Friday the 13th, 1995… a singular individual died quite a mysterious death. There’s a DVD available titled “How to Draw a Bunny,” which –to quote the jacket notes– “explores the fascinating, often hilarious and always enigmatic world of artist and underground icon Ray Johnson. The fact that it was January 13th shouldn’t deter us from acknowledging this as the 10th anniversary of his demise. Again, from the producers of the DVD: “Little has been written about him, yet the man who many have dubbed ‘the most famous unknown artist’ was considered a genius whose career spanned nearly fifty years… .” I haven’t had a chance yet to review the special features, but they sound luscious.

Most of the first airmail stamps were inadvertently printed with airplanes upside down –as per the visual which leads off this page– in 1918… on May 13th. I cite this light item ’cause I want to move into this also being the date for South African prime minister General Louis Botha, personally leading his WWI troops… to capture the territory of German South West Africa. Which makes me think of the most excellent literary treatment of the horrid treatment of the territory delineated by Thomas Pynchon in Gravity’s Rainbow. Here’s where the “light” element comes in. That great creation is a bit too much for most people. BUT… everyone can visit a library, and at least read the opening paragraph of that work… which has to rank with the best of all else by any standards. A shattering, shimmering description of the London Underground during bombing. Which reminds me a lot of Orwell’s description of miners’ lives in Inside the Whale.

On a darker set of notes, this is the anniversary of two U.S. airmen being shot to death in the Philippines as the two countries prepare for talks respecting the islands’ hosting American bases. Much is made about the “viscious” New People’s Army which claimed responsibility for the killings, but absolutely zero is mentioned in the American media about one of their main gripes. To wit, that our military is making their islands totally toxic. To date, the disgusting, deadly sludge plus is still not cleaned up. And, still, we hear little about it… in spite of the fact that we have parallels in this country. See how ignorant educated people can be about this by quickly reviewing

34 Bases on Worst Toxic Waste Sites List
Base Closing OK With California City

Only if you have such time. ‘Cause I don’t know if the absolute, terrifying stupidity of the Mayor of Concord, California warrants such attention. Sucking in the thrust of the two articles in light of what I’m touching upon here, however, should make it clear that we are past the point of no return with the military… environmentally. And past the point of no return with the public in general respecting what’s happened, and what continues to happen. We are in the midst of well-respected individuals claiming –in the name of progress, protection and pure dollars– that there’s “no shark in the water.” This is all related, by the way, to my little line in the “I Recall… : Mad Ox Disease” article about mold. The military has mixed a lot more worse than mold into our children’s lives.

By the way, I just learned recently that Princess Caroline of Monaco… the daughter of the late Grace Kelly… has been working for quite some time… quietly… low profile… to help the terrorized citizens of the Philippines deal with our toxicity. Our legacy.