photo by M. Shubin
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Pictures are NOT worth 1000 words...
In far less than 1000 words I will touch the tip of an iceberg that will explain why this photo is no match for the words behind it.
Bobby Beausoleil was a handsome kid from Santa Barbara who saw thru the hippie scene. He was a throw back, as many of the bike rider of the sixties were, holding on to greased hair en leu of flowing locks.
When he moved to the Haight-Ashbury, he was novel.
Kenneth Anger, SFC's attempt at an Andy Warhol, fell in love.
He wanted Bobby to star in Lucifer Rising & Bobby wanted to do the sound track.
They moved in together, Bobby was straight, Kenneth was not.
Kenneth was attracted to straight men & you must know that the motorcycle classic, Scorpio Rising, was filmed using straight men (not actors)working on their bikes to light hearted pop music of the 50's playing in the background for a genius effect that may make you uncomfortable to ever wear a leather jacket again.
(p.s. I turned Cole Foster onto this cult classic & it remains one of our favorites)
The two got in a fight... not Cole & I.... Kenneth & Bobby & the latter moved to the SFV.
About this time Cole & I were little boys living in the area.
Bobby felt the southern scene to be much heavier & for him it was. He began hanging out with the Manson Family & was desperate to be part of the STRAIGHT SATAN MC.
In an attempt to impress the MC he scored $1000. worth of mescaline from a Family friend.
The Club was not happy with the junk & sent him get their money back.
He tied the guy up, took the titles to his cars, & pressed him for money.
He was there with a couple of Family girls & somebody called Charlie. He showed up & cut off the dudes ear & left. A day later Bobby killed the guy to keep him quiet. He penned 'Political Piggy' on the wall in the guys blood & he too left.
A week or so later the Manson Family made history that even I remember as a little boy hearing it on the local news.(13 channels then... maybe 10 worked)
Apparently Bobby & the Family were quite afraid of the STRAIGHT SATANS and wanted to believe public to believe the murders were politically radical in nature.
This is just another version of Bobby & the SS... but have you ever heard it?
Read this super fast & pretend I am telling you this story as I run out of breath...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Who cares?
I am in the mood to preach again.
Looking at this 10+ years old photo of the most important things in my life.
The kids, the books, the bikes, & the clays.
This brings me to my diatribe based on biased observation.
I genuinely care what people think, I suppose I always have & will.
I want the kids to be proud of me, hopefully a book will provide an answer, the bikes are a selfish life long impulse, & the sculptures are an urge.
If I love you, like you, admire you, or appreciate you in any way, I want you to recognized me.
Even if I completely disagree with someone I like, on any subject, I still enjoy them.
What my question is to anyone reading this self indulgent rant, is why do my rock star friends & my awkward kid's friends claim;
"I don't care what other people think!"
I don't buy it.
The guy who gets up, pulls the sweater that his grandma bought him 4 birthdays ago, because it is the top one on the pile his mom put in his closet for him, does this in the dark, so it is completely random if it matches his pants & goes to a job that required the least amount of his effort to obtain. That ruler doesn't care what people think.
Me, in my stinky unwashed old Levis, beat up Wescos or my perfectly pressed small tag Dickies & pleated Pendleton, my Langlitz jacket & hand made hat, my goatee & slicked back hair... you get it, I care.
You, with your Stacey Adams, wife beater & tattoos, you care.
You, with your long hair, died hair or shaved head, you care.
So why do I hear & read so many people say;
"If I really cared about what other people think, I wouldn't have pursued Rock & Roll music- I'd still be pushing a mop."
In the motorcycle community, I hear something like, "I wear leather, have tattoos, long hair & ride a loud bike, because I don't care what people think.
Skaters, Surfers, Bikers, Punks, Vatos, Rockers, Emos, Rock-a-billies, Car Builders & perhaps most of all, Artists all claim not to care what other's think, yet I honestly believe it is quite the opposite.
All these super neat & interesting people are just that, because they care, maybe not what their mom thinks, but most certainly, what their peers think.
I have been thinking about this claim for decades.
There was a girl in high school who I had a terrible crush on.
She woke up several hours before school each day & got into full Siouxsie Sioux attire... I loved her for it, but in Psychology class when she said "I dress this way because I don't care what people think", I disagreed, in front of everybody, and we went from being friends to acquaintances.
I get what happened then... never was clever with the ladies, but I wonder if she still thinks that in high school she really didn't care what people thought.
Are my adult friends & my kid's friends who claim, not to care, really that punk rock/hardcore/anti-social & it is just insecure me who dwells on this trite stuff, or do nonconformists just conform to nonconformity?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Inspiration LA
Rin Tinaka's did it again.
It is neat to see how many clever designers are reviving worth while trends.
Ran into some old friends too, like Bill Wall, & the dude that had LEATHERS & TREASURES on Melrose in the 80's. I remember seeing my first padded Langlitz there as well as the nicest vintage cowboy boots.
A special thanks to all my Sinner brothers for dropping by to saying hello too.
I'd like to name each & every one of them for you...
There you have it.
You want to see the REALLY good stuff?
I LOVE HATERS
Haters keep you grounded.
If you know me, & dislike me, I'm sure your reasons are well founded.
If you have never met me & hate me, you are simply a cyber-masturbator & you should focus less on my life & more on your own.
There are so many guys out there who have created blogs, website sites & events that don't even own a single bike... they read, write do a little research & you believe.
Are you still in school?
The internet in a tool... nothing more. A collection, swap meet, race, rally, face to face, that is real. Hate a guy to his face & he will love you for it or knock you out, but these computer shenanigans are for the weak.
Give me a bloody nose or a hug, but stop hiding behind your cyber cowardly code name.
xoxo, jd
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
San Fernando Valley
Although I grew up just north of the Valley, the majority of the car & bike clubs I remember from my youth were based in the large vague grouping of cities know as the SFV.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
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