The Marina Dock March 2008 Newsletter

The Marina Dock Newsletter MARCH 2008

My Fellow Marina Dockers:

This month again you will see some changes to The Marina Dock envelope. We now have our fully-fledged nonprofit mailing status and thanks to Harry we have a new look and design on our envelopes as well. I also need to acknowledge Richard H and Michael D here for their gentle nudging on this initiative for some time now they have been on my case about this. Especially Richard who first brought up the topic over a year ago on getting this project started. Thank you again Richard and Michael for your encouragement and persistence on this matter, not to mention your insightfulness into knowing that "you can tell an alcoholic, but you cannot tell him much."

I may have already mentioned, now that our mailing is going out at the nonprofit rate, it will no longer necessarily arrive in your mailbox as expeditiously as it has in the past when we were sending it regular standard mail. Although it seems to get to its destination sooner within the immediate Bay Area than other California cities and destinations out of State. That is why the newsletter date is now covering a two month period .It really doesn't matter that much when you get it as long as you get it, and hopefully send us a donation, we don't expect you to contribute every month, but when you do contribute no matter how little or how large, needless to say it is greatly appreciated. Just to remind everyone again, we accept credit cards, checks and car-donation contributions.

OUR ANNIVERSARY

We just celebrated our twenty-two year anniversary in February, it came and it went without any great pomp or circumstance, and I venture to say we will be here as long as there are people reaching out for help. We are probably one of the best know landmarks, as far as 12step meetings places go, worldwide. It did not necessarily happen by design or intent; it was just David M being his own eccentric David. I have an image of a contemplative David walking along Greenwich Street musing and scratching his head, looking down at his shoes as he was want to do, deep in introspection.

David, as many of you know is now "lolling in the Florida sun" but thanks to his penchant for thinking outside the box, we have this beautiful happening thing. That was then and this is now, and thanks to our wonderful patrons and members and your stellar support over the years, we are here for another generation who are experiencing the ravages of alcoholism and substances abuse.

From the Shelter of Hedges to Hedge Funds

There is a lot of talk on the street lately about the economy and the prospect of economic Stagflation. And how it is now a real possibility due to a confluence of global economic trends and indicators. The other day I read a piece in the Washington Post on the definition of "Stagflation" here is the article for your perusal.

The Specter of Stagflation.
The Washington Post February 2008
By Robert J. Samuelson

"Stagflation" is back in the headlines -- but the term is being misused. Eminent commentators describe stagflation as the messy mixture of high inflation and high unemployment. It isn't. Stagflation, at least as the concept was initially understood in the 1970s, meant something different. Yes, it signified the simultaneous occurrence of high inflation, high unemployment and slow economic growth, but its defining feature was the persistence of this poisonous combination over long periods of time.

A hedge fund blogger picks up the story by writing

August was a bad month for hedge funds but September was one of best months ever for hedge fund performance though how some strategies will do if stagflation does show up will be interesting. Recency bias is perhaps the most pernicious disease in finance. Funny how many supposed long term investors worried about just a few weeks of hedge fund turbulence. Now with the September data point in, all is forgiven at least until the next drawdown. I find the common reaction to good hedge funds in a temporary loss to be silly. A good stock that goes down is a buying opportunity; a GOOD hedge fund that has a rough period is also a buying opportunity.

By Veryan Allen

Despite all this financial intrigue and erudition, for me like most of us, these are but abstruse abstractions and esoteric theories divorced from our immediate daily problems and concerns... The bigger question here for all of us, especially those of us stressing under the burden of increased financial difficulties and hardship, is how much does this really matter in the whole scheme of things. Over the last fifty years, where has all this affluence and abundance taken us. Has this reservoir in disposable income and the unlimited availability of consumer goods made us happier or more content with or lives? Everywhere one observes a sense of alienation and isolation from our fellow beings and us. This obsession with the markets, economic growth and the Gross Domestic Product (G.N.P), has somehow blinded us to the human cost to the environment and to our need for security and oneness with our fellows. Is growth for the sake of growth without durability and sustainability really an answer? Based on the evidence it certainly does not seem that way nor does it appear make us happier. Research on this phenomenon has shown that too many options, too many choices, and too many expectations are a poor recipe for an aching and mortal soul.

Hankering for The Past

Lately I have been reflecting on my own childhood years of growing up on The Commons in Duleek in the hungry 50s, born into a family of ten. There was not a lot to go around but we had community and we had each other. In Duleek you had to be creative and funny in order to get kind of respect and attention. Our house an open fire in every room and the neighbors came every night during the winter months to gossip and talk politics. The young ones would be ushered off to bed and the adults would launch into a serious discussion on the standoff between Eisenhower and Khrushchev over Gary Powers and his U2. The tragedy of the failed revolution in Hungary, and the refugee problem that followed, some of these refugees came to live in Ireland. Later the talk shifted to the emergence of a brash young Boston Senator who became President of The United States, whose relatives were still living in Wexford. Then in the early sixties there was Cuba, U Thant, Mr Lamumba, and Dag Hammskjold. These issues and personalities were hotly debated nightly as I lay in bed trying to figure out the significance of the Council of Trent, The Reformation and trying to memorize English prepositions. An even greater challenge for me was dealing with a full-blown crush I developed on a barefooted girl from a family of Tinkers that had camped down on the Commons Road.

This gypsy girl had caused ructions in our Parish for throwing stones at priests and robbing money out of the collection box. Eileen, according to my mother, was as mad as a March Hare. She broke all the rules and ran wild and free around the Commons, at all hours of the day and night. As kids of course we were fascinated by the Tinkers, who seemed to come out of nowhere and set up camp seeking shelter along the big blackthorn hedges by the side of the road. Sometimes they would stay for weeks and other times they would be gone again in a couple of days. I was struck by their lack of domicile and their ability to move overnight. I tried to imagine what it would be like not to live in a house. I was also curious about their aura of contentment as they lay on beds of straw by a big smoking fire of dried manure, surrounded by yelping dogs, and piebald ponies. "What time is it Ma'am" they would inquire, as we were shepherded down the road for Sunday Mass. Not that I ever saw anyone wear a watch or even knew someone who had a watch. The Tinkers knew that too, it was just their way of engaging... All time in our house was calculated on the time on the kitchen clock when you left the house. If my Mother answered them back, and she usually did, it was their way of knowing where they stood with you and they would probably stay for a while longer before moving on. The tinkers and their way of life have faded from the Irish landscape; the hedges they sheltered under have been replaced by motorways, upscale coffee shops and boutiques. Hedge funds on the other hand, at least for now, are still shrouded in secrecy and continue to operate outside the regulatory regime that applies to retail funds in general. Isn't that interesting?

Patricia We Send You Love

Patricia B, a close friend of many years and a fervent Marina Dock attendee and supporter is in dire need of friends and communication. She is currently in an assisted living situation due to a debilitating illness and it looks like she will be there for some time. Her sister Bettie wrote to me and asked me to let her friends know her address, here is a portion of that letter....

Hi Tony,

This is Bettie - Patricia's sister. I enjoyed our brief chat. As I explained Patricia has a rare form of dementia that strikes her age group, non-hereditary, she was no longer able to live independently. We moved her here to be near us so we could handle doctor's appointments and see her often. She also attends a program for adults in Chico twice a week where she is getting physical and occupational therapy. She has no other family other than me her sister, and her San Francisco Marina Dock friends, whom she talks about all the time. Most of the time she is upbeat and funny like her old self. It would be great if some of the people she knows would write to her. Her address is 3758 Illinois Ave. Corning , CA 96021.

She had a nice Christmas with us and some of my husband's family. She dearly loves San Francisco and misses it. She calls her friends "her people". She was very depressed for several weeks and I was very worried about her. We did get some anti-depressants and she seems to feel better. I would love for you to share with me any anecdotal things about her or things she said about her family. We did not have much contact other than over at my parents on holidays. We are getting reacquainted again. I am not sure how long she has had this because I did not see her regularly, but when I look back at incidents or conversations, I believe it has been almost 10 years.

Like you said, some of the things she said or did we thought it was just Patricia; she was eccentric in her own way. Anyway, she loves the Marina Dock group. I hope all is well with you and best wishes for the New Year. I do read her your newsletters. Thanks Tony.

New Meetings and Celebrations

Amy has started a new fourth step AA meeting on Friday evening at 6:30 pm and there is a new ACA Meeting on Monday mornings at 8:30 am.

In closing I would like to wish everyone a wonderful March, hopefully in terms of donations it will come in like a Tiger and go out like a Lion.

Have a happy St Patrick's Day and congratulations to Mrs. Catatonia (not her real name) on the arrival of Dennis, and to Kathy L. She is celebrating 12 years of sobriety March 18th.

The solution is love,

"Irish Tony"