwise hell 

That I stared and thought "That's hot!" 

Second, after nightfall, I was driving on the eastbound Highway 50 to the northbound Capital City Freeway transitional ramp when a large rat crossed hastily: 

I've seen them in the ivy 

Rustling, chittering be 

Rats astound and boss 

But why do they cross? 

The highway for all to see? 

Finally, Jasper and I saw these turkey vultures circling around the Land Park neighborhood, where they often roost. 

Turkey vultures of Land Park 

Roosting in trees before dark 

They circle and sit 

They care not a whit 

For cowed walkers on a lark

Buster in the Bunker

Road Closed To Thru Traffic

Sloat Way here is a cul-de-sac. It's always been closed to through traffic.

Hanging Out At The Dentist

The plushest dentist in all of NorCal! Been going to Dr. Amy Woo and associates (all women) since, oh, 1991, or so. Dr. Brewer detected a cavity. I said, "No way! This is going to interfere working on the jigsaw puzzle!"

Freedom

At the vigil for our people at the Sacramento County Jail last Thursday night (Sept. 24th), we witnessed several heartfelt reunions, as people were released and greeted by loved ones. Nice! What got my attention, though, was a solo man, tall and big, who knelt on the sidewalk, quietly prayed, and then kissed the humble dirt next to the I Street curb, before slowly walking away. It says it all!

Snow Tha Product - "Sabado"

We live in a new universe of protest music. I really like this song (turn on Closed Captions - cc - for English subtitles).

 

Omen of the Dove

When I returned home after having walked my dog Jasper this morning (Sept. 27th), I found a wild dove writhing on the floor just inside my back door. Before I could react the dove quietly passed away. 

I hadn't seen the dove before and I had a million questions. How long had the dove been hiding inside my house? Where had the dove been hiding out? Did I inadvertently kill the dove when I opened the door, or was the dove already fatally ill? Did the dove try to get help from me for its problems and did I fail to notice? Did Jasper know about any this? Am I going to get West Nile fever now? 

The ancient Greeks and Romans watched birds for omens about the intentions of the gods. Having a bird die just inside my house strikes me as a particularly bad omen.