The Winter Solstice – a Spiritual Journey

My brother Tim’s video about the sun setting on the winter solstice

Hi, folks. Tim Fasano here. The sun is setting on the winter solstice.

It is also the time of year where we celebrate the birth of the divine child and savior. Other civilizations throughout history have had a similar form of mythology: Horus in Egypt, Mithras in Persia.

All speak of a rebirth and a regeneration. All things that are born must die. All things that die will be reborn.

It is something central to human nature to tap into the mysterious and the universal. It is an archetype that seems to be consistent with all civilizations and all humanity. It’s okay in this modern world to believe in myths, to have strong belief in religion.

I mean, myth in the classical sense, not to step it on anybody’s religious sensibilities. It’s okay to believe. That is what makes us human.

BIGFOOT TIM — A Documentary Film

Thomas Fasano, the founder of Coyote Canyon Press, has produced the documentary film BIGFOOT TIM. The film recounts the last ten years of his deceased twin brother’s life, using over 1,500 of Tim Fasano’s YouTube videos plus archival content such as 8mm home movies, newspaper articles, podcast segments, and recorded radio interviews.

Thomas Fasano, the founder of Coyote Canyon Press, has produced the documentary film BIGFOOT TIM. The film recounts the last ten years of his deceased twin brother’s life, using over 1,500 of Tim Fasano’s YouTube videos plus archival content such as 8mm home movies, newspaper articles, podcast segments, and recorded radio interviews.

Mr. Fasano made the film with a total budget of $79, using the Filmora software on an older iMac.

A little background: Tim was born in Virginia and eventually settled in the Tampa area. The film explores the last decade of his life as he struggles to pull himself out of poverty as a cab driver while developing a late-life interest in videography and a passion for finding Bigfoot in the swamps of Florida. The film brims with wild stories, wild characters, strange dreamers, and big ideas about human existence.

The soundtrack uses 31 compositions by the Australian/Swedish composer Scott Buckley. It also uses the song “Wishes” by American guitarist, singer, and songwriter Matthew Mondanile, performed by his solo music project, Ducktails.

The Cabbie’s Tale

Tim Fasano, who died last November of cardiac arrest, penned a memoir of life at the margins of society. Before becoming a YouTube sensation with over 1,300 videos of his search for Bigfoot, he wrote a popular blog called Tampa Taxi Shots. The blogging craze was at its height in 2006, and Mr. Fasano began documenting his view of life on the streets from behind the wheel of a United Cab.

Tim Fasano, who died last November of cardiac arrest, penned a memoir of life at the margins of society.

Before his YouTube page became a sensation with over 1,300 videos of his search for Bigfoot, Tim Fasano wrote a popular blog called Tampa Taxi Shots. The blogging craze was at its height in 2006, and Mr. Fasano began documenting his view of life on the streets from behind the wheel of a United Cab.

Mr. Fasano often said there was more philosophy in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven than in a college lecture hall.

He often wrote about ne’er-do-wells and down-and-outs, strippers and prostitutes, nightclub patrons, and guys looking for a late-night date. He wrote of vacationers who thought they were long-routed, sick people headed to the emergency room in the wee hours, and the mentally ill. There was no shortage of surly drunks, bums with no money, and addicts who believed Mr. Fasano knew where to score drugs. Several newspapers wrote articles about his blog, and often Mr. Fasano appeared on local television — once for finding a suspicious package at the Tampa airport. News outlets from around the country published obituaries about him, including US News & World Report.

His short, concise posts were compelling and bewitching in their effort to find meaning in the hustle of cab driving. A student of philosophy at the University of South Florida, Mr. Fasano often said there was more philosophy in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven than in a college lecture hall. An amateur photographer, he filled his blog with photos of the road, billboards, and graffiti. He took dozens of photographs of his fellow drivers, many of whom have passed away.

We at Coyote Canyon Press had the pleasure of reading his manuscript a few years ago. Based on his blog entries but fleshed out significantly, his book focuses on the unglamorous lives of people on the margins, people whose stories are rarely told.

The Cabbie’s Tale will be published in the summer of 2020.