Did you know that after the fall of France, (for about five weeks) British troops fought Vichy French troops in Syria?
Reluctantly we turned our attention back to the beatnik philosophy and the potential for column topics that could be found on the road. We noticed that Blazing Kat Productions is doing some fundraising to sustain their effort to document the lesser known efforts of activists all around the USA. Their itinerary, which is posted on their web site and promoted on their Facebook page, includes Mendocino and Oakland and perhaps we can do an interview and full length column about their efforts later this summer.
When will the mainstream media notice that the tsunami of adolescent aliens along the southern border might become a landlocked version of the Mariel boat lift debacle? Do the Democrats want that? Are the Republicans encouraging a potential humanitarian crisis just for political gain?
Is the Beat Hotel still open in Paris? Is the Hotel Scribe still in existence? Should we subsidize the necessary expenses that would be needed to provide some gonzo punditry about the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Paris? (If so, we'll need a copy of "Europe on $5 a day.") Can Hemingway be considered a Beatnik prototype? We are continuing our debate with Beat Museum proprietor Jerry Cimino on this topic and may devote an entire column to this question later in the summer.
We promised a young lady, newly arrived in Berkeley from Ireland, that we would plug the Human Rights Campaign in this column. (Google hint: HRC dot org)
[Note from the photo editor: A symbolic image of the North Beach area being reflected in the lens of a pair of sunglasses augments photos take at the Beat Museum on Friday, June 20, 2014 for this week's column.]
Due to a National Holiday, next week's end of the week column will be posted a day early, in the usual places.
The Beatniks who endorse the legalization of marijuana will have a difficult time refuting the implications of the article that appeared in the New York Times this week under the headline: "Cool at 13; Adrift at 23."
For doing everything that infuriated the members of the Democratic party when George W. Bush was President, President Obama is causing the Republicans to discuss impeachment proceedings and all that the network news programs can say is that America is mesmerized by the World Cup Games in Brazil. WTF? The weirdness has only just begun.
Some soccer fans think that one word of dialogue should be added to the "Treasure of the Sierra Madre"sound track: "Go-o-o-o-o-o-ld!"
Now the disk jockey will play Johnny and the Hurricanes' "Beatnik Fly," and the song of the summer for 2014 Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," and Willie Nelson's new album, "Band of Brothers." We have to go see if we can catch a ride to this year's installment of the Hemingway Days festival in Key West, Fla. Have a "Bite me!" type week.
Linda King
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