The Sound of Young America

The Sound of Young America, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Yes or No: Jesse Thorn = Barry Gordy

Spotted at Rasputin Records, SF CA

Next Glasses Frames

Next Glasses Frames , originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Gant
G. Merkin 54[]15-140

College Friends

College Friends, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Mary & Andrea enjoy Jonathan Richman at the Makeout Room

Methadone Survey

Methadone Survey, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

It was occurring to Doc now, as he recalled what Jason Velveeta had said about vertical integration, that if the Golden Fang could get its customers strung out, why not turn around and also sell them a program to help them kick? Get them coming and going, twice as much revenue and no worries about new customers--as long as American life was something to be escaped from, the cartel could always be sure of a bottomless pool of new customers.

Thomas Pynchon Inherent Vice p 192

Postcard from Rafael

Folsom Postcard, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

"As one who's been down that particular exit ramp," Hope advised, "you can only cruise the boulevards of regret so far, and then you've got to get back up on the freeway again."

Thomas Pynchon Inherent Vice p 40

notammargarteT

Notammargartet, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The name of G-d, in Hebrew, backwards, to be printed forward, on the tongue, to activate....Oy, have I got a headache. Art by Lynne-Rachel Altman.

Sky

Sky, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Near buttermilk. Hi, Hoagy!

Fly

Fly, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Talk Like a Jewish Pirate

Talk Like a Jewish Pirate, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

"Oy, matey! L'shana Tovarrrr!"

Graphic 3 (detail)

Graphic 3, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

ink & crayon on watercolor paper

Scoldy

Scoldy, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

On his branch, waiting for love.

Fire at 15th & Webster

Fire at 15th & Webster, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Last week.

STOP SNITCHIN'! Tha means you, Roz! Bad 4 health

STOP SNITCHIN'! Tha means you, Roz! Bad 4 health, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

In the men's room at the methadone clinic.
I'm impressed by the flawless punctuation.

Chicken Salad from Trader Joe's

Chicken Salad from Trader Joe's, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The chicken is supposed to be fizzy, right?

Frisky Hummingbird

Frisky Hummingbird
Originally uploaded by dumbeast

This guy has been hanging around the feeder for a couple weeks, doing his damnedest to be conspicuous. He sings, he puffs up his feathers, he does those head-moves. I hope it's doing him some good.

Pool at Red Dog

Pool at Red Dog
Originally uploaded by dumbeast

Jack

Jack, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Jack at Red Dog Up and Over

Jack at Red Dog Up and Over, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Photo by Cathy Mosbrucker

Upsie-Daisy Jack

Upsie-Daisy Jack, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Photo by Cathy Mosbrucker

Plumbing Jack

Plumbing Jack, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Photo by Cathy Mosbrucker

Jack at Red Dog Procession

Jack at Red Dog Procession, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Photo by Cathy Mosbrucker

Sky

Sky, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Tom Makes a Point

Tom Makes a Point, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Dusty William

Dusty William, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Sunset 02

Sunset 02, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Range

Range, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Moon & Clouds

Moon & Clouds, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Mule Deer

Mule Deer, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Drawing of Chalk Drawing

Drawing of Chalk Drawing, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Chalk Drawing

Chalk Drawing, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Fencepost

Fencepost, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at Red Dog

Jonathan Richman Onstage

Jonathan Richman Onstage, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

at the Bird & Beckett Bash, SF CA.

Funny story. Last weekend, Jonathan Richman was doing this gig for Bird & Beckett Books, a benefit for an independent bookstore. Mary and Cathy found out about it and Cathy got tickets. Always loved Jonathan Richman, ever since I first heard The Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner". So that morning, when I read a Jonathan Richman name-check in this book,

it made me really happy.

Howard Waldrop is new to me--sort of a proto-bizarro SF guy. I'd never read anything of his before, and there on page 22, in the story "The Ugly Chickens" he wrote:

Who cares? the whole thing will be just another media event, just this year's Big Deal. It'll be nice getting normal again. I can read books, see movies, wash my clothes in the laundromat, listen to Jonathan Richman on the stereo. I can study and become an authority on some minor matter or other.
I can go to museums and see all the wonderful dead things there.

As it was my current book, I brought it along to read on the commute to Glen Park, where the benefit was being held.

The benefit was mostly a jazz event, and that's what just about everybody was there for. Nobody I spoke to there even knew who Jonathan Richman was.

They were all there to hear Ebenezra Saxblaat and his Geriatric 9 or whatever. Jonathan's set was to be shoe-horned into the headliners' intermission.

Every so often, I get an idea which seems really good to me, and then I eventually find out I'm the only person who thinks so. I thought it'd be cool to have Jonathan sign the book right near where he was mentioned in it. Mary was skeptical.* "Jonathan Richman is never going to sign a library book. Why do you have to be so weird all the time, you weirdo!" So I went ahead and did it.

"Hi, Mr Richman, so glad to see you here. Huge fan. How you doing?"
He was visibly uncomfortable. "Uh, alright, I guess."
"Listen, do you mind if I take a few moments of your time? I was just reading this book this morning, and you were mentioned in it, see, I underlined your name here, and I was wondering if I could get you to sign it right near there..."
"What? What is this book? You want....what does it say?"
I read him the passage, and showed him the cover. "It's kind of weird sci-fi, this story's about the last of the dodos, look, Janis Ian did a blurb on the back, see, she likes him..."
Jonathan took my pen. "Alright." Began to write on the facing page, then paused. "What's your name?"
" Well, my name's Bruce, but that doesn't really matter. It's a library book. I'll return it, and it'll be like, value added for anybody who checks it out, and..."
"A what? You....A library b--? Nuh, no. No I c--"



























He handed the pen back to me.
"Alright. Well, thanks anyway. Have a great set. Really looking forward to it. And thanks again."

He did a great set. His encounter with a crazed, library book defacing fanboy didn't seem to faze him one bit. And maybe some day he'll write a song about it.
_________________
*horrified, appaled, mortified

Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens

Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Styling by Mary Jane Foran