Saturday, April 25, 2020

my time in the Black and White caravan

to be written

gonzo ride

In Progress Version

In 1971 I was hitchhiking from Cal Arts, where I lived, to the Bay Area. I had waited for a ride for a couple hours when gonzo came to me. A violet Cadillac convertible swerved to the side of the road to pick me up. Three seats were occupied, but they put me in the fourth and off we went. It immediately became obvious that I had not checked my ride first. They were passing around a joint, but the driver was clearly wired for sound - driving safely was not the order of the day. I quickly realized this was not the most secure group to be with nor the best for a traffic stop's questions and inspection.  I needed a way out . I began to look for a reasonable reason and a good place to hitch another ride. At the first opportunity I explained that I wanted to catch a ride all the way to Berkeley or San Francisco and they let me out. I had dodged another bullet,.

Dragnificent S1E1

This show was upbeat and had high production values.  The story line made sense: drag queens help a woman professional wrestler with a stocky build prepare for her wedding. Sound crazy - well, it was uplifting. We saw Bebe several years on from the person we have been watching as we finish S1 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Recommended.

Young London jazz scene


Stuart Edwards' playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1fq5l5aMVLX4sIfyvNkQzt?si=N667vnm0RJGbTuOSYejY0w

close call with death

Around 1973 or 1974 I was standing on Telegraph Avenue when a van pulled up. I was five feet seven and a rail thin 127 pounds, hair down to my waist. I was day dreaming when three young dudes burst from the van and headed for me. I was so startled that I didn't think to react or even know what was about to happen. As they ran toward me, a huge burly guy feinted toward them and they backed off and jumped in the van. It all happened so quickly that I didn't even thank the guy for saving me. It took me about five minutes to realize that they were intent on beating me at the least and possibly kidnapping me.  I then remembered the story of a woman friend, a model-beautiful blonde, who was abducted from there for a rape film and somehow managed to talk one of her captors into releasing her.

Life can be strange.
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