Utah Phillips: Feb. 9,

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Feb. 9,

I flew from my home in Salt Lake back to San Francisco late last night. Joanna and I are having
breakfast at the Cathedral Hill Hotel. The hospital owns the hotel, I think they plan to tear down the hotel and build a new med. center.
Utah sounded tired last night on the phone, tired but determined.
I encourage everyone to post comments of any kind ,dad likes the idea of keeping in touch with everyone.I will try to post some pictures and if I figure this blog thing out maybe even a video comment from dad.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...: Nancy and I add our good wishes and prayers to the many Utah has and will receive for his comfort. We have greatly enjoyed his appearances in Chicago, on Folkstage, at the Old Town School and at Hot House.

Peter and Nancy Clark, Oak Park, IL; February 9, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...: Duncan,

Thanks for the blog. Tell your dad we miss him up here. So do the dog, cat, and chickens. It's a beautiful warm day in the Sierra, the snow's melting, and we're ready for Utah and Joanna to come home. I talked to Emma this morning about his offer of a tour of the Brownell Museum of Popular Antiquities with a full explanation of the significance of the objects therein, and she's eager to do it, along with James.

We miss you all. Come home when you can.

Jordan Fisher Smith, Susan, James, and Emma; February 9, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Diane Smith said...: Duncan, thank you for starting this blog for all your father's fans and friends.

As a former resident of the Butte Miner's Union Hall, back when they rented rooms upstairs, Utah Phillips has always been my hero.

Over the years, I have taken my daughter all over the state of Montana to see Utah Phillips.

The first time I think she was two, when we saw him in a church in Butte. She's now 22, so she grew up listening to his wit, his wisdom, and his music.

We send our best wishes for a quick recovery and even quicker trip home.

Get well Utah! We need you out here.

Diane (and Hannah) Smith, Montana; February 9, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Unknown said...: Thank you for the updates Duncan.

Here are some pictures we took of Utah over the years:

Peace demo in Nevada City

More peace demo

Already against the next war

Honored as Nevada City Living Legend; February 9, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Anonymous said...: Duncan,
Like the others, I say thank you for the blog. I am a part of the Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains, which Utah also belongs to. I honor and cherish his presence there and in the community and all that he's contributed, and send him my most sincere wishes for his recovery and continued quality of life.

Another local legend, and friend of Utah and also mine, John Olmsted, has asked me to send his best wishes. Here is his message:

Hi Dear Utah,
The Bridge across America that you have made will always be there through your marvelous flight through space and time across our planet, particularly the North Turtle Island segment.
We give all the love back to you that you have given to us and all the strength for all those homeless people that you have given to them. We flood you with it now with all our wishes of great joy. We celebrate your healing and give strength for your own recovery. You've given so much and will continue to give much more to help create the sustainable reality that we are all working on.
All our blessings to you, Utah.

John Olmsted from Celestial Room #3 at the Outside Inn (at Indian Grinding Rock), E. Broad St, Nevada City, CA; February 9, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Bruce,
Hello from Olympia, it's your nephew Glen Phillips. Quite an odyssey you are on there in San Francisco. I hope they spring you from there soon. It seems they are taking pretty good care of you. I hope your suffering is minimal and that you are able to find happiness and good health in the midst of the challenges. Happy New Year of the Rat! Love to Duncan and Joanne.
Glen, Anne and Chelsea Phillips
Olympia, WA; February 11, 2008 at 2:13 PM

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The Two Bums

This is a poem from George Milburn's book, The Hobo's Hornbook. You can also find it in a lot of old I. W. W. pamphlets and literature. It sums up a great deal of what I feel. It talks about the bum on the rod and the burn on the plush, which is just a simple way of saying that the kind of system we live in now demands that there be a poor people, demands that there be people out of work so that there will always be people willing to work for any wage.
Sure, a lot of railroad burns are parasites, but, like the poem says, they're just fleas who get an occasional bite, and you look at what those parasites at the top are chewing off. I know that there's a lot of talk these days about the welfare Cadillac; middle class people talking about those welfare gobblers down on the bottom who are afraid to do an honest day's work, and they're all driving big Cadillacs. And you hear over and over again, "Nobody ought to get something for nothing. " I've got to agree. You've got to work to eat.
I look at a factory. I see that everybody associated with that factory puts something in and they take something out. The workers put in their sweat and their skill, and they take out wages. The salesmen put in their skill and ability, and they take out commissions. The managers and foremen and people in the offices put in theirs, and take out salaries. But there's one group of people who take out more than they put in, and that more is called profit. I can't think of any other way to define it. That's a bunch of people who are getting something they didn't work for, and it's a whole lot.
If we're really concerned about people getting just what they earn, if we're really concerned about people not getting something that they didn't put in time and sweat for, let's start with the major offenders, and get rid of them. Then we'll gradually work our way down to the petty chiselers. It just makes sense.

The bum on the rod is hunted down
As the enemy of mankind;
The other is driven around to his club
And feted, wined and dined.

And they who curse the bum on the rods
As the essence of all that is bad
Will greet the other with a winning smile
And extend him the hand so glad.

The bum on the rods is a social flea
Who gets an occasional bite;
The bum on the plush is a social leech,
Blood-sucking day and night.

The bum on the rods is a load so light
That his weight we scarcely feel,
But it takes the labor of dozens of men
To furnish the other a meal.

As long as you sanction the bum on the plush,
The other will always be there,
But rid yourself of the bum on the plush
And the other will disappear.

Then make an intelligent, organized kick,
Get rid of the weights that crush;
Don't worry about the bum on the rods,
Get rid of the bum on the plush!

Internet Archive

I have started to develop an internet archive on my web page. It will be a collection of pictures, concert flyers and posters, concert audio and video, in short everything that I have collected during the last few years of traveling with dad. My hope is that it may one day become a central place for the world wide community to have access to an ever growing archive of Utah Phillips. I would like to encourage folks to add to the archive as well. You can either send things via e-mail ( friendsofutah@yahoo.com) or to my home address. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank You
Duncan Phillips
1392 e. 5935 s.
SLC, UT. 84121