Up Bear Creek / 30jun50011

Up Bear Creek

by Art Goodtimes

A great new indie film by a friend

TENDERLOIN … Back in the Seventies (which were really part of the Sixties -- at least the first half), I spent summers traveling. Mostly hitch-hiking (loved those college ride boards). Sometimes with a cheap car (which, combined with cheap gas, made such adventures affordable on a dirtbag budget) … One year I made it to the nation’s capital. Stayed with a buddy from the seminary who was into film, Michael Anderson. The seminary had been a strong bond, and most guys who’d left were generous with each other. I stayed a week or so … Lots of images flood back from that time … Hitting a kitchen cockroach the size of a small rabbit with a frying pan, and feeling the frying pan bounce off the hard shell, as the critter skittered into the shadows … Joking with the streetwalkers in front of Michael’s digs and taking late night solo ambles all over town, tensed for any trouble (none came) … Waiting out a tornado watch, the sky’s clouds turning an angry obsidian, on the lawn of a Maryland barn-turned-sound studio & basketball gym … Beating a serious big city leftie (buddy of Michael’s) at chess, to both our astonishments … Drinking Stolichnaya vodka into the night with a clutch of Russian engineers, toasting everything under the sun -- quite delightful fellows … It was 1976. It was summer and I was adventuring. I’d just come Tenderloin: Live or Start Dying to D.C. from a demo at the Bicentennial Celebration in Philly, that I’d bussed down for from Maine and then missed (not unpleasantly lost in Fairmount Park and the Museum of Art) … A few years later Michael stopped by my second-floor railroad apartment in Noe Valley on a pass through San Francisco, where I lived. I wasn’t home. But he left a 3x6 foot Russian poster of the Red Army hammer & sickle outside my door. Having been called a “commie” more than once for my liberal communitarian views, I loved the poster. In fact, still have it. Out in my own barn now … Michael and I have stayed in distant touch. He’s continued on in film. Heard when he got blown up in a car in the Middle East on assignment. Seriously injured. His buddy killed … A couple weeks ago he announced a new film on the upper-class seminary listserve (we have two – my class has its own). I wrote him, bought a copy. And watched it the other night … What a sweet film and quite well done. An indie, <www.tenderloinmovie.com> featured a lovely, well-written story (damaged vet takes slum hotel manager gig to escape unraveling marriage and falls in love with his kid), great character actors, nice editing (quick cuts, multiple camera angles), and a sad/happy/almost triumphant (if unresolved) finish. Nothing flashy. Just strong performances, a strangely appealing camaraderie among disparate characters, and a modern day morality play of the most appealing kind … Kudos to my buddy Michael. Highly recommended.

SAL PACE … State Representative Sal Pace (D-Pueblo) is coming to town for a Pancake Breakfast that the San Miguel Democratic Party, under the leadership of Brian Ahern, is sponsoring on Sunday, July 3, at the Elks Lodge in Telluride from 8 in the morning to just past noon. Vets and kids under 8 are free … Not only does Sal have a sibling in Norwood, but he was John Salazar’s able rep for several years. Once he got elected to the legislature, he’s quickly risen to House Minority Leader. And now I think he’s eyeing a race with Scott Tipton in the Third Congressional. Go meet Sal and get to know this rising Dem leader.

CREDIT CARD JUJU … It’s interesting how the credit card companies try to sell you insurance against loss and your mistakes, but they aren’t so good about compensating you for their mistakes … Like the credit card company that withdrew $2741 dollars from my account on a $27.41 bill, that I had paid in full (luckily, I have check duplicates) … I got a rude awakening when I went to the ATM to withdraw $100 and found I had “insufficient funds.” It took a few hours of detective work to realize what had happened. My bank had hit me up with several overdraft fees, but quickly cancelled them, when they heard my story … The credit card manager at the phone bank was nice. But looking at my check, he explained that a computer had misread my check, although it was quite clear in both boxes that the check was written for $27.41. He tried to make me feel like it was my fault. Then explained it would be three days before I could withdraw money from my account. And at no point offered my compensation – and when I finally broached the subject, he gave me $10 for a points program the credit card offers as a “bonus” to its customers … A couple hours detective work. Three days inconvenienced by not being able to write checks on my checking account because of their mistake. And a guilt trip besides. Welcome to the wonderful world of plastic, where even their mistake is your mistake (the real mistake is having a credit card at all…)

RARE METALS … Jim Burnell of the Colorado Geological Survey gave an excellent presentation to a very small group last week. His talk wasn’t advertised in any calendar I could find, not even in Ouray County, where it was held. A shame, because it was excellent. There appears to be a number of critical and strategic minerals (C&S) in our region, some of which deposits are recoverable … But why would we want to go back to such an extractive industry, even if it is our heritage in this community? Because many of these C&S minerals (tellurium, vanadium, indium, germanium, gallium, selenium and more) are critical for expanding our alternative energy options, and at present China has a trade monopoly on many of these – strategically not a good situation … I think we need to bring Jim back to speak in Telluride, since his information is going to have increasing relevance for our future in this county.

THE TALKING GOURD

Artu Detour

Isn't this life a whirl?

A tornado?

A rude awakening & end?