Tag Archives: story

Helpful Quests, Libraries / Museums / Archives

Support: The Beat Museum

+ Beat Support +

Many of you likely noticed the campaign to help the venerable San Francisco institution City Lights bookstore “keep the lights on” and hooray, they rocketed past the $300,000 goal thanks to many small donations from around the world. Now, there’s a few other neighbours in the North Beach area to shine a light on, specifically “the Beat Museum” – an eclectic grassroots archive of artifacts from Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder and well… dozens of other luminaries who have influenced counter-culture, literature and music.

THE NORTH BEACH OF THE BEAT GENERATION IS IN GRAVE DANGER

To pitch in, you can buy a membership – especially handy if you live in the San Francisco area as it offers unlimited admission – those of us *anywhere else* can dig discounts on purchases (including mail order), exclusive content/interviews/events, and a membership card – I’m a sucker for membership cards!

Did you see a big North Beach neighbourhood round-up diary post I shared recently? Included a photo essay of many items on display including Allen Ginsberg’s typewriter (along with many other typewriters), Jack Kerouac’s jacket, Gary Snyder’s bits and pieces from Japan and so much more.

+ Their bookstore has a variety of rare additions, one-offs, special treats (I picked up a first edition of Allen Ginsberg’s Indian Journal on my visit).

So to recap, do one or several of the following:

* Go check out their website to see their mission and the big hearted folks running the show

* Purchase a membership (various levels/prices)

* Maybe buy yourself a little something nice, or a gift for someone else

* Kick them down some extra cash

* Sign up for their newsletter for campaigns & updates

* Spread the word to keep the goodness rolling

You got any questions or thoughts? Let me know.

And of course if you’re seeking unique Beat literature related content, I have dozens of podcasts, various essays, scrapbooks, maps, and so on for you to peruse.

Fondly, dave

PS shared respectfully knowing lots of folks are in tough financial situations and there’s lots of requests rolling around for various dire situations – in spirit of solidarity, safety, and abundance.

Shoebox

Numbers Station Sending Alert for Action

From Prague to Irkutsk to Montevideo, shortwave radios broadcast voices, numbers and patterns. Origins (generally) unknown beyond speculators and bureaucratic engineers from ousted fiefdoms gone stale.

They found no benefit or public belief for revealing secrets, so no one did… Speculations generally drift towards messages to embedded agents of nefarious organizations.

Simply put, clandestine instructions need sending.

However the keys to transmitters were lost, floppy disks written in COBOL became unavailable, and handlers dead or confused – hence  a new system was needed.

As such, the Bilderburgers got the Bohemian Grove on a conference call, patched in the Illuminati from a bunker in Cuba and raised the spectre of the global transmission – a single word – to begin The Operations.

The line was silent for a moment, then a proper but thin and reedy voice asked, “but tell me then, how can we release that one word in a manner that everyone will read it?”

To which another dis-intermediated voice confidently said, “I have just the right idea.” #covfefe

Related: ird059-conet-project-booklet (pdf)

Notes to Future Self

Remembering it’s (still) a Wonderful World

Believing(ish) it’s still a wonderful world out there – right? Grateful for still chooglin along.

PS was at this JGB show, hitchhiked there (from maybe Rhode Island or something) with Richie Murrill (former of Utah, now Hawaii i heard) and got ride in a red VW bus called “Althea” with a bolted on wooden sidedoor. Drove through a huge rain storm including stalling out in a deep water somewhere in countryside – had to get out and push in dang near crotch high water – made it to the show like a soggy dog, stashed backpack in some private school girls Honda and scored a miracle ticket just in time. Bruce Hornsby came along to play as well. After the show,… well that’s a whole other story.

evidence of the aforementioned bus…

Althea (red VW bus) somewhere in Virginia

was one of those nights where everything worked out just perfect after a rollicking trip to get there – JGB shows were so great too since didn’t have the full-on circus of frat boys and townies who’d invaded the scene by that time. was good times but not outta hand. the arena was smaller than i usually saw GD (most all shows were outdoor west coast) so the sound was dialed in and rather intimate. great song selection for my taste too.

Chris Gee What I remember about JGB shows was the heart….pure joy …Jerry playing free and loose …and the ^^^ above mentioned ..Warfield theatre shows always top of the list

Dave Olson Man, I never did get to see a show at the Warfield… My overall count isn’t that impressive since when I heard them sing “eyes of the world” I took that as a signal to buy one-way tickets elsewhere to go go go (And spread the vibe everywhere I went) – I made every show count that’s for sure. And I’m with you on the Jerry band shows, they were very special for me

Japan Life/Travel, Postcards fr. Gravelly Beach

A Return to Nippon – Postcard #70

Audio

Postcards from Gravelly Beach – Return to Nippon, onsen

Returning to Japan for the first time since working as a mushroom farmer in the Tottori-ken mountains decades previous, Dave rambles on about the circumstance – then and now – while wandering near his pal’s goat farm. Riffs include: arriving in the snow and getting settled, bailing on job, hitch-hiking around islands, falling in love(ish), eating okonomiyaki, soaking in hot springs and living simultaneously in the future and past. Also persimmons and goats, pigs, cows et al.

Take a soak in: A Return to Nippon – Postcard #70
(44MB, 29:31, mp3, stereo)

Continue reading A Return to Nippon – Postcard #70 →

Postcards fr. Gravelly Beach

Dad’s Malibu Super Sport – Postcard #65

Audio

Dad's Malibu Super Sport – Postcard #65

When I was growing up, Dad often spoke of his Chevy Malibu SS – his favourite car.  So, while on his death bed, I asked him to tell the story. He speaks about acquiring the vehicle, the budget, the deal, the financing terms and oh, also about the car and how he enjoyed having a reliable and cool vehicle as a young married man creating a life, after growing up poor in Regina, Saskatchewan, then heading off to BYU in Utah. The story is interrupted by a nurse bringing lunch and news. He died 10 days later.

Indulge me by listening to: Dad’s Malibu Super Sport – Postcard #65 (78MB, 12:08, ,mp3, stereo)

Continue reading Dad’s Malibu Super Sport – Postcard #65 →