by William Skink

While I have already put up one post today about Spider McKnight, someone with that kind of name really deserves probably at least TWO posts about them. It is a reflection of how cool and radical this person is.

At Linked-in, Spider has this to say:

I’m working on updating this profile. For now, just know that I am devoted to radical storytelling. Stories make connections and connections make change.

Change can be how things become different over time, hopefully for the better. Change can also be the coins left in your pocket after buying something like a coffee cup.

What kind of change is Spider McKnight going after?

In addition to owning Six Pony Hitch, which was the focus of my first post about Spider, this entrepreneur and RADICAL STORYTELLER also owns Crazy Love Co.

Do you live in Missoula’s exclusive Rattlesnake neighborhood and want to buy a coffee cup that says RATTLESNAKE with a bike on it? Spider has the coffee cup for you. Want some t-shirts that say LOVE LIKE A VETERAN or LOVE LIKE A LEGEND or LOVE LIKE A LOCAL (there is both a Missoula version of this t-shirt, and a general one), well, Spider has t-shirts for you.

Spider has so much crazy love, here is a crazy list to prove it:

We love manatees. And leaf blowers. And filmmakers. We love the environment and making things that are 100% post-consumer recycled. We love entrepreneurs. We love using water-based ink and never, ever using toxic chemicals on our t-shirts. We love Land Cruisers. And veterans. And Halloween. Just like everyone, we love lots of things. We love way more things than we hate. So why is it that the world is so focused on the bad things?

We started Crazy Love Co. to remind ourselves and others that when you focus on the people, places, and things that you love, you feel better. And you like others better. And you take care of our planet. And you are nicer. And, eventually, the world gets better for everyone.

What do you have Crazy Love for? In these grumpy times, it’s the best question to ask.

Love really is all we need.

If you are jobless and worried about the future, take a love strand from Spider’s love web. That is all you need.

Of course, it also helps to get taxpayer money from the TIF stash in these “grumpy times”.

Spider McKnight looks like a shameless huckster to me, peddling ubiquitous consulting services our local government is addicted to along with t-shirts and coffee cups.

But I’m glad this huckster swooped in so quickly to try and financially exploit racial injustice, because it allows me to use my figurative broom to sweep out another dark corner of our little valley.

I see you, Spider, and I am NOT impressed.