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This one started by using the stencil I made for Still Snowing : Daily Biscuit #38. I like to sometimes reuse the stencils I make because I end up creating a very different painting from the same basic design. Naming it “Still Rising” has to do with how my day went today. It started out with me feeling extremely heavy with the world this morning. More so than I’ve felt in a long time. Making changes in life and confronting obstacles that have been in your way since you were born are not easy to understand, recognize, and overcome. I believe it is a life-long process. Although it seems like a struggle sometimes, like it did this morning, it’s not a struggle, it’s simply life. Life is joy and life is sorrow, straight up. Please tell me of someone you trust as having wisdom who tells you any different. And knowing that the woe is just part of the cycles of life, I knew that this morning’s massive feeling woe was the culmination of the past couple weeks. Probably the hardest couple weeks I’ve had in three years. I knew I had to just keep aware of what was going on and that it would pass. So Marisa and I had breakfast and took a long walk around Berkeley. As we walked I started to feel better and got some perspective on things. I did a few things throughout the rest of the day and then went with Marisa and my friend Adam to go the screening of the “The Driver”, a short film in which I play the leading role of the driver. It was filmed awhile ago and I was feeling a bit embarrassed about having people view it while I was there, because I do many silly things throughout the film and wasn’t sure how it was going to all go down. Three other short films were showing there as well, “The Albany Bulb : A Documentary”, “Rantz”, and “Ed Reed : A Jazz Singer”.

The night went really well, the screening took place on the top level of Albany Church in Albany, CA, and was packed to full capacity. Richard Boch and Ed Reed had been interviewed on KPFA a couple days ago so I think that little bit of press helped get the word out about the screening. There was a nice mix of people there. Richard’s son Benny who is 12 rocked out on piano and vocals and had a friend playing drums. They mostly jammed out really good covers of Beatles tunes, very impressive quality for kids who are 12. After my film showed I was asked to come up and take part in answering a couple questions, which went fine. I guess I’m mentioning all of this because the more you relate with others and share yourself you can become acknowledged and feel a part of something. This morning I wasn’t feeling like I was a part of something. So then the real reason for why I began this rant of a post, is that the short documentary my friend Richard made about the jazz singer Ed Reed played. Ed is 81 years old. He grew up in the Watt’s district of L.A.. One of his neighbors was Charles Mingus and he would hang out and watch him play at his home, and became friends with him and learned a lot about music from watching him and talking to him. I’m loosely telling his story here, but that’s ok, you can find out the details if you like, I’m just working from memory here. He ended up going into the military, and then spent roughly 40 years in drug addiction. I believe heroin was his main thing. He had two convictions and two parole violations which gave him a combined four different stints in prison. I believe he was in San Quentin. So in the late 80’s he gets sober and starts to help others in recovery. He’s developed and arts and healthy living course that he teaches to people, and is now over 20 years sober. His whole life he sang, but up until 2007 he had never made an album. In the film he mentions someone asked him at a jazz camp, so where are your albums, and he said he didn’t have any. So here he is in 2007 making his first album as a jazz singer at age 78. After 40 years of addiction and years and years in San Quentin prison. He then made a second album, and he said he is now in the process of making a third. In 2008 and 2009 he was named as one the most talented up and coming jazz singers by DownBeat magazine. He said as he answered questions tonight that he never dreamed his life would be like it is now. He said when he was using that he thought he’d end up dead and no one would remember him. And now he’s a world-renowned jazz singer making his third album at age 81. To see him in person he could maybe pass for 61. His energy and power is immense. The way he talks in the documentary and looks at the camera is stunning. He’s not trying to be cool, he’s not pretending to be anything he isn’t. This is a man who lived his many sorrows, and now unexpectedly is being rewarded with his many joys. That’s truth. Not that any of us should have to go to San Quentin so that in the end feel joy. But we all have to recognize, acknowledge, and face our obstacles in our life. And today it took someone like Ed Reed to put my obstacles in perspective. To make me realize that I have a lot

By Jeff Winkler

Boca Raton:
Let’s be honest: Donald Trump is in it for himself.

Yeah, ok. Duh, right? But holy mother, it’s such honest selfishness.

This might explain why the folks — the regular folks — at the Trump-centric rally on Saturday repeatedly offered the same reasons for why they like the guy so much: He’s better than you or me. He’s richer than you or me. And damn it, he’s honest about it.

“He comes across as authentic. He is who is he,” said rally attendee Elizabeth Bonczar (For the record, her husband informed The Daily Caller that both he and his wife had Ph.Ds). “What you see on TV is what you hear. He’s consistent.”

This was the theme among those who attended the rally. Trump was “As seen on TV” and folks felt that they were getting what they paid for, as opposed to not getting what they bargained for.

“What else do we like about Daw-nald?!” asked Marie Owens excitedly turning to her husband, who sported a nice pair of black shoes and white socks, along with his cool detachment. The Owens said they were from Boca Raton and had been there so long that they seemed to have developed a peculiarly thick NYC accent. “He’s not a typical politician,” said Mr. Owens. The couple had their act worked out like sunscreened Burns & Allen and Mrs. Owens picked up right after Mr. Owens. “And you know what .. he doesn’t care what people say. He’s not, you know watching his words. He says it as it is.”

“I feel your pain,” said Bill Clinton. George W. Bush, in the midst of his campaign had “real solutions for real people.” The humble son of a goat-herder, who vowed real “Change” is struggling with that promise.

Enter Trump, who says: I’ll be running for president (maybe) because … well, look at me! I’m awesome.

It’s the Me Doctrine. One hundred percent American.

Trump has somehow distilled Candidate Obama’s one-word campaign to an even more universal theme. Me. Like all good politicians, Trump uses this theme as a starting point for every reason you should elect him for President … if he runs. As a result, no traditional presidential candidate talking point is left un-Trumped. In his 50-plus minute speech before a crowd of 2-3,000, Trump interjected himself into nearly every topic. And why not? It’s what he’s selling and what the people are buying.

So if Trump runs, he’ll be giving more speeches like the one he did in Boca Raton. Whether it’s in Iowa, New Hampshire or Wisconsin. Above all, expect him to be consistent on the subject of Trump. It’s almost as if those other areas most potential presidential candidates touch on are just window dressing for a 22nd floor penthouse. Observe:

Trump understands your area because he probably owns it something in it

“You know, my second home is right down the road in your little competitor’s community called Palm Beach, you know that right? I love Florida, I love it.”

Trump would like to remind you that he has a second home. This was his first line after thanking Rep. Allen West for the friendly words. It was a classic introduction of any campaign speeches: connect with your audience on a local level, and it was genius. It said “we’re neighbors but only when I feel like it.” And everyone feels that way about their neighbor, even if they don’t have a second home

Trump knows foreign policy because business is foreign policy

Has Trump ever served on the foreign relations committee? Ha! Can he speak a foreign language? Who cares. Businessman Trump has already spent years of dealing with foreigners. You should also remember that those foreigners have been important, too.

• On dealing with foreign leaders: “I know a lot of people in other countries. I know the top people. I know the wealthy people. They deal with me on a constant basis,” Trump told the crowd. “They tell me — not so much lately, by the way — but before this whole thing started, they would sit with me at dinners and say, ‘Donald, We can’t believe what we’re getting away with. I can’t believe it.” You know, these guys are talking to me, I’m talking to them.”

• On China loaning us money: “Now I know how to stop it. Most of you have read more on television, I know how to stop it. They have a problem. You know everyone says, oh, well, they’ve loaned us money .. hey I’ve loaned banks all my life, I’m doing very well. Doesn’t matter.”

• On diplomatic missions and agreements with other countries: You know, in New York, I know all of the great business leaders. And they’re vicious, ruthless, horrible human beings in person. And I want them negotiating for me. I don’t want a diplomat. You know a diplomat is a person that studies hard. You know what they learn? How to be nice to be people. I don’t want nice people.”

• On Israel: “There’s never been anybody worse on Israel than Obama … and yet I have friends …. they say ‘oh, You have to come to a fundraiser on my Park Avenue apartment. We’re having a fundraiser.’ I say ‘for who?’ ‘Obama.’ ‘Perfect,’. I say. “Why would you have a fundraiser for