Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 09:49
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: My brother’s a Republican!
Just found that out during our phone conversation moments ago. (Both our parents were Democrats, BTW.) But he’s not a crazy, fanatic Republican, says both parties are a bunch of BS. It basically came down to this:
If more Republicans were like him, this would be a better world. And if more Democrats were like me, likewise.
It was a very good conversation, glad I called him.
– Zeke
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 11:32
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: Re: My brother’s a Republican!
On Sat, Mar 4, 2017 at 9:57 AM, Eleanor Cooney wrote:
{{ Whew. Did he vote for the pussygrabber? }}
I believe he did, I didn’t ask him directly. “Give him a chance, if he doesn’t live up to his promises, then throw the bum out.” He also seems to be caught up with RW conspiracy theories, much like Tom Cahill. He believes that Social Security is in danger, which it is not.
He is hopeful that Trump will bring the jobs home, I said “I don’t think so.” That’s when he said “give him a chance.” So I pretty much kept my mouth shut. I have a feeling that most of the extended family is Republican.
And he never calls me or sends a letter, or emails. I’m always the one who contacts him. For that reason, we haven’t spoken to each other since I last called, eight months ago. So, there’s still that downside. Blech.
But, he has no problem with gays, hippies, etc. He seems to be pretty much open-minded. And, he’s been very nice to me over the phone, as well as handling my share of our parents’ inheritance.
Oh, yeah, he definitely wanted Bernie Sanders for president. So his heart’s in the right place.
– Zeke
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 13:22
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: Was that your Mitch on the air last night?
Listening to the podcast right now…quite a grim evaluation of these Trump times, gut-wrenchingly honest. Way too true to be denied. He mentioned his Facebook page, so I visited, found the piece he recited on KNYO:
—
Somebody hit me in the back of the head with what felt like a dumbbell or some other heavy, unyielding iron thing, as I slept last night. The blow pushed my face into the mattress, and I said, “I’m losing consciousness.” In a millisecond, I changed that to: “I’m dead. Somebody has killed me. I can’t defend myself. I can’t protect Ellie.” I thought about famous bad people who have been here to Mendocino–Charlie Manson & family, Jim Jones & his doomed family, Lake & Ng, the California Sierra-Nevada torturers and murderers who were sexually aroused by the suffering of people when their bodies were carved up and violated, when they were forced to watch their wives, husbands, babies and toddlers under slow torture. They are the people I lock my door against as the world descends into hell, why I own things for self-defense and keep them close. It was no use. I was murdered. But, another millisecond went by: “You’re brain is still working. You’re not dead.”
I woke up, tried to sort things out, and found no injury nor any clue to what had happened. The sense of being brained included no preceding dream. It came from nowhere.
Today the chainsaw I just got back from the repair shop didn’t work. Ditto the lawnmower I just retrieved from the same repair shop. I took the chainsaw in and, for the first time in the 15 years I’ve been buying my Husqvarna tools and gardening supplies there, I made a scene. I’ve spent my life thinking if you are loyal and steadfast with a merchant, they will value your business and take care of your needs. I was furious and said all that and made a scene, which, more than an hour later, still has me vibrating. So I confront the news with an angry mind. I learn that the new President and his new Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, visited a Catholic “charter” school in Florida. Charter schools are a lousy idea shoved down our gullets as a great idea, when, in fact, they are the perfect scheme for making education in the United States of America a private, profitable business to favor the wealthy and short-change kids who aren’t rich.
Betsy DeVos is the sister of Erik Prince, who used his family’s enormous wealth to create a civilian army to privatize the military. In Iraq, Blackwater did mass murder, rape, torture and all the things that make war awful, without the accounting–a very loose, readily overridden accounting- that our armies are supposed to honor under international conventions–because they were “Private Enterprise,” the gold standard for American capitalists. So horrendous were Blackwater’s offenses in Iraq and in the flooded, devastated streets of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Erik changed his company’s name to “Xe Services” and then the lofty “Academi.” He has been denounced for his crimes in the small media and given trivial notice in the major media. The Princes and DeVos belong to a harebrained Christian cult beloved by right wing, profit-mad one-percenters, and this is the “base” that Trump and DeVos were championing in their Florida tour. Prince and DeVos, in a reasonable world, would be strung up, but in this insane period, are celebrated, rewarded and given tremendous power.
That I have to point out that these are not good Americans (or even good humans) is past tiresome to me. That I have to keep telling people I love to open their eyes is past exhausting to me. It is a kind of existential hell, speaking obvious truth to people who shouldn’t need to have the obvious pointed out to them. DeVos and Prince and Trump are the sort of malformed creatures that hold sway in the land of the free. They should be in cages at the city gates. They torment my sleep and make me a strident, frustrated old man in my waking. I can’t bear it.
—
It didn’t occur to me he might be /your/ Mitch, until Marco told him at the end of their talk: “Say hello to Ellie for me.”
In case you didn’t stay up last night, to hear Mitch, you can get the podcast:
Discussion begins at 1:02:40.
– Zeke
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 13:53
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: Re: Was that your Mitch on the air last night?
On Sat, Mar 4, 2017 at 1:26 PM, Eleanor Cooney wrote:
{{ Yep. That was Mitch. If he’d consulted me first, I’d have advised him against sounding quite so drunk and despairing… }}
Ha! I’m glad you didn’t, as many others go through such difficult waters, and his sharing this from deep in his heart, will actually have a cathartic impact. Or not.
Now what /you/ need to do, is prepare for an onslaught of concerned neighbors and more distant members of the Mendo Community bringing food and laughter, to cheer him up…starting with Marcos’s visit come Monday. Maybe they’ll hold a mock funeral in his honor.
I guess you’ll now have to put up with town folk asking how Mitch is, whenever you shop for groceries and run other errands around and about The Mysterious Masonic Temple..for the next few weeks or longer.
Maybe you should were a garlic necklace until the embarrassing scandal blows over.
– Zeke
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 15:08
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: Re: Was that your Mitch on the air last night?
On Sat, Mar 4, 2017 at 2:28 PM, Eleanor Cooney wrote:
{{ You probably noticed how gracious and kind Marco was. That’s Marco for you. He can also be ferocious, slicing and dicing right-wingers and other fools on the local list serve, toying with them, making fools of them with his impish wit…. }}
He’s an Ascended Master of the Order of Mendocino Mages.
{{ This isn’t the first time Mitch has called Marco’s show and gauntly unloaded. It’s okay–I’m used to it, and so is Marco and listeners. It’ll be fun to see him on Monday. }}
You should see what I posted to Mitch on his FB page.
{{ In case you’re wondering what Marco looks like, he could easily make a living as a Jesus impersonator–tall, lanky, long dark hair and beard (with nary a trace of gray though he’s 58), dark, dark eyes set in deep shady caves. }}
I pictured him with a silver-gray crewcut, tall and lanky (got that part right), looking more like a harbor seal than a messiah. This coming Friday should be a hoot!
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 18:53
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: OMG, he read Chapter 1 of my novel last night!
Start at 3 hours:47 minutes….he described me as a “young man,” I have to correct him about that. Maybe he read just a part of my chapter, not the whole thing. I just started listening.
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 19:03
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: No, he’s reading a part of the chapter.
…you’ll see: the part where I touch the bullet lodged in Randolph’s back. Followed by one of my poems not in the chapter per se, but a link. He’s reading the online version, different from the paper one. I just paused the audio after he read the first verse. Gonna step out, breathe the fresh, rainy air before stepping back in and, with enormous gratitude, listen to the remainder.
Date: Sat, 04 Mar 2017 19:14
From: Eleanor Cooney
To: Zeke Krahlin
Subject: Re: OMG, he read Chapter 1 of my novel last night!
Wow!
“Young man.” That’s great. Little does he know you’re eight years older than he.
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 20:12
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Eleanor Cooney
Subject: I know this is a setup, El…
…and you can’t convince me otherwise.
When I stepped out for a few minutes, I walked up Market to Castro Street with my umbrella shielding me from the Goddess’s own joyful tears. I was, and still am of course, in a celebratory mood. Proceeding back to my hovel, I glanced through Beaux’s large window (that’s a gay bar) to see if Larkin were there…and maybe would step out to give me a chance to tell him about my radio adventure. After all, he’s part of it.
Alas, no Larkin. But then as I resumed my walk, there I saw him, just 10 feet ahead: commiserating in his usual, boisterous manner with another gay patron (no doubt possessing an ample bulge in his crotch; his wallet, I mean.) So I stopped about 20 feet away beneath an awning, to enjoy the view. I’m sure he was aware of my presence, but gave no overt sign. As I lingered, I soon realized that my neighbor, Mark Epstein from down the hall, was standing just several feet from me, chatting with a woman friend in a recessed doorway. He looked up, I waved. Maybe he thought I was spying on him.
Though Mark has remained a distant quasi-friend over the 18+ years he’s lived here, he has read my novel, and our lives are mystically joined by his little papillion doggie, who passed away seven years back. Skelly would visit me every evening, such sweet happiness! Trusting me with his dog like that, was Marc’s way of apologizing for a grievous wrong he committed…but no point going into that, now. Just one month ago, he finally adopted another papillion, a rescue dog 10 years old! Don’t know what took him so long, but glad to see his new companion.
Larkin eventually entered the bar with his current squeeze (wallet, I mean) for the night, and Mark-and-friend also departed a moment later. I soon followed, once the two had entered 2306, that I may not come off as a busybody. They were standing by the elevator as I swung the gate wide. We both exchanged a brief “hello” and I climbed the stairway. So now I conjecture:
You, Mitch, Marco, my brother, Larkin, Mark, Tom (Cahill), are all in cahoots: the timing, the synchronicity in this string of events in LESS THAN 24 HOURS, are beyond mundane coincidence. (Mitch calling in with an emotive masterpiece, overwhelming in its grief, the same night Marco reads my own heart wrenching tale…what are the odds!)
Now, back to hearing the rest of Marco’s narration from My Literary Labor of Love, My Own Holy Grail! What an extraordinary two days. And thank you /so/ much for being such a kind presence in my world, for so many years now.
– Zeke
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 21:46
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Reptilian Devotees
Subject: Listen to a reading from my novel on the radio!
Marco McClean, the host of a late-Friday-night radio show in Ft. bragg, CA, surprised me by reading from chapter one of my novel, just last night! I didn’t expect this to happen so soon. Fortunately, he saves each show as a podcast, which you may listen to by clicking on the following link:
You can either left-click on the download link, to immediately start playing, or right-click on the download link, to save it to your hard drive…then play it later, at your convenience.
The reading starts at 3 hours, 47 minutes, and ends at 4 hours, 10 minutes. (There is a musical interlude in the middle; just click through it.)
If you care to leave a comment about the reading, just go to his blog entry, here:
In fact, I urge you to do so, since any favorable post about me will help boost the potential for getting my word out.
Your post won’t show up immediately, as he reviews it first. I know, because I just left a comment there, myself. Here it is:
—
Marco: What an honor to hear you read from my novel Friday night! Certainly a surprise, as I didn’t expect that to occur so soon. I’m listening to the podcast right now, as I sit in my room and the gracious rain falls from the dark heavens. I chuckled when you introduced me as a “young man,” for I am actually 66. Clarification to my poem, “September’s Passage”: I was still Gene Catalano back then, but changed my name to Zeke Krahlin in 1996. This is mentioned in my book a little further down the line. Googling my name, Ezekiel J Krahlin, works just fine, with the second result pointing to my web site: gay-bible.org. The first result is a link to the ebook version of my novel.
I am amazed at the synchronicity of Eleanor’s partner, Mitch, pouring his heart out in a grievous recitation, on your show that same night as my own poetic lament. What were the odds? I then went to Mitch’s Facebook wall, and discovered he also posted that essay there, so commented:
—
You guys have all the fun, up there in Mendocino. Tremendous piece of writing, Mitch…who says your impact on the world is diminishing when you can still write like that? But now, someone needs to start kicking you in the butt until you start laughing again. Ellie’s got her work cut out for her!”
—
Now, back to hearing the rest of your podcast, a most enjoyable and revelatory pastime, especially since we have nothing like that any more, on San Francisco’s airwaves. Thank you so much for including me in your Mendocino County community of oddballs, dear hearts, pioneers and mystical wanderers.
—
– Zeke
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2017 23:44
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Marco McClean
Subject: Re: In case my comment didn’t take…
On 3/4/17, Marco McClean wrote:
{{ I don’t know how to set it so it just posts things when people send them. I don’t spend a lot of time managing the weblog; it’s just a notice-board about my show. }}
Sometimes the comment shows up after posting (w/”awaiting moderation”), sometimes it doesn’t. So that’s a WordPress glitch, which only adds to the confusion. IOW, it /should/ show up right after posting, even though awaiting your moderation.
{{ Next week is a Fort Bragg week for me –I’ll be doing the show from KNYO. The number there is 707 961 3022. }}
The contact page shows 962 for the prefix, as in:
Studio: 707-962-3022
Do they need to update the number?
{{ Call any time after about 9:15 Friday (March 10) night and let it ring awhile in case I’ve put a record on so I can use the toilet, or if I’m out back getting something out of the car, or something. There’s only one phone line; if it’s busy, wait a little bit and try again. }}
No problem. I look forward to our first on-air dialogue.
{{ What makes you sound best is to have some of your work ready to read into the phone, to turn to that at the end of whatever we talk about. }}
Easy peasy. I’ll have a number of short pieces loaded and ready to go. One very funny, one political, and other stuff. I don’t know how much time you’ll allot me, but even reading just one of my pieces would be a pleasure.
I don’t have my own Internet service, so I’ll have to forego listening in real time. I tried, using the free wifi from a coffeehouse across the street (and my extended USB wifi dongle) but it wasn’t robust enough to stay connected…I had to keep clicking reload every two minutes or so. I couldn’t just sit back, close my eyes and get into the show. *sigh*
Just so you know: my diction is a bit slurred due to lack of teeth. Medi-Cal discontinued dental care for adults over a decade ago…thus began the deterioration. But when they resumed it two years back, thanks to Obamacare’s expanded Medicaid, I discovered that I still couldn’t get my teeth repaired because they want to charge me $518 per month share of cost! That’s almost half my total income. Don’t know how they get away with it, and my letter of grievance about this to numerous politicians and progressive, online news services has not gotten anyone’s attention, yet. As if I’m the only person in the country, this is happening to. It also means I can’t afford other vital services. This is being swept under the rug by the Dems, while they pat each other on the back, over the “miraculous” success of Medicaid.
But that’s an issue for another time. I’ve composed several blog entries on this matter so far. Here’s the original, called “Obamacare Defecates on the poor,” which includes my letter to Nancy Pelosi:
The embarrassment of my wretched teeth has caused me to cease doing open mic readings or gay standup…making things more difficult to promote my talents. I do /not/ want to be the Moms Mabley of queer comedy. Anyways, I think I’ll enunciate with enough clarity that every word be understood, even through the telephone lines. Since another tooth broke in half several months back, I’ve acquired a pronounced lisp. But I’ve adapted where I place my tongue, in order to soften the lisp.
I don’t consider myself a stereotype gay, yet here I am with a pronounced lisp, and thanks to my carpal tunnel syndrome, my wrists have grown limp. What next: a fungal infection on my chest that looks like a pink triangle? Take my domestic partner, please.
Friday I’m yours,
Zeke
ZekeBlog 2.0 