[BRINDLEKIN TALES – Book 3: Chapter 4]
Re: Chapter 2 of Book 2, now online!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 2, 2021 10:45 AM
> Oh, the policeman and the doggie! Perfect!
Stupid me, it shoulda been TWO doggies…and now it is. Check it out again.
My writing’s phenomenal! The moment even just ONE visitor to my blog is thrilled by the tales, the whole thing will take off like a fire hose unleashed. Most of the credit is due, however, not to yours truly, but to those beloved higher forces that have created me to BE such a talent. Thank you, Oh My Reptilian Overlords! I’ll never again complain about a fly in my soup: I’ll just slurp it up, instead…exactly what YOU guys do. All glory to the hypno-iguana!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: VistaPrint Business Cards Just Arrived!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 2, 2021 11:53 AM
My deity, that was quick…five days sooner than the estimated delivery date! And they look GORGEOUS!
Well, I got my work cut out for me tonight, traipsing through select parts of the Castro and the Duboce Triangle neighborhood abutting north! Avoiding, of course, those blocks of the Castro where I might have a run-in with Deek or one of his disgruntled minions. This is surely going to require more than 500 cards though, now that I think about it. Fortunately, I have over $300 saved from last month (AFTER deducting my Chronic ISP payment for March), so I can EASILY purchase 1,000 cards this time around. And I just did: $45.55 total. Besides homes, shops and newspaper stalls, I’ll plunk a card or two on outdoor seating spots. Hmm, I think I’ll also MAIL some to the local queer rags…though I’ll need more stamps for that. No, fuggedabouddit, I’ll just EMAIL the image.
Next round of the Battle of the Bodhisattvas commences tonight, with yours truly opening the first salvo! Well, even earlier, like in a few moments from now, as I will email the card to local LGBT news sources in a moment, then hop on down to the corner grog and grocery store, to present a few cards to Morey, or one of two other people who usually work there in the earlier part of the day.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: First queer paper I emailed to, rejected me as spam!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 2, 2021 2:12 PM
> Hmmm. Maybe try different wording.
That’s exactly what I’m gonna do, right now, good doctor!
> Something in there might have “triggered” the hypersensitive algae-rhythm.
Possibly the tinyurl string, or the image link. Well, back to the drawing board! Wait-a-minute: “Algae”-rhythm? I’ve already taken a lichening to your clever turn of phrase…it sort of grows on a person!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: VistaPrint Business Cards Just Arrived!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 2, 2021 12:26 PM
> Mon Dieu, meine Capitain!
Mon destin est dans les cartes!
Re: Time to gets me sum spyglasses!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 2, 2021 1:18 PM
> I’d wear ’em all day, every day!
Most of them are sunglasses, but I need them for nighttime ventures. And there are considerably fewer clear-glass ones on the shelves, but this brand has the highest rating, overall. I will be wearing them tonight, as I stroll about the neighborhood, dropping off my cards all over the place. However, I won’t be out THAT late…maybe around 9 PM. They will also be quite handy for shooting video out the window, instead of my fumbling around, first, to retrieve the smartphone, then load the camera. Also, they’ll be very nice to shoot non-spy videos of outside scenes, including walking the pups, once they’re back in my life. The new pair of leashes have arrived today, along with those business cards.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: Look at those sweet paws!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 2, 2021 11:15 PM
> http://imgur.com/gallery/4mcxSzf
>
> Achingly adorable. My little fat orange kitty (the one in the pic sleeping on the computer) loves it when I run the hand vacuum in her fur. Most cats abhor a vacuum, but nor she! She rubs against it, rolls around and purrs.
Quite a unique kitty, for even nature abhors a vacuum! [Badda boom, badda bing.]
So I just returned hovel, from dispersing 250 Brindlekin cards. Took about an hour and a half. I was thinking maybe I should do the entire 500 tonight, but thought better of it. Since it’s not that I don’t love the pups as much as I should, because I already love them infinitely! The important thing to keep in mind, is this is an act of devotion, prayer in action. The very DOING of it is a form of meditation. It would be superstitious to stress myself out, believing if I don’t distribute ALL the cards in one night, I fail. Like that woman who kept adding one addition after another to her home, in the belief that if she never quit she’d never die. Well, she did, and it’s now a tourist trap called “The Winchester Mystery House.”
There is no reason NOT to have them brought back to me, no matter WHAT I do or don’t do. But playing this role of devotee towards cross-species love sets up Act 2 (or is it 3 by now), and triggers other interesting offshoots that would NEVER occur, if I didn’t go through these motions of dedication to a noble idea. Who knows how different people will react when they pick up that card? Truly, the Butterfly Effect in action!
I have two, dark maroon sweatshirts, one medium and one large, that Flaco & Lucky enjoy chewing on, and fighting over. I sleep in one or the other every night. And wore the larger shirt on my devotional stroll this eve…a sort of “Puppy Dolorosa.” Broke my heart yesterday, to unexpectedly discover one little doggie poop bag still crisply folded up, deep in my coat pocket, yearning to be filled. It’s still there, and will remain there, until said time it can serve its proper purpose once more. Never thought I’d see doggie turds in such a sacred light! Harvey Milk got it all wrong when he pushed for that dog-dirt law! Instead, we should be building great monuments to Canis familiaris out of that crap!
Hmm, maybe THAT’S what Stonehenge was all about. May you have a blissful night and wake up tomorrow, well rested, My Dear Wattson!
– Zeke K-Holmes
PS: I thought about where Deek would be these days, and figured he’s staying far enough away where I can’t hear their barks. So he’s hanging out more in the Mission than in the Castro…probably around Dolores Park, which is where Boulevard Joe often lingers. This means I can safely enter the heart of the Castro tomorrow night, to disperse the next batch of my “prayer cards.” I certainly don’t want the dogs to see me at this time, for Deek may get angry at them, as they beg with all their little puppy might to be with me again…and he crudely yanks them away in another direction.
Re: You are now in my tales!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: ThunderSparrow
Date: March 2, 2021 11:39 PM
> Thank you for putting my sentiments in your book! I have enjoyed seeing the many facets of yourself that you reveal in your writing. You are offering a vivid, unique and granular portrayal of survival in SF’s rapidly diminishing SROs. I especially like the incorporation of fantastical imaginings, autobiography as a launching pad for something greater.
Thank you, I am honored.
> Reminds me a little of Burroughs.
One thing you WON’T have to worry about is shooting my girlfriend…’cause I’m gay, and don’t HAVE a girlfriend! :D
– Zeke
Re: You are now in my tales!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 3, 2021 1:56 PM
> Burroughs was a big lover of cats, BTW!
Well that explains everything. 0_o
I’ve given some more thought about Deek’s SPCA document: HE MAY HAVE REGISTERED THE PUPS AFTER I ADOPTED THEM! That is: after the cops apprehended him, and mandated they be returned onto my custody, until or unless he PROVES he’s the owner with the proper paperwork.
As for my first night distributing the cards, I also dropped one into the foyer of the apartment building that I THINK Arwyn may still occupy, with his goosey roommate, Zachary. I will be going INTO the Castro tonight, to distribute the remaining batch, which also will number 250. Then comes the second round, when a thousand MORE cards arrive. My second email to the SF Bay Times did NOT get rejected, thank Artemis. Another post went out to the Bay Area Reporter, of course…and to the SF LGBT Center, which promptly responded with an automated statement providing their phone number and office hours. Not indicating, however, whether or not anyone will actually READ my letter. There seem to be no OTHER local queer newspapers out there any more, except those two!
Flipping the cards through metal gates and onto steep steps added a touch of sleuthing intrigue to my mission. I watched each time to see whether it landed face-side up or face-side down. Which probably made my distribution errand take around 20% longer. They sure do catch the eye, though, when face-up! As if to convey something both mysterious and pressing…and benevolent, maybe hinting to the recipient that they, too, can play a vital role in saving the day. You’re right: a business or calling card is a classic (and still effective) trope in detective tales. In fact, what IS the point of writing a gumshoe fable withOUT such a card in the mix? Has anyone even TRIED it, in the last hundred years?
Then there are the mail slots…those were scary. Seeing as I had to quietly slink up the stairs in most cases, and gingerly as possible, lift the hinged cover so as not to cause a creak, squeal or whine. All I know is: a LOT of those slot cover hinges badly need a squirt or two of WD-40! It didn’t help that, in some cases, a bright light would burst upon me like a silent cherry bomb, as I reached the top of the stairs. Plus, it’s so damned QUIET these nights, thanks to pandemic misery. One of those slot covers even FELL FROM MY HAND and came crashing to the marble landing barely a foot below! I suppose it has not been used for a VERY long time; be that as it may, I scurried away quick as a cat burglar. I think someone DID open the door to see who was out there, but I swiftly hid behind some tall shurbs nearby. Though at one house I DID get caught in the act:
It was a lovely, condo converted Edwardian, like so many on that part of Castro Street north of Market, and on a semi-steep hill that keeps climbing until it reaches the Davies Medical Center three long blocks away (or at least, that’s what they used to call it; I can’t keep up). This particular row of homes only took four steps to reach the slotted doors, so I thought this would be an easy mark, like the others. However, as I slowly lifted the cover, a polite “squeak” offered an objection to my digital penetration. “Not too loud,” I thought, “No one inside could ever hear THAT!”
I then discerned a muffled voice which words I could NOT decipher, but assumed they came from a remnant echo outside. Yet no sooner had I reached the final step down, than the door swung open, and there stood a man OBVIOUSLY from India (or from Pakistian; let’s be honest here), who called to me in that lovely sing-song patois:
“Hallo? May I help you, yes?”
So I turned to him, looked up and apologized while holding my hand out that contained the cards. “Sorry, didn’t mean to disturb you!”
He was awfully nice, as it turned out, for he noticed the cards in my hand, then the one at his feet, and replied: “Oh, so, I’ll check it out.”
I figure he might have been lonely, craving some brotherly contact…thus his ears were alert like a bat’s, for any sound of human approach as he sat there on his couch watching “Friends” or some favorite Bollywood movie.
I DID have a sudden fright on Noe Street, near Morley’s corner shop. It was rather dark on that block, and empty…and as I stepped onto the sidewalk from another house blessed with my card’s deposit, I almost bumped into a short, hooded fellow marching briskly towards Duboce Park.
“WHOA!” he abruptly bellowed. “YOU SCARED ME!”
All I could say was “sorry,” as he rapidly disappeared into the murky distance. This really got my dander up, as why couldn’t HE have said sorry, instead of yours truly? After all, stepping off onto a sidewalk strikes me as less offensive than whizzing right by in the black void, and in close proximity to an exit! I swear to you, good physician, citizens of this sorry burg don’t have the sense of a horse, let alone a higher form of life!
My walk finally came to an end. It was a lovely evening, albeit much less sweet without the company of my brindlepups.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: What was I thinking?
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 3, 2021 8:17 PM
Deek couldn’t have registered the pups while I had them; that’s absurd. So it’s back to my first conjecture: the document is forged. Also, yesterday I said I’ll be wearing my spyglasses that night…also absurd, because I just ordered them that day. Well, considering all the crap I’m still going through, an occasional slip-up in my mental processes is to be expected.
Tonight will be the second night I’m distributing my doggie cards. It’s a lost cause, I know…but only in the mundane world, and that’s NOT the kind of world I live in. The extraordinary events that have surrounded me since late October, and still continue, have revealed to me a beautiful truth: love truly DOES conquer all.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: What was I thinking?
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 4, 2021 8:17 AM
> I think you are doing wonderfully well under circumstances that would have wrecked anyone else.
No argument here! The rewards will be immense, though, and very soon…so I’m not complaining. Mine enemies will soon buckle at the knees in my presence, including several who live in the same building. Funny, how one of them is ALSO the manager. He probably fancies that the pooches are gone because of HIS vulgar mandate. Ha! Wait’ll they show up again.
I JUST got back from my second “Puppy Dolorosa” dispersal of my unique Canis familiaris prayer cards. Maybe in a century or so from now, whoever is Pope will pronounce me the patron saint of dogs. I just came up with that notion this very moment…so decided to see if there already IS a saint for dogs, and guess what, there is: St. Rocco, or St. Roch, or even St. Rock! (Too bad it’s not St. Rover!)
http://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/st-roch-patron-of-dogs-6114
I think he’s reaching out to me, thus that notion popping into mind. Coincidentally, he is also the patron of plagues…one of which almost left him for dead! But a hunter’s dog HEALED him by licking on his bubonic leg wound, though he DID eventually die a martyr for OTHER reasons. Quoting from the article above:
“As death claimed its victim, a tablet appeared on the wall on which an angelic hand wrote in golden letters the name of Roch, and the prediction that all who would invoke his intercession would be delivered from the plague.”
MOST intriguing parallel, is that Deek’s doggies came to live with me during this plague era of COVID-19, and transformed my life stupendously, in a spiritually HEALING manner! The joy I carry from their sweetness remains firmly embedded in my heart, despite their tragic banishment from my world.
Hmm, this is getting into Catholic territory, a terrain I never thought I’d tread! It was a quiet night as usual, and no sign of Deek and the pups anywhere in the Castro. I had to cross the street a few times, to avoid some crazies, of course…most grievous that this city allows ANYone to live in such a condition, that is: without a roof over their heads. I made a point of climbing up the hill on Castro Street again, only this time heading south towards Noe Valley…in order to drop off a card at the flat where Randolph once lived. I also delivered my cards to all the shops on Castro, including one which I didn’t realize is the LGBT History Center until I stepped back and had a good laugh. How many OTHER deserving, local activists have they excluded from their archives, besides Randolph Taylor and myself? Probably dozens, though I suspect much more.
Enough ruminating for now; I need to relax, listen to some good horror stories, then crash out!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: Stimulus Check Redux
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 4, 2021 12:50 PM
So the next stimulus check is likely forthcoming, in the sum of $1,400. I would GLADLY present the full amount to Deek, if he is willing to go through the legal channels. Though I doubt he has the CAPACITY to do so, since we’d have to march on down to the SPCA headquarters together, WITH the dogs…but it’s by appointment only, and Deek is likely to skip showing up, EVEN IF HE INTENDED TO. This is assuming the pups really ARE registered. But if not, he’d STILL have to accompany me to the SPCA, whereby I can video record his agreement to my ownership, and the process of registering the mutts, right then and there.
I’d also need a trustworthy WITNESS to attend the entire process. After all, Deek might bring one of his OWN minions, to rob me of that money. And that’s yet another conundrum: how do I secure the payment on my own person, until the transaction is complete? Maybe I can purchase a rechargeable debit card containing the full amount, but for which I only know the PIN code. But what about loss? Deek could try to scam me that he LOST the card, so I owe him, still! Perhaps I can keep online access to the record of expenses, but then, he could accuse me of withdrawing money FROM the account. Though cameras and bank statements would prove otherwise, that may not stop Deek from stirring up shit, anyway. My conclusion:
It won’t work, for many reasons including coming up with a witness who’ll gladly do this out of kindness, and not for payment. And Deek’s original verbal contract with me was a ruse all the time. For it seems that he NEVER intended to give up the pups; he just wanted to squeeze more money from me…as perhaps he could use them again as leverage for even MORE lucre. Thus, his acting totally out of it when I shot the video, making it easier to claim that I took advantage of him in a delirious episode (high on drugs, bipolar, migraine headache, whatever). His being homeless also gives him the sympathy edge.
What I get out of this, is I really have to do nothing on the material, or even action, plane…and just continue to put my faith in a higher force, or whatever you choose to call it. Certainly, a nightly prayer to St. Rocco is now part of my arsenal.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: The Deadbeat Stigma
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 7, 2021 2:28 PM
The perception of me by so many others as a “deadbeat,” a jaded drop-out, is something I am WAY too familiar with. People shifted some decades ago, from taking the time to actually get to KNOW a person, to wanting any information about anyone or anything in quick, brief clips. This makes it so much easier to spread gossip about someone who isn’t already embedded into one or the other clique. If some jackass doesn’t like you, he or she can readily badmouth you behind your back and, all of sudden, you’ve acquired an army of enemies! Which leads to FURTHER suppression of anyone learning who you REALLY are, until, one fine day, you’re the village pariah.
So much worse is when you’re not a cog in the status quo, like myself: not employed, living on a gov’t stipend, not plugged into one or more social groups due to lack of money and a car, and even a decent studio apartment where you can entertain guests. Since no one actually KNOWS me, it’s enough for someone to speak behind my back and gossip that I DON’T WORK. Nothing else need be added to that single, icy condemnation, to have folks turn against you. They know NOTHING of my decades of activism, sacrifices and charitable works…because such suppression makes it nigh impossible for anyone to graciously allow me the TIME to tell my story. But even if they did, they’d likely harbor the snobbish notion that those who don’t hold down a “regular job” are leeching off the system. “Better a leech than a sneetch,” is all I have to say about that! (Hmm, a reference to Dr. Seuss seems most timely, in light of the current brouhaha.)
So, my conflict with the building manager and Myrtle and son is simply the latest manifestation of narrow-minded gossip. They’d rather beLIEVE what they think I am (a freeloader) than ever get to know me. They have even been so unwittingly brazen as to DOCUMENT, with signature, their unfounded hatred. Which, as it turns out, gives me the edge in my favor, in any legal action taken by either side. In their arrogance, ignorance and classist prejudice, they perceive me as a person to avoid at all costs. They also think that, because I am so LOW in their esteem, they could commit an endless stream of dirty tricks upon THIS humble pilgrim, and I would never utter so much as a peep of objection.
For among what MANY things they don’t know about yours truly, is that I always draw the line when sins in my witness have gone too far…no matter HOW horrendous the kickback may be upon my person. And, as far as I’m concerned, allowing teenagers to loiter in the hallway (and withOUT a mask) was indeed the last straw on THIS Bactrian’s hump. I shocked the feces out of them (how dare he, this good-for-nothing deadbeat! reported us to the landlord? why the nerve of him!) and, as a consequence, I have now become FOREMOST in their minds…much to their outraged chagrin. They, who so strongly desired to have NOTHING to do with me, to be barely an occasional blip on their radar, now are compelled to hold me in the center of their mind’s sight, for the unforeseeable future, day in, day out, 24/7. Ha, ha, too bad, you have an ouchy, you shat in your own sandbox, teacher made you sit in a corner with a dunce cap, it sucks to be you!
Meanwhile, I continue to quietly observe, document and record everything that happens around me…and without their knowledge. Even though my growing tales are online, open to the world. Well, soon enough they will discover their crimes hanging out with the laundry, flapping away in the wind and stinking up the entire neighborhood because you just can’t wash out THAT kind of odeur.
Until recently I have been especially PRIVATE when it comes to my online activities: utilizing a VPN, de-Googling my computer and smartphone, running Linux and setting my browser to the highest security level possible. But recently, and due to so many hostile actions and threats against me, I have come to realize there is a BENEFIT to keeping my whereabouts on record, via online tracking. Deek’s wicked behavior, and the melodramas playing out in my building, can lead to false allegations that may depend on proving whether or not I was really IN such-and-such a place at such-and-such a time, to commit such-and-such an offense.
I have therefore now gone the REVERSE of my decades-long fight against corporate and gov’t intrusion on my privacy. For I am now using Google’s location service indefinitely, set to the HIGHEST LEVEL of accuracy, and never to be erased, no matter how far back the history. I just need to be sure I carry either one of my smartphones with me, whenever I step out. I’ll use the newest for that, since it’s a tad thinner and smaller than the Tracfone, and its Android version most recent. For being a loner by fate (not choice), I am highly vulnerable to false accusations as to where I’ve been. I may be accused of committing a violence or threat in a certain place and at a certain time…but with no witness to vouch for me, I’d be up crap river without an oar. And I AM dealing with skunks so low as to use a flunky as false witness! But now, the smartphone stands in as MY witness…it has become my best friend! After the brindlemutts, that is.
But I understand, and appreciate, WHY I’m seen as a deadbeat: because that is how I WITNESS society’s level of compassion, or lack thereof, through experiences of my own. I could NOT achieve my mission were I comfortably well off…at least, nowhere NEAR as well as I am now, and have been doing since childhood. I am, in a sense, the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s own smartphone, its recording secretary! I am a walking litmus test, a sin eater, a little replica of Job! But, like Job, my rewards will be immense…thus, joy is my comrade as I trod this tragic path a while longer.
Did you know that, when I, myself, was homeless, I never suffered from cold weather, or rain?. And THAT year was flush with heavy, prolonged rainfalls and chill, icy fog: 1973. I was NOT always indoors at night (such as Hamburger Mary’s on Folsom Street, or other 24/7 dining spots; or sometimes even as the lucky guest of a kind resident), or during inclement weather. There were places I’d curl up beneath a poncho or blanket, to sleep in some bushes, often inside a park, or church or campus grounds. Yet, even when the sky thundered down on me in wet showers, somehow, some way, I always kept dry. As well as clean and nicely dressed. But the strange thing about this is:
I don’t really know how I did it! I don’t recall EVER being discomfited by harsh weather, not even for one day or night. In fact, I was pretty much in a happy state of mind the entire ten months I was on the streets. I was thinking about the dogs yesterday evening, sad because of these continued nights of cold, as I sloshed along the rain-drenched streets delivering my Canis familiaris prayer cards from house to house. Then I remembered how it was for ME, how it never seemed chilly at all. That gave me true solace, for in some way I was protected through it all. And so, I trust, are Flaco & Lucky. Deek has told me numerous times that meth keeps the chill away for him. But I NEVER took meth, yet still didn’t suffer from the cold! And of course, the pups don’t smoke crystal, either…that’s just silly.
MY SPYGLASSES JUST SHOWED UP!
Light gray, thick plastic lenses, UV 400 protection, an hour-and-a-half recording time max (2 hour recharge). 65 degree angle, more than others in that price range. Good quality video saved in mp4 format. 90 day guarantee return (no strings), and 1 year factory warranty. When you register and post a review, you will receive a $30 Amazon gift card, as well…just hope they keep their promise! Takes photos, too, at 5 megapixels. Comes with its own class 10, 32MB micro SD card. You can set the videos at 1/3/5/10/15/30 minute lengths. Default is 5, but I set it to 3. You set both the recording duration and the initial date/time stamp via a simple text file in the embedded SD card.
It will run continuously in your preferred increments, until you click “off.” One button controls everything. Comfortable, snug fit, and, I think, attractive! They are NOT Bluetooth ready, which would be nice, as you could then set it to automatically copy the recording to your smartphone. Then, maybe, have the smartphone automatically upload to the web. I’ll look into that when I have more moolah…say, the next stimulus payment. But I’d need to invest in a cell service, too…my decision will be based on “do I really NEED to get that fancy?”
I’d say “yes,” if I continue to have this or that confrontation with this or that goofball. Because they MIGHT knock off or steal these glasses, and I’d lose the current videos, unless they’ve been instantly uploaded…or, at least, copied to the smartphone. At any rate, now I can exit my hovel with the camera turned on…such that any run-ins with A-holes will be instantly recorded. And I’ll KEEP it turned on during my brief strolls to and from Morey’s shop, Rosenberg’s, etc….until I finally return home and INSIDE the room. If head movements are too rapid, I can use a free, online video stabilizer to straighten THAT out.
[Note: after composing all of the above, I stepped out for my third salvo of Brindlekin card distribution, and have only resumed completing this e-missive the next day, which is now early afternoon, Sunday. I took many 3-minute videos during my devotional stroll, then kept my fingers crossed upon returning hovel, in looking them over. They came out FANTASTIC! Though it looks like I need to lower my head further, in order to capture my hand placing a card beneath a windshield wiper, through a mail slot, in a potted plant, etc. Still, the videos are sacred, interspersed as they are with an insightful remark here and there…prayer in action! Your average schmuck will find them boring, but those with a heart will be rewarded by accompanying me on my meditational walk on behalf of two, loving canine souls and one messed-up dude. I will soon upload them to my Youtube channel…41 in all. The collection will be called “Stroll With Me Tonight.” More devotional videos coming up, tonight and tomorrow night, by which time I will have dispersed a total of 1,500 cards, thus completing this special mission.]
As for my “Bodhisattva Premise” spin on things, I’d say my angels (Deek among them) have woven an incredible story in book 1 of Brindlekin Tales, and are continuing to do the same for book 2. Which book I am absolutely CONFIDENT will have a celebratory ending…though I think things will turn around for me long before the final chapter. Therefore, I should treat this like a game, play the spy or however I want to act out the present scenario. Let things unfold as they come, and write them down, share with the world.
I ALMOST RAN INTO DEEK, on my way back from distributing more cards. Check this out:
http://www.gay-bible.org/blogstuff/2021A/vistaprint-almost-ran-into-deek.htm
Which final scene in last night’s perambulation puts a crowning end TO that album!
The camera’s night vision is excellent, as it looks rather bright where Deek was parked, when in reality, it was quite dark. He did NOT see me. I didn’t hear the doggies bark, but they may have been with him nonetheless, curled up and keeping warm from the chill evening. I fervently pray they are doing alright.
So yesterday afternoon, I stepped into Morey’s grog and grocery corner store, wearing my spyglasses. He immediately noticed, querying if the camera’s on. I quipped “Yes, so you need to be on your best behavior!” He then mumbled something about turning it off when inside the shop, so I explained they are for personal reasons only, in the event another drama plays out before me, that I may have some legal protection in the recording. Otherwise, I delete all videos at the end of each day, saving some for my own private enjoyment. This is what gets me, Dr. Wattson:
Storekeepers are very uptight about anyone filming inside their establishment. I’ve never understood that, as most EVERYone now owns a smartphone…and how would they know if someone’s actually taking pictures or videos while shopping? And the stores themselves have an electronic eye focused on ALL customers (not to mention convex mirrors)…so why shouldn’t a customer have that same right to security? It is as if, the moment you step inside a commercial establishment, you must leave democracy, your civil rights, at the door. IOW: THEY ARE ALL LITTLE FASCIST ENTITIES! “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone,” is the standard line posted in many stores. Which proclamation was a morphing of the original signs in the recent past that read: “No blacks allowed.” In addition:
This paranoia about cameras in stores is for those establishments that sell designer items, for fear that the styles will be copied, with intent to reproduce knock-offs. Hence, no REASON for corner liquor/grocery shops to behave like the Gestapo!
If he continues to resist (no matter how politely), I’ll tell him about that time several years ago, when some crazy vagrant ran into another corner store, and started screaming at me. And seeing as there is a higher possibly of that happening again, due to my present circumstance, I will keep the camera running while inside. Or perhaps, I’ll simply gesture with a finger upon the left temple, to indicate I just turned it off…without REALLY doing so. After all, you can NOT discern that teensy dot of a blue light blinking, unless you get REALLY close up. Or if you’re standing in the dark. Unfortunately:
MANY people are standing in the dark, these days. Meanwhile:
Enjoy these six new daytime videos I just uploaded to my blog, of which number 6 shows off my hovel in all its cruddy glory:
https://zekeblog.wordpress.com/2021/03/07/post-doggies-morning-ritual-6-videos/
– Ezekiel Krahlin-Holmes
Re: The Deadbeat Stigma
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 7, 2021 4:13 PM
> Thanks for this. Was just getting ready to shoot you a note and ask how it’s going.
Excellent, considering the dark drama playing around me!
> Am just quitting work for the day; started reading, enjoyed it very much, will finish later.
No rush, read it whenever you are so inclined.
> A quick note, though: amazing how ready people are to excuse the genuine deadbeats of the world, the Ivanka Trumps, the Royal Family, the Fortunate Sons and such, who truly are bloodsucking leeches on the rest of us, to the tune of uncounted billion$. Deeply sick and fucked up.
Even many who are anti-Trump and consider themselves liberal or progressive, play the same evil game on the personal level. San Franshitsco is a prime example of that. So many Democrats, yet so little heart!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: P.S.: The Deadbeat Stigma
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 7, 2021 4:27 PM
> Meant to attach this to my last missive. Tells the whole story.
It sure does! Pray tell, where did you come across this revelatory photo?
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: P.S.: The Deadbeat Stigma
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 7, 2021 4:42 PM
> Stumbled across it in my endless wanderings. If you look closely, you’ll see that the guy running next to the carriage is wearing a military medal. Means he served, but is nevertheless being spurned by the Royalty.
I am not so bothered by that, as I see the hypocrisy of men going off to war to do the bidding of powerful, corporate magnates, and killing or maiming innocent people on a foreign shore. They were, at the very least, HOODWINKED into believing their cause heroic, for the glory of Queen and country…and British supremacy. One MAJOR flaw with humanity, is how so FEW citizens resist war and fight, instead, for peace. There is not, as yet, a holiday or official gov’t memorial to honor or OWN peace heroes. Except, perhaps, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day…though that is debatable. We need to hold nationwide celebrations at least several times a year, with the same robust energy and crazy revelry we do for the Fourth of July and military extravaganzas.
But thanks for pointing that out…I don’t know how many people who see that photo will ever notice that medal, or, if they do, comprehend its significance. I just did a reverse image search, and found this caption of the image:
“King George V. Photograph, taken in the early 1920’s showing a beggar solicing money form the royal party as he runs alongside their carriage. The occupants look embarassed. (Photo by Michael Nicholson/Corbis via Getty Images).”
So even THEY don’t remark on the badge (nor did they catch the typos)! Here’s the link:
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: P.S.: The Deadbeat Stigma
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 7, 2021 6:07 PM
> That’s the eternal story of the universal soldier: hoodwinked, used, discarded, forced to kill or be killed.
Aye, but there’s the rub…no one is FORCED to kill another. Unless in self defense, or in defense OF another, the right option SHOULD be to be killed, yourself. To brainwash citizens to believe that destroying a distant nation (or even one next door) is ALSO “self defense” is a travesty. The several times in my life when I was given the choice to beat someone up, or be beaten, I opted for the latter each and every time. And I came out of it unscathed, also each and every time. There are ALWAYS sane ways to resolve conflicts between nations or among different people, rather than take up arms. But the powers that be MANIPULATE their citizens into doing their violent bidding…often by first making a bad situation worse, and worse, and worse, until it seems to most people that the only option IS war.
I remember my Aunt Peggy, who declared she’s raising her son to be a soldier, because this is a military nation. As he grew into adulthood, he pursued the arts to finally become a most successful maker of puppets! I wonder if any of THEM were soldiers. I’ll never know, because I didn’t bother to pull any strings.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: P.S.: The Deadbeat Stigma
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 7, 2021 11:44 PM
> But sadly, most of them are too young and uninformed (I won’t say dumb) to know that.
Because they are indoctrinated at an early age. The sins of the fathers, etc.
> But you’re smarter and more aware than the average Schmoe.
Too smart for everyone else’s own good…which the entire world will soon come to acknowledge. :P
> Both of us know, or knew, people who went to war and came back dedicated to ending war for all time.
Randolph went to war because his father, a coal miner, developed black lung disease, so he committed suicide, that his family could survive on the insurance. He did NOT join the military for love of country.
> I think there’s also a biochemical basis for war.
I have my own theory about that: a virus carried by a meteorite that crashed into the planet, played havoc on human genetics, making them turn violent. And homophobia was the first sin, that is: violence of one brother towards another. Cain slew Abel, and from that act, the virus spread.
Terrence McKenna’s theory is that eating mushrooms pacified humanity, but when the African forests disappeared and turned into savanna and desert, there went the shrooms, along with brotherly love! He called it “The Stoned Ape Theory:”
> It can be counteracted, but until we understand how deep it runs in us as a species, we’ll always go to war.
According to my Bodhisattva Premise, no one’s ever gone to war, or committed violence. IOW, it’s an illusion…albeit a mindbogglingly convincing one. That also means there IS no war going on right now, or any other kind of violence. But I’ve already explained the heck out of that, and how it can trick us into falling for the incredible scam. I have several excellent essays on the matter, plus amazing tales based on that premise. Most of which you’ve read, if not all…for which I am greatly honored.
I’m all about the unraveling of illusion, and dissolution of the veil between between two worlds. The Greek gods are very real, and Carl Jung came closer to that understanding than any other human on the planet, using all the tools of rational thought at his disposal. His theory of archetypes is both stunning and profound!
While most will regard my premise the height of hubris, events coming THIS YEAR will prove me right. ALSO a hubristic statement, I might note. I have flown closer to the sun than even Icarus, and continue to soar, and shall do so forever. There is no “no” in my knowing. Just a calm horizon.
Well, I just came back from my fourth devotional walk, distributing another 500 Canis familiaris prayer cards. This time, I talked a lot more to my future viewers, and lowered my head further down, so they could easily see me dropping my cards here and there. I look forward to going through the videos over the week. I’m really busy with my Brindlekin projects, there ain’t enough time in each day!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: KZYX’s anti-Zeke hit piece!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 8, 2021 9:35 PM
Today at 6 PM, KZYX did a hit piece about me. It’s barely 7 minutes long, but it’s a hoot! I didn’t hear it live, ’cause didn’t know about it until later in the day, when the announcement list arrived. So I downloaded the recording that KZYX so kindly made available. Here it is, a modern day witch hunt…and I’m really a witch, to boot, so they better watch out:
http://www.gay-bible.org/blogstuff/2021A/anti-zeke-cabal-hit-piece.mp3
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: Post-Doggies Morning Ritual (6 videos)
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Carlyle Lambourne
Date: March 8, 2021 11:14 PM
> The building and area don’t look as bad as I had imagined, from your description.
It’s deteriorated significantly over the decades. Especially the people.
> There have been so many ups and downs, hopefully the sad outcome can still turn out better, again.
Yes, my tales are filled with cliffhangers, for my guardians have seen to it that I come up with a blockbuster of a book. So it makes perfect sense that book 1 ends in tragedy…so my soon-to-be-fans will by DYING to read the the sequel! Which is BOUND to end happily. Again, had you read my tales thus far, I’ve already SAID just that, numerous times. Unfortunately, by responding on just superficial titles and excerpts, you’ve lost the profound depth of insight conveyed through each chapter, like a string of precious pearls. You have NO IDEA of the incredible plot developing into a stupendously joyful outcome, that shall occur by the end of book 2, though will probably start to manifest by the middle chapters. Which I’ve ALREADY declared in book 1.
> If the building has a strict “no pets” rule, that might be tough
No, of course it’s pet friendly, otherwise I’d have never taken this cross upon my shoulders, in the first place. Had you actually READ all chapters thus far, you wouldn’t have to ask that question.
Oh, well! Gotta get back out there and distribute another 500 “Puppy Prayer Cards” tonight. Just one more night after this, to go. I now wear a pair of spyglasses to accompany me on my walks, where I can talk to my viewers as I stroll, imparting little insights here and there.
Re: KZYX’s anti-Zeke hit piece!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 9, 2021 12:15 PM
> Nitwits. Free publicity!
Of course! And it affirms my Bodhisattva Premise to a T…in that those guardians who play the enemy, do so in such a way as to gain me further attention, and make me the hero in the long run. Some might say they are truly malicious, but UNCONSCIOUSLY working in my favor. I take it a step further:
They actually KNOW what they are doing, like actors portraying evil characters in a movie or the theater. Shakespeare knew EXACTLY what he was saying when he declared, “All the world’s a stage.” Similar to the Buddha’s own conclusion: “We have no enemies, only teachers.”
Did you see that clip yet, where I almost ran into Deek? I linked to it in a recent email. He is parked in that dark recess across the street, just below the foreground stop sign, which you will see right at the beginning of the clip. As I stand behind a tall, leafy plant, you can easily hear his New Orleans patois…talking shit to some other homeless dude, about how he (the dude) now has the right to mess with someone whenever he sees him, because of whatever offense…I have no idea of the context, but it clearly was not directed toward yours truly. I’m guessing it was a money transaction gone wrong.
Because of my spyglasses’s excellent night-viewing mode, things look a lot brighter than they really are…for it was actually black-dark where Deek was located, in that recess near the trash bins. For that reason–and because he did NOT start screaming at me–I doubt he knew I was just across the street at all. These camera spectacles are proving to be a real boon!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: KZYX’s anti-Zeke hit piece!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 9, 2021 1:42 PM
> Holy Cow! Those glasses are beyond cool! I might have to get me a pair.
They are excellent for my purpose, good doctor! If you really want them, I’ll send you the link.
> Did Deek have the dogs with him?? I’m thinking they would sense your proximity way before Deek would, what with their ultra-sensitive noses and ears.
I have no idea, ’cause I did NOT hear them barking, or see them sitting or walking around. They MIGHT have been curled up together, snoozing…since it WAS after 10 PM, and cold outside. Be that as it may, I was definitely TOO far removed for them to catch sight or wind of me, if underneath a jacket or blanket.
Either that, or he disposed of them. Or maybe just Flaco, as he seems to show resentment towards that wonderful little, sweet pup, more so than towards Lucky (there may be anti-female sentiment involved, on his part). Sad to see, as they are EQUALLY a blessing. At any rate, even if he still has them, yet later on wants to give them up, you can count on his determination to NEVER let them near me again. I miss them VERY much, of course…they gave me the most wonderful days of my life. Yet I remain optimistic, that somehow things will turn around, that Deek have a change of heart, a transformation if you will, and surrender the brindlekin into my arms.
One VERY good sign that such a benevolent outcome WILL occur, is that I feel pretty darn good through it all…and this emotional state definitely has precognitive undercurrents. It is not simply that I feel GREAT because of my good deeds and kindness TOWARDS the doggos, for the time alloted while I DID have them over…it is that, in my gifted nature, I sense the near future. Which will be WONDERFUL, and not just for me, but for Deek, the brindlekin, and for EVERYone else.
Yet I wonder if Deek KNEW I was nearby, but decided to keep silent. For, per my Bodhisattva Premise, this is a scenario playing out where I become the hero, and it just wasn’t in the script for us to be on stage together at that moment. Not in THIS scene or act, but most likely after the intermission.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: So there was a knock on my door…
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 9, 2021 2:03 PM
…a rare occurrence in my world. Happened right when I was in the middle of composing my last missive to you, just minutes ago. Turned out to be the exterminator, who asked if I was ready for the bedbug treatment RIGHT NOW! I told him that Kevin didn’t give me notice, but I’ll be ready any time after tomorrow. He said okay, he’ll check out his schedule, arrange a date and time with Kevin, who will then let me know. Will he, though? I’ll have to phone the exterminator later tonight, to make sure I’ll be ready.
Not only did Kevin NOT give me notice, he also did NOT set up the laundry service to do some of my larger items (a thick coat and a sleeping bag, and maybe some other stuff). Even though I TOLD him a few weeks back, I could use their help. This is a service the building is supposed to offer ALL their tenants, regarding bedbug treatment.
He’s behaving like a child, which is why I suspect early onset dementia. It was a STUPID move on his part, to allow Myrtle’s son’s teenage friends to loiter in my hallway, and without wearing masks, at that! Such a poor decision indicates possible mental deterioration…especially since it’s UNLIKE him, in all the years he’s been manager. Then there are those two nasty letters that he actually SIGNED, which are clearly in violation of the law, when it comes to a building manager’s relationship with the residents. THAT WAS OUTRIGHT ABUSE! Nonetheless, Wattson, once more I end on a positive note, by employing the Bodhisattva Premise:
They are angelic actors playing the role of my conspirators, that I become the hero in this most astounding play, filled with twists and turns, and my heartbreaking struggles for the return of two, delightfully sweet and joyful pups into my protective embrace.
– Ezekiel J. Krahlin-Holmes
Subject: Loiterers in the hallway again…UNBELIEVABLE!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 9, 2021 3:16 PM
As of 3 PM, just minutes ago, I heard their loud, crass voices. I’m tempted to step out with my spyglasses to capture this on video. But I fear a nasty confrontation, and I’m a sitting duck because they of course know where I live, and I’m sure have all been made aware of my confrontation with Adisa and his mother…likely told with extreme bias against me. Just one stupid crisis after another!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: Loiterers in the hallway again!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Kevin Bond, bldg. mgr.
Date: March 9, 2021 3:26 PM
For the past 20 minutes, Adisa’s friends have been hanging out in the hallway again, being crass and noisy. I haven’t stepped out to see whether or not they’re wearing masks, but that’s beside the point. We should not have nonresidents loitering our hallways. Your voicemail is full, so I couldn’t phone you, in hopes you’d take immediate action.
Re: Loiterers in the hallway again…UNBELIEVABLE!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: March 9, 2021 4:22 PM
> One of the many “perks” of being poor: crude, loud people crowding in on you, imposing themselves on you, ready to fight with you at the slightest opportunity.
All too true. Well, right after I emailed Kevin (for the sake of documentation, if nothing else) I decided to step out with my spyglasses. But they were gone by then, dammit!
ZekeBlog 2.0 
[…] But as I stated before, all this is discussed IN my recent chapters, for which reason I need not go further in explaining to you, what I believe is REALLY taking place. For one of the purposes of these tales, is to spare me from repeating myself over and over to curious individuals. Instead, I just direct them to my trilogy. One particular chapter I think you should read ASAP, in light of our present e-conversation, is: “Vistaprint Cards Have Arrived.” […]