PBS: The American Revolution - Lucy Worsley Investigates... the British Perspective.

https://www.pbs.org/show/lucy-worsley-investigates/

https://www.pbs.org/video/episode-1-akaimp/
Lucy Worsley investigates the tensions and turning points that led to America’s declaration of independence from Britain in 1776. With access to expert insights and original evidence, Lucy asks whether this explosive split could have been avoided.

https://www.pbs.org/video/episode-2-sxj2z3/
Lucy Worsley examines how the American Revolution reverberated in Britain. From sabotage to espionage, political turmoil transformed the empire. Lucy consults experts and evidence to reveal this lesser-known side of the War of Independence.

What I found odd about this history lesson was that there was no mention of The Madness of King George III... She did an entire show about his insanity and how everybody blamed him for losing the war... 

https://www.pbs.org/video/madness-of-king-george-jpamkt/

at that time there were merchants that were buying tea in India for very little money and then shipping it to America and making a big profit... Well the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party screwed up that whole business! They also bought tobacco and cotton in the American South and shipped it to England... And beaver hats from the North... John Jacob Astor became the richest man in America selling Beaver skins... 

The country of France was having a revolution in 1789 and the Monarchy had their Heads Cut Off with a Guillotine... Somehow King George IV convinced the people of England that having a King was a Good Idea! 

Benjamin Franklin wore a Coon Skin Cap and a homespun fabric shirt when he called on the King of France to ask for help fighting the British... Weapons, gunpowder, Uniforms... The French had been fighting the English forever and were glad to join in... Quite a different look for Benjamin Franklin because he spent the last decade as an ambassador between the colonies and Great Britain and he spent most of his time with the ruling class... Fancy clothes... Powdered wigs... Royalty...

and the conclusion was that the colonies would have lost the American Revolution without the French helping... 

I remember going to Montalvo - a Fantastic Mansion/Park in Saratoga, CA. We went there often because there was a beautiful lawn and many hippies congregated there and played guitar... etc, etc, etc...

One time a Classmate (who shall remain nameless) and I ate LSD and then hitchhiked to Montalvo. We were relaxing and enjoying the beautiful gardens and the Gazebo that looked like a Grecian Temple when... up drove my Parents! Disaster! Panic! They drove my friend to his home and then we went to our home and ate lunch (I had no appetite because I was Tripping... and MOM Noticed... Danger-Danger...) and then we all saw a Woody Allen Movie (Take the Money and Run) at Century 21. That would qualify as a Bad Trip... 

Another time Mom, Dad and I went to a Hypnosis Seminar. The man used the sound of tinkling keys as a trigger. I don't recall actually getting Hypnotized. I have had a lifelong Desire to learn Self Hypnosis but have had absolutely no success. and no success with Prayer, Meditation or Lucid Dreaming. NOTHING! Supposedly there is some benefit to those practices but I have been totally disappointed... One Out of Body Experience I have had was Playing the drums in a Circle of Friends. I took a Drumming Class at Adult Education in Paradise, CA. We met at night at an abandoned Chinese Restaurant and Played the drums for Hours. Sometimes I thought I saw Ghosts. Actually, Those classes were a High Point of My Life. I attended with a VERY Beautiful Woman who was NOT my wife... Exciting to be with her but TOTALLY off limits... SIGH... 

There is a Very Long trail up the Mountain behind the Mansion. I don't know how long it goes or where it leads...

At Montalvo, I took piano Lessons for a very brief time. In my youth I took Piano Lessons at Home and Hated it. However, I did learn to play... Decades later I had countless hours of fun playing Piano and Synthesizer with friends. We all owned those Analog Machines made by Roland, Korg and Yamaha... and drum machines... Those machines allowed up to create "Outer Space" fifties Science Fiction Soundtrack "Music" - or more accurately described, Noise... a lot of Whoosh Whoosh and space ships taking off sounds. Big fun with a home made Laser Lightshow and a bag of weed. I inherited my Family Piano and had it moved to my home in Eureka. It's an Upright with Excellent sound. Often I would take the front off the piano so I was exposed to the strings and... improvise while holding the pedal down... eventually, all the strings vibrated simultaneously... quite an astonishing sound to listen to while smoking grass. After I retired from work, the State of Oregon Legalized Marijuana and I drove there every two weeks and bought an Ounce. One entire winter in Eureka. Then in the Spring, I decided to take a Driving Vacation to the Deserts of Nevada and SoCal... I left the weed at home because whenever I go camping in my Van I meet the Police and at that time Marijuana was Illegal in California and Nevada... anyway, I remained Stoned for A Month! Without Smoking at ALL... I went to the Hospital for an Infected Blister on my foot and they said I tested Positive for THC... a MONTH after Stopping Smoking! 

I took my Wife to a Folk Singer Concert at Montalvo. In the Back yard behind the Mansion there is a Stage and amphitheater seating. We saw Janis Ian and 8 other Greenwich Village Type Folk Singers. I can't remember any names and they were all boring... EXCEPT Janis Ian! She was great! She sang her hit song (At 17) but most of the time she played abstract Jazz using Digital Footpedals for Echo, Sampling and Reverb. Quite a talented performer... It especially blew my mind because I owned the Exact same equipment but She really made magic with those machines! We parked the Car at West Valley Junior College and rode a special shuttle bus to Montalvo. Overall, it was just another one of those Husband Events... She really liked Folksingers and I... EH! 

While Working at the Quito Road Radio Shack in Saratoga, CA I sold 65 Packages of Hearing Aid Batteries Every Three Months to a Man Exporting Them to Poland.

Hundreds of People Could Hear... Impossible to Buy There... Maybe it was Czechoslovakia... Whatever... This is MY RIGHT LIVELIHOOD... 

I also Sold an Entire Recording Studio (microphones, tape recorder, mixing board) to a Lady doing an Interview Radio Show on Alternative Medicine for KARA in Santa Clara. She felt the people would be more relaxed and talkative is the interviews were held in her home... 

We failed to sell a Stopwatch to the Head Coach of the 49ers Football Team. The one we had in stock was the Complex, Muti -Function Watch and he wanted the Simple One... We found what he wanted at the Next store down the road... and He bought it there... 

I was also involved in PREDICTING THE FUTURE. The Question was "What will people want to buy Six Months from now?" My Opinions were passed on to Corporate Headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas by my Boss, Carol. She was often asked her opinion because she could tell them "What Women Want." - Since 40% of the money at "The Shack" was spent by women... Knowing what Women Want is Important. She asked for Multi-Color Telephones... Before, all phones were Black... but with the Invention of "The Princess Phone" we switched to a Rainbow of Pastels... 

A Benefit of working at Radio Shack was the EDUCATION required by Corporate to keep your job as a salesman. We studied 14 different subjects and had to pass a test. "How a VCR Works", "Antenna Design", "Computer Science" and "Marketing FUN-da-mentals."  No Matter What, I still remember How a Radio Works and How a TV Works etc etc etc...

I was driving down Union Ave from the Unemployment office after a frustrating day looking for a Job and I Saw The Radio Shack and said to myself -"Hell, I Can Do THAT!" - and I was Hired. I found out later that they hire almost everyone and fire those that fail quickly. I did not fail and Rode That Horse for SIX Years... Eventually getting fired for drinking on the job BUT, I did buy $6,000 worth of Stock which paid for a Four Month Vacation in Chico, CA where I attended Three AA Meetings a Day, Played my Guitar on the Street for Tips, Met my Wife and Got a Job at WREX Plastics making Wheelchair Wheels, Vending Machine Parts and Swim Fins. What a Blessing Getting fired was... Remember: It's All Just Grist For The Mill. (A Book by Ram Dass) https://www.amazon.com/Grist-Mill-Awakening-Ram-Dass/dp/0062235915 

Digital Lotus Card for sale... 

Two Sided Card... Unfold and Thumbtack it to Your Wall for an Instant Visual Mantra... Just Look at it and You are Blessed With Bliss!

Click on the Picture to see the Back Side Art!

Digital Lotus Card
by gregvan

Digital Lotus Mug for sale... 

Instant Visual Mantra... Just Look at it and You are Blessed With Bliss!

Digital Lotus Mug
by gregvan

Original Art For Sale...
and there is a different picture on the back of the Greeting Card... a Rainbow Spiral...

"Art in the Time of Coronavirus" Holiday Card
by gregvan

I remember Going to West Valley Junior College in Saratoga, CA and Learning Electronics Drafting. After Studying for One Year I Was Able to Get a Job at System Industries...

I have always loved to Draw and EARNING A LIVING doing something you love to do is BLISS... I Remember occasions when the Sun was Shining in the Window and I was Designing a Printed Circuit Board and AT THAT MOMENT I Attained True Enlightenment (or Something)... What the Buddhists Call Right Livelihood... 

However, "They" invented Computer Assisted Design and The Companies I worked for could hire people for HALF MY RATE OF PAY... and so I switched to SALES... But It Was Fun While It Lasted... 

NOW, as a Retired Person I spend a Lot of Time drawing my FREE COLORING BOOK... Black and White drawing that people May Print out and Color using Felt Pens, Pencils or Crayons... You can find more art at Google Image Search Keywords "gvan42 Free Coloring Book"

Click On This Link to See More ART!
https://tinyurl.com/gvan42

I remember that Dad bought some Land in the Mountains behind Saratoga and we went there to SURVEY it. Dad used the Transit and I climbed up the mountain and held the Rod. Whenever you buy land, it is important to have an accurate Map so you can plan for builders to construct a home on it.

 There are laws that say how far you have to be away from a creek. There are also practical restrictions due to the slope of the ground. Dad worked as a Professional Surveyor for Decades. He measured the land for the San Francisco Airport. Then he worked at San Jose Title Company drawing Maps of Santa Clara County. VERY Handy to know who owns what and where. When he became a Realtor he used that information to arrange good locations for customers. "Just Ask Van..."
The land is located up Highway Nine. You go up a couple of miles and take a left hand turn at the road that goes to a Rod and Gun Club. There is a Shooting Range at the end of the road. Los Altos Rod and Gun Club?

Anyway, the land he bought was UNUSABLE for construction of a Home... and Unsellable... So he donated it to West Valley College as a Biology Classroom. Then He simply DEFINED the value of the Donation and wrote it off on his income taxes.

Strangely, neither my brother nor I went to work as Realtors... Often a son simply inherits the family business but... Martin became a Biologist at Genentech and I designed Computers for the Air Force... and the NSA... and then later Sold Electronic Equipment for Radio Shack. My work for the NSA was very interesting. I helped build a Secure Telephone in a Briefcase. Data Encryption and Telecommunication so Soldiers could talk without the enemy listening in... I met some Brilliant engineers there. One fellow knew how to predict which horse was going to win a horse race... we went to the track and won money... Just do what John Does and WIN! That man also beat me at Chess 9 out of 10 times... and then we stopped playing...

One piece of land that he DID subdivide was Apollo Heights. The name of the street is "On Orbit Drive" Saratoga. Driving down Highway Nine towards Saratoga you take a left hand turn at the Library and drive past the Cemetery and JUST KEEP ON GOING AND GOING AND GOING... His Saleslady, Dadi Nogerath Named the Street. In the German Language, "ON Orbit" is the correct term for what we call "IN Orbit" in English. She took customers up to see the property and before the roads were constructed, she rode a burro over the hills... Her Husband, Wolfgang, worked at Laugh Head (Lockheed)... They were people that came to America at the End of WW2. Just like Dr Wehner von Braun... I wish that I had worked for Lockheed and One time I was almost Hired. I was at a Job Fair at the Santa Clara Convention Center and there were hundreds of Companies recruiting... The representative from Lockheed said they wanted to hire me because I had work experience in the Computer Aided Design program CADAM. He said go to building number XXX on Monday morning for a Second Interview. I went and the office HAD NO PEOPLE. Just a Computer and an IN Basket to drop off your resume. I dropped off my resume and NOTHING EVERY HAPPENED. I Believe that at that time. Lockheed was Laying Off and the only reason they had a booth at the Job Fair was to KEEP UP APPEARANCES... so no one would know that their business was in trouble... this was in the late 1990s...

One basic problem with Facebook is My Words Vanish after about a Month... No matter how far I scroll down the page, they are gone. That's Why I copy and paste everything into Googles Blogger so my words are preserved forever... ALSO, it's important to me that Google knows everything about my life so that when THE SINGULARITY happens I can be born again as an Iduru... Just like in that CyberPunk novel by William Gibson...