Daily journal December 2, 2000, The Banana Factory, Quaker Town, Philadelphia,

After a long and productive meeting with Norman, I went for a meeting with Diane at the Banana Factory Art Gallery on Third Street in Bethlehem. I presented my photos and my slides which seem to be very well accepted with a future show in mind of my work. My 300 ft.Revelation painting is available for showing along with my individual art paintings on many subjects as I do paint a wide variety. My website is www.thompson-art.com I passed by the mammoth Bethlehem Steel plant, said to be three miles long, along their river but abandoned. What a great art center this could be. After 1:00 p.m. I set out for Quaker Town and Philadelphia to avoid the snow and ice in the mountains and hoping to reach home safely and with out delay. Highway 309 disappeared in the North West of Philadelphia and I was lost for awhile realizing that this nation will never overcome this grueling trouble of the slums that breed crime and corruption as a curse on this nation. Finally I found a street to somewhere some place and continued East to I-95 and South to Baltimore and on to Washington and on down to Fredericksburg, Virginia where I had a late $2.95 poached egg dinner at Dennys. Worry of the weather and not being able to get a report or call home due to my phone being out of power and not being able to punch a number on the cold payphone in the dark, I continued on to Richmond to see the tobacco mills blow their smoke in the night sky and smelled the smell of death in the making. I stopped by the Holiday Inn on I-95 South where I can always find a telephone indoor and a clean bathroom to use and a check of the weather. The double snow storm is shown as covering the entire route home with no hope to drive the 400 miles. I have found no city named Quaker but Quaker Town must be where a book was written 50 years ago by a Quaker in Quaker Pennsylvania entitled "Age of Treason" outlining all of the treasonous tricks of the government. Maybe the steel factories in Pennsylvania needed largely to be modernized to be more efficient but it is a pattern and trend to lose our industry to either Mexico or the Far East. Unions are largely responsible for this lose of meaningful jobs for American workers. I can see the state's all withdrawing from the union in the near future as the federal has become to dominating and demanding. Secession is sure being talked alot especially in the West like Russia split when all it states became independent. What benefit does the central government provide. The union was happy to tax the slave picked cotton at 40% export until the South said no. Emancipation was first proposed by the South and later became the history books excuse for the war. We study and believe a lie. The cross of St. Andrews, Andrew, the disciple of Christ, appears in the British flag. I pray for understanding Dear Lord for myself and for all people in the world and peace. I pray for joy and victory in our lives as we serve thee and as we worship thee first of all. The title of this art show was "The end is a new beginning", the saying here, outsider art from the inside of the artist. My art is said to be spiritual, coming from my spirit on to the canvas. Art is the greatest tool in education various. Be generous hearted and give to everyone that ask you for any thing and if you do, I believe that you will never run out of money. Have you driven the Interstate highways, and you see the money being spent and much of it foolishly. We're a rich nation while we are so very poor in mind and spirit. I drove through seven states to get to Bethlehem. In leaving Asheville 19-23 highway by Mars Hill and Weaverville to the real mountain and looking down on many houses a hundred feet below as the winding around those rusty rock formations on 181 North to Johnson City then North on I-81 passed Bristol in the clear cold air to Pennsylvania.