Space(d) Cadet(te)

"Get Edukated"

Last week, I attended a special screening of a German film called "The Edukators" (www.edukators.com). I am not going to spoil it for anyone by giving a detailed review here, I will simply say that it was very, very good and it reminded me a lot of friends I had in the 1960s. Go see it if you get the chance - it is in limited release.

I bring this up not because of the film, per se, but because of ME (and after all, isn't everything all about MOI...). I love these special screenings - first of all, they are generally free and private affairs and almost always include something fun like a gift bag (and I am ALL ABOUT the free gifts that life has to offer). Also, the crowds that attend are generally hip and intellectual and it is great fun pretending, even for a few hours, to be those things (which I am decidedly NOT). And so, last week, I put on a black sweater, poncho, and hoop earrings (among other accoutrements) and headed for San Francisco feeling very hip. After the film, I came home and threw my sweater into the wash. Whoops! Oh, it is washable... 100% cotton. Even this fat, I will only wear cotton or silk. But I forgot something.

In my hasty effort to look with it, I pinned on a rather large brooch. An expensive piece, to be sure, with Tanzanite, Amethyst, and Lapis Lazuli. When I flung my sweater into the washer, I forgot I had this on and thus, did not remove it. Since then, I have done several loads of wash. Fast forward to today: I was removing a load of towels and noticed something shiny at the bottom of the machine. Yep. My brooch. I was kind of surprised to see that it was still in tact and in great condition. Guess I am lucky in some things.

And by the way, go see the film. "The Edukators." SDS connection. My friend, Rocky, was married to Dennis Marnell who was one of the high ups in that organization. My mom loved Dennis and he her - he used to come over all the time and they would hang and talk while Rocky and I sat by the pool and gave each other "the look." Anyway, Dennis died in early 70s or late 60s from a VA induced drug overdose. RIP Dennis. Hadn't thought about him or Rocky in years until that film and then there I was in Costco last week and voila! There was Rocky.

And now, speaking of Dennis Marnell, I felt the urge to google and came up with this link to a site about the White Panthers and for some reason, the MC5:

http://makemyday.free.fr/whitepanthers.htm

This silly essay has the audacity to name Dennis as a possible government agent. Hah! Dennis was busted coming in or out of the UK for carrying weapons and summarily sent back to Marin.

Dennis was NOT an agent for any government. He was a roadie (they called them quippies back then) for Quicksilver Messenger Service and John Cipollina's best friend. John was best man at Dennis' wedding to Rocky. Somewhere, I have pictures. Anyway, a few years before he died, Dennis had been wounded in Vietnam, and this left him in a lot of pain. When he died, he had been given a huge shot of Darvon by the VA. An overdose they claim. My mother was always of the opinion that the government killed him and actually wrote several published letters about it. I guess I come from a long line of shit disturbers.