A good friend and college housemate brought us many tales of Sacramento and the Central Valley. But our absolute favorite was the tale of PYC. (I’m using initials to refer to him and his kids, rather than the full names, since there are other PYCs with web presences, and I’d rather not be a nuisance to them.) The friend’s dad, a member of a government security agency, was assigned to follow up a “potential threat” to the president and other parts of the government (see the “ten brutal deaths” part). He got a copy of this letter and went to interview Mr. C, who turned out to be harmless, if nutty. Reagan made it through January 1989, and Bush made it all the way through his term, despite the inexcusable failure to name a U.S. city PYC.

So here it is. Enjoy the letter as much as PYC would enjoy his permanent life with no demage. The Chinese characters were handwritten into the single-spaced, typewritten document. Spelling is [sic], but I didn’t go to the trouble of re-creating the creative indentations and so on. Appendices I and J are, sadly, lost forever.

The Manifesto

1234 Some Road
Apartment #73
Sacramento, CA
November 1st, 1988

Most Honorable George Washington and all other
Most Honorable Absolute Rulers of the United States
Mount Vernon, Virginia 22309

Dear Most Honorable Absolute Rulers:

Compelled by my love for our nation, I hereby urge you to use your good office to greatly benefit our nation through immediately rewarding my many great contributions, helping my daughter (already 28 years old), my son (already 31 years old) and me myself immediately married, and immediately relieving all sufferings of me and my both children, and immediately repairing all body demages of us.

Some of my many great contributions are really the greatest. My love for our nation is the deepest, my other aspects of moral character are all of the best. So are my personality and abilities. (Please refer to Appendix A.) With permission of his Queen Elizabeth, Dr. Francis Crick of England said of my son: “This boy is truly his father’s son.” And Queen Elizabeth said at Hongkong to my daughter: “You are truly your father’s daughter.” (Please refer to Appendix A.)

“Delay the rewards to Dr. PYC one day will demage the nation further”, stated most distinguished citizens in Washington and our society in 1985.

They also stated at the same time: “Delay Dr. PYC’s marriage for one year, even Absolute Ruler ( of the United States) has to pay ten brutal tortured deaths.” Washington and best U. S. scientists stated around 1978 to the effect: “Dr. PYC, his son and his daughter each must immediately marry some one, able to born children who do not have Jewish blood.” (Please see also Appendix C.) And, in late 1981, entire body of the Absolute Rulers immediately concurred my following appeal to the effect: “Any delay in the future of my daughter’s marriage cannot be tolerated, and all the individuals responsible must be put to death.” (Please refer to Appendix C.)

My son is now still brutally suffering in a very grave situation,extremely demaging and degrading to our nation and our government and society: He is still stuck to an old, Filipino Jew, a “Dangerous, Lowest Tramp, she cannot qualify for a tramp, because she is a lowest tramp” (the way the Absolute Rulers call her). (Please refer to Appendix D.)

It was already proposed that I ought to receive the rewards, described in A, B, C, D, E below, etc.:

A. A statue each in front of U. S. Treasury Department and The Pentagon in addition to a monument near George Washington Monument.

The very high honor was proposed in April 1981 to recognize me as the most outstanding American in American history. (Please refer to Appendix E.)

As Washington said of me in 1976, and Carnegie lady leading a most distinguished audience immediately concurred, I am even more outstanding than the best person in the history of mankind. (Please refer to Appendix A for details and for other praises to me from Soviet Union, Mr. Fiedel Castro, Chairman 毛澤東 of People’s Republic of China and former U. S. President Harry Truman.)

In April 1981, after nine years and ten months of unemployment, without payment of any kind, and in addition with other sufferings, I saved the nation at brink of death from no money and no gasoline, and further advanced the nation more than ten ranks; I saved the nation, while no one else could. — At suggestion of me, and me alone, the nation found in Atlantic Ocean a huge gasoline field which “values about seventy five United States”.

Before then, for a period of long years, longer than twenty years, I dedicated myself to advance the nation and made important contributions. I did so, without reward at any time, and sometimes even while I suffered severely in several ways, and at times I even risked my life.

B. Nobel Prize for gasoline contributions.

My gasoline contributions up to May 1981 worth many, many Nobel Prizes. (Please refer to Appendix E.)

C. Permanent life with good health and full enjoyment of life, my portrait on U. S. one-dollar bills, and a major U. S. city renamed as PYC.

These three additional rewards to me were proposed in 1984, after April.

In April 1984, at suggestion of me, and me alone, the nation found another huge gasoline field. The field “values slightly more than two hundred United States“, and is the largest gasoline field in the world.

It is in Pacific Ocean. Many Pentagon high brasses saw advantages of the site immediately after the finding.

I alone suggested the site, while all the others of the nation disagreed. I then vigorously, repeatedly recommended in various ways for a long time. The reason that Soviet Union, France and England did not see the site is, as Washington reported in Special Microbroadcasts, because these nations “did not have Dr. PYC”. (Please refer to Appendix F.)

On several other occasions, I also made important contributions, and all other ablest persons tried could not. Among them are the followings: (a) I proposed Martin Luther King Holiday. Washington rated me as better Dr. Albert Einstein by twelve levels. (b) I invented in 1972 Money Divided method for solving crimes. Dr. William F. Harrington said, and Washington high authorities unanimously concurred: “I wonder why Dr. Albert Einstein did not invent this method during his ten years of helping Washington solved three most difficult cases”. (Please refer to Appendix G.) (c) I gave an idea which speedily solved involved Livermore case. — United States had spent longer than ten years trying to solve the case. And (d) as mentioned above, I more than saved the nation in 1981 at brink of death from no money and no gasoline; I saved the nation, while no one else could.

And on still other occasions, I bettered all the ablest persons tried. For example, in late 1980, I invented a method which can return youth, etc.; I bettered all top-most medical brains of the nation. (Please refer to Appendix H.)

In addition to the fact that no one can replace me in many areas so vital to the nation, my love for the nation is the deepest, and my other aspects of moral character are all of the best.

Thus, United States ought to grant me permanent life, with good health and full enjoyment of life (no persecution, demage, injury, or interference).

D. Adequate economic and financial awards.

The awards ought to be adequate, and must not tarnish the image of our government. The Atlantic Ocean field and the Pacific Ocean field of gasoline of the nation together “values about three hundred United States“. Both field sites were discovered, as described above, at suggestions of me, and me alone.

E. Nobel Prize for Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution.

“Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution worths ten Nobel Prizes”, said Queen Elizabeth of England.

My 1980 invention which can return youth, mentioned above, was called “Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution” by Washington; now widely called Youth Medicine, as I was told. It can also cure some sicknesses, e.g. alcoholism.

Starting in late 1980 or early 1981, chiefs and most valuable persons of many nations received treatments with the invention. All got miracle returns to their youth.

I also made other very important contributions — some of them are most important. To them I have not yet heard proposals to recognize me. Among them are the followings:

A. My contributions to overcome the nation’s “no men crisis”. During the period of several years immediately before 1982, the nation also had very acute “no men crisis”. Mr. Walter Mondale and Mr. Ronald Reagan once said independently to the effect: “I am unable to recommend a good soldier, not to say a George Washington.”

In 1982, Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution already returned to youth many most valuable persons of the nation. Among them, “44-years-old young George Washington” who has since then made many important contributions — a couple of them are supremely important. I expect that Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution returned to youth many more since 1982, and still many more in the future. And it can also give the nation many good men through curing alcoholism and some other sicknesses.

Three thousand and seventy good men from volunteered veterans. I suggested volunteered veterans as probable source for good men. Mr. George Marshall approved the suggestion without hesitation at all. From November 11 to December 10 in 1982, the “44-years-old young George Washington” and his “23-years-old younger sister” worked hard until 11 pm or later for the thirty o consecutive days. — 7 nights until 1, and 3 or 4 nights until 12. And they succeeded to find 3,070 good men. To keep them company, I stayed up every night until the same time. As I was informed , two “Supremes” also kept them company.

B. My several contributions to eliminate undesirable characters.

Among them are the following two that were already made widely known by Washington and were already mentioned above: (a) My Money Divided method, a “very important invention in the field of solving crimes”. And (b) My idea, having speedily solved a difficult, important, Livermore case.

C. My help to free all students of Philippine universities from threats of knife or gun.

August, 1986, United Nations. President of General Assembly reported: “Through Dr. PYC’s help, all students of Philippine universities became free of threats from knife or gun on this August 3rd. United Nations verified this.”

The General Assembly gave me applauses. Then they voted to give applause to our nation and send the nation a congratulation telegram.

(Please refer to Appendix I for United Nations’ public statements prior to the above actions.)

So far, no reward to me has been proposed at my initiative yet. As one with love, not to say the deepest love, for our nation, I certainly always like whatever our nation rewards me will fully encourage best services to our nation, and will fully brighten images of our nation and our government or society. Thus, I prefer to have our government or society speedily take initiatives to adequately reward my many great contributions. And, for a very long time I have been longing for seeing myself recognized.

I sincerely share the opinion that delay the rewards to me one day will demage the nation further.

And I sincerely share the following opinion also:

The proposed rewards to me, described above and listed together below, are absolutely necessary:
My monument near George Washington Monument,
My statue in front of U. S. Treasury Department,
My statue in front of The Pentagon,
Permanent life to me,
My portrait on U. S. one-dollar bills,
A major U. S. city renamed as PYC,
Adequate economic and financial awards,
Nobel Prize for gasoline contributions, and
Nobel Prize for Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution.

But, additional awards to me are needed to fully recognize all my contributions.

It was in early December 1985 that I, my son and my daughter all received indication: each of us can find some one to marry only in Far East. I decided to go there myself immediately. I knew that I might get killed in the trip.

From March 21 to August 19, I was in Hongkong, then Singapore, then Manila and then Taiwan. I risked my life several times. But I did succeed to contact a few friends, and some concerned authorities of practically all universities and some high schools. Besides, I made our marriage intentions known directly to youngsters.

Since then, I have been looking forward with greatest anxiety every day to hear about our prospective spouse candidates.

Dear Most Honorable Absolute Rulers, please use your good offices to have our authorities tell people over there to contact me immediately.

We shall immediately need houses to accomodate us. And I shall immediately need money to have us live at standards not tarnish image of our nation. I wish to have a parcel of firm land of at least one hundred acres to build our homes, in Oakland-Sacramento area, preferrably a couple of miles from the bay or the river.

My son ought to be immediately free from the “Dangerous, Lowest Tramp, she cannot qualify for a tramp, because she is a lowest tramp”. The time to remove the suppression of my daughter’s growing taller seems now, so the resumed growth can be completed before the wedding. — She is to grow up to 5’6″ or 5’6.5″, with the height increase mostly on her legs. (Please refer to Appendix J.)

It seems that each of us, as outstanding citizen, ought to look good and normal to dignify our nation. Regretfully, several changes were made on our bodies. These changes were reversibly produced, and I wish to appeal here once again for their immediate, complete eliminations, and they must be permanently eliminated without relapse. Among our body changes, my son’s eyes even looked scary about ten months ago. I now look no longer handsome but ugly, and much older than my age.

And I wish to appeal for your most precious attentions to my September 26, 1984 letter to Most Honorable George Washington for further information on our body demages and on relieving our sufferings.

One severe suffering of me and my two beloved children I wish to point out here: They both love me deeply, but unable to behave and act even as my children for several years already; and since early 1986, they have been at times even against their conscience and truth to hurt me.

I wish to appeal here once again for immediately relieving all our sufferings.

Here once again, I wish to appeal: Justice should be rendered without further delay to me, my both children, our future families and my former wife NT who divorced me in December 1979; and the treatment of my case ought to be made public.

And I wish to appeal, in particular, for having in very good hand the machine controlling electronic devices inside head and other parts of my body. By “very good hand” I mean best patriot and best person. (In this connection, I feel compelled to share the following with my beloved nation: Under temptation of money, even some of those, who volunteered to die to save their nation, reveal their bad character such as ingratitude.)

Seeking precious, your immediate attentions, I am submitting this letter at four addresses: (1) Mount Vernon, Virginia, (2) c/o the Pentagon; (3) c/o U.S. House Speaker and (4) c/o the next U.S. President-elect.

The present letter supersedes my above-said previous letter, addressed to Most Honorable George Washington, for their differences.

If I could have your kind permission, I wish to have this letter in permanent record.

My deepest gratitude to you for your most precious attentions and effort.

Most respectfully,
[signed]
PYC, Ph. D.
Citizen of United States of America.

Enclosures: ten appendixes

Appendix A. High praises won by Dr. PYC in 1976, his son JS (also known as Jason) in 1980 and his daughter MR (also known as Myra) at Hongkong in 1972.

In 1976, the followings were said of Dr. PYC:
Soviet Union said: “It amounts to our Lenin, he is our Lenin.”
Mr. Fiedel Castro said: “I admire him.”
Chairman 毛澤東 of China said in Chinese: “Dr. PYC is the most outstanding Chinese in the whole world. I already said this twice before, and said once again today. In view of what Soviet Union and outstanding Comrade Mr. Castro have just said, I am unable to say anything else at this moment. 毛澤東 represents People’s Republic of China, also represents Chinese people, words ought to come from 澤東’s mouth, but 澤東 unable to say more at this moment.”
Washington said: “I am Washington. I never dream any one can be this outstanding. Now, I am going to lead this audience to pay tribute to this most outstanding man: we shall give him three-minute applause, and then stand-at-attention for five minutes.”
Carniegie Lady said: “I am known as Carniegie Lady. I shall lead audience on this side of curtain to pay tribute in the same way to this most outstanding man: we shall give him three-minute applause and then stand-at-attention for five minutes. You will hear our applauses, but you won’t be able to see our faces.”
Former President Harry Truman said: “Dr. PYC is the best person in the history of mankind. I read very widely. I seconded this opinion on Dr. PYC once before, today I add the sentence ‘I read very widely’.”
In April 1980,
Washington said of Dr. PYC’s son: “He did not fail his father” and “His answer is precise”. And
Dr. Francis Crick of England asked his Queen Elizabeth: “You said at Hong Kong to Dr. C’s daughter Myra ‘You are truly your father’s daughter’. With your permission, I would like to say ‘This boy is truly his father’s son’.” (THE END) [back]

Appendix B. Children from Dr. PYC, his son and his daughter must not have Jewish blood.

Washington high authorities made known at Berkeley, California around 1978 the followings:
(a) About 0.5 million children of families of former U. S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were married to Jews. All the children they produced from the marriages were very different from the Adams.
(b) Best U. S. Jewish scientist (geneticist) Prof. Cyprus Levinthal said to the effect: “I would agree in that it is not a good idea for Dr. PYC and his children to marry Jews.” And
(c) Best U. S. Jewish biologist Prof. Robert L. Sinsheimer said essentially the same as what Prof. Levinthal said, but added: “I would immediately concede to Dr. PYC’s gene. But only to Dr. PYC’s gene, not any other gene, not even George Washington’s gene.”

Appendix C. Statements in late 1981 on delaying marriage of Dr. PYC’s daughter MR.

Dr. PYC emphatically appealed verbally: “I cannot continue to tolerate any wasting of my daughter’s golden year to get married, I cannot tolerate such wasting in the future, I demand to have such individuals dead, I want to see blood coming out of the bodies of the master-mind, the accomplices and all the way down to the pawns.”

Immediately afterwards, Queen Elizabeth of England said: “Queen Elizabeth of England and her husband Philip would like to request the same for their beloved son, known in this country as English Charles.”

And then immediately, a man’s voice said: “George Washington And Family immediately concurred.”

(Dr. PYC was given the following understandings: Queen Elizabeth helped him the phrase “all the way down to ” used in his above-said appeal. The term “George Washington And Family” represents entire body of Absolute Rulers of the United States.) (THE END) [back]

Appendix D. Brutal suffering of Dr. PYC’s son, Dr. JSC, by stuck to a dangerous, old Jewish tramp.

Dr. JSC is an outstanding U. S. citizen, having demonstrated most outstanding sentiment of patriotism already, he is a medical doctor with rare physics talent and also other aspects of outstanding abilities. Unfortunately, he is now still stuck to a dangerous, old Filipino Jewish woman, a “Dangerous, Lowest Tramp, she can not qualify for a tramp. because she is a lowest tramp” (the way the Absolute Rulers call her). She already had several husbands in her life. Among them, Opium Outlaw Chinese Ho. “She can kill.” To Dr. PYC she does not have any woman appeal at all. In addition, she is old enough to be Dr. JSC’s mother.

Stuck to her is obviously a severe suffer and also very degrading to an outstanding U. S. citizen like Dr. JSC. The very unfortunate situation is, of course, also very degrading to our nation, our government and society, and also to Dr. PYC. (THE END) [back]

Appendix E. Statements at moments immediately after the United States was saved in April 1981,

Washington said: “Dr. PYC saved the nation at brink of death from no money and no gasoline and further advanced the nation more than ten ranks; he saved the nation, while no one else could.”
George Marshall said: “Dr. PYC is the most outstanding American, even our George has to concede to this if he were living today, even our national father George Washington has to concede to this if he were living today.”
Washington also said: “To fully encourage best efforts of citizens, Dr. PYC ought to be recognized with a statue each in front of U. S. Treasury Department and The Pentagon in addition to a monument near George Washington Monument. A Freedom Award won’t be adequate.”
Queen Elizabeth of England said: “Dr. PYC’s gasoline contributions worth more than one hundred Nobel Prizes.” Sweden replied to the United States: “Queen and her husband Philip together know more about Nobel Prize than any Swedish.” (THE END) [back]

Appendix F. Test on why other nations did not make the ocean drilling of gasoline in Pacific Ocean the United States did.

The test was given to a most distinguished U. S. party including several Presidents of the United States, and was reported wish Special Microbroadcasts within Dr. PYC’s hearing several times during the week of May 1st, 1985.

Question 1: “Why did Soviet Union not make the ocean drilling of gasoline in Pacific Ocean the United States did? …..”
Answer: “Because Soviet Union did not have Dr. PYC.”
Question 2: “Why did France not make the ocean drilling of gasoline in Pacific Ocean the United States did? …..”
Answer: “Because France did not have Dr. PYC.”
Question 3: “Why did England not make the ocean drilling of gasoline in Pacific Ocean the United States did? …..”
Answer: “Because England did not have Dr. PYC.” (THE END) [back]

Appendix G. Dr. PYC’s invention of Money Divided method.

End of September, 1972. On the next day after his arrival at Hongkong, his daughter (age 12) told him that she just began her bosom development and just had an illness with fever of 103º. Because the temperature is characteristic of Mongolian Fever which sterilizes the patient, he instantly dashed out of the bedroom, and hysterically shouted loudly to the open. — urgently appealed to his government. What he shouted was “銭分開” in Amoy dialect. The phrase of three Chinese words means “money divided”.

Washington kindly informed him in 1986: Money Divided method is his very important invention in field of solving crimes. The method was not known before to U. S., England, France or any other nation. Dr. William F. Harrington wondered why Dr. Albert Einstein did not invent this method during his ten years of helping Washington solved three most difficult cases.” (THE END) [back]

Appendix H. Washington’s test of top-most U. S. medical brains for Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution.

In late 1980, Dr. PYC alone made an invention to return youth, it can also cure some other sicknesses, e.g. alcoholism. Washington called the invention “Dr. PYC’s Medical Contribution”; now widely called Youth Medicine, as he was told.

Immediately after the invention, Washington tested all top-most medical brains of the nation. After first exposure of the invention, no one recognized the medicine.

Dr. Max Theiler alone recognized the medicine after second exposure. Surgeon General of National Institutes and Healths and President Knowles of Massachusetts General Hospital both recognized the medicine after third exposure. No other medical brain did. (THE END) [back]

Ray Downs was headmaster at ASIJ during my years there, and the one who signed my parents’ contracts to work at the school. He was the sort of administrator who had done his long years of teaching, making him deeply aware of the needs of students and faculty and willing to consider them before the needs of the private school as a business venture.

Mr. Downs (as well as his wife Lavinia, the school’s head librarian) had an encyclopedic memory of the students who had made their way through the Naka Meguro and Chofu campuses over the decades. More than a decade ago I mentioned that I had gotten a job at Japan Echo, and they instantly asked whether Suzanne Trumbull (an early 1960s ASIJ grad) was still there. Some info on this couple and the role they played at the school is on the ASIJ website.

Reposting a letter from one of his children, since it’s easier to point people to the info here than to forward it to everyone:

To my dear ASIJ friends,

It is with both sadness and relief that I pass on the news that our father, Ray F. Downs, died peacefully on March 27th, Friday. Since his brain tumor diagnosis in May 1997, Dad led a remarkable life, largely due to the untiring efforts and determination of our mother, Vicky. Following their move to Seattle in 1999, Dad’s strength and cognitive abilities improved sufficiently for him to live a fairly full life including taking adult education classes (which he loved – particularly music), walking, birding and even traveling to Japan, China, Mexico and Belize. By all accounts, it is almost miraculous that he was able to do so much and for so long following such a serious brain injury. While he never recovered fully to the point of being the “old” energetic, intelligent Dad we love and miss so dearly, his thoughtful, loving personality was clearly in evidence throughout the remainder of his life. He is and will be greatly missed.

I deeply regret that his four grand daughters (Sophie age 11, CC age 8, Rachel age 6 and Becca age 1) will have never known the Dad who epitomized so many wonderful virtues including humor, intelligence, compassion, and commitment, but as I said to Dad so many times in his final days, we will do all we can to ensure that they grow up knowing what a remarkable man he was. Hopefully, he can go on to inspire them as he inspired his own children and so many others.

We are planning a service in Seattle in late April. Details will be forthcoming and I will gladly pass them on to any who are interested and might be able to attend. Participation by all who knew and loved Dad would be most welcome.

This brings much love to you from all of us,

Constie

Rest in peace, Mr. Downs.

More than that, though, I was tired of never being able to log in. This hosting company isn’t the best I could have chosen. Time to look into new digs for durf.org, I think.

Work remains busy. Baby remains adorable. Last night I had a quick drink or three with Jed the brave JAT webperson. He showed me his MacBook Air and the translation software he’s working on: langwidget. (LangWidget? He studiously avoids the shift key on that site so it’s hard to tell.) Looked very slick—it works in a browser and lets translators share their translation units (pairs of words or phrases for source and target languages) with the other folks using the software, using the Internet and data clouds and magic and so on. Not exactly the sort of product I could put to good use in my unpredictable, nonrepetitive work, but for many kinds of translation these tools are indeed helpful and his may one day be a nice, platform-agnostic addition to their number.

Click the pic for photos with captions in Japanese. This was the first time I used iWeb to actually publish anything online, so it was like an adventure! to the land where tightly coded websites are extinct. But no matter. Anyway, I was dressed as Saitô Yûki, the “handkerchief prince,” a high school baseball pitcher who won fans in this year’s national tournament for his ridiculously long-lasting arm and his little towel he used to wipe his face instead of his sleeve. My wife went as a baseball.

(Now with all improved, not so monstrously large image of book cover.)

Matt Staples posing with Daniel Fish’s little tyke, Jordan Lee da Silva Fish. I’m not sure where “Naked Noodle” is located but I’m guessing it doesn’t involve lots of Japan-style hot ramen slurping. The soup splashback could get painful.

. . . when you’re wandering around Flickr looking at stuff. Hi James!

A and the Js played a show in San Francisco recently. The non-Peter Durfees all attended. Here they be:

Durf,
You need to spice up your blog.
I read it every other day.
Maybe you can mention me in it sometime?
sb#21

You got it, baby! “Steve Boyd.” The following post is a reprint of something from this old page, and it’s all for you.

OKUTAMA FESTIVAL!

In summers past the Bochi crowd would take weekends off, fleeing western Tokyo for evern more western parts of Tokyo. Okutama! We would head up the hill to the six-lane and hit that rental shop for tents and camping mats. It was too warm to need many sleeping bags, but we took some along all the same because of the rocks. The damn rocks.

We would head up on the train–Tama Bochi Mae to Musashi Sakai to Tachikawa to Ome to Okutama. End of the line, near the tallest peak in Tokyo Prefecture, Kumotoriyama. It’s a pleasant place to spend time, and many people do just that, and by the time we got there all the good camping spots were generally taken, and we would head closer to the river bank, with the big rocks. The ones that went right under our tents.

The river runs cold and clear there, except when heavy rains hit the area, sweeping mud and silt off the hills and into the river. You see the results in the pictures. One result you don’t see is the river rising, affecting–who else?–the idiots camped on the banks. Every time we headed up there a typhoon would hit, and up would come the river level. The loudspeakers would broadcast their message of doom: “Get off of the river bank now!” (Scary sidenote: a few years ago some people didn’t, and when the dam gates were opened the water rushed down and washed most of them away.)

Four fine fotos above. (1) The crew in a lull in the rain. Me, Misa, Duke, Boyd, Beach, Sherry, Glas, and Jen. Beach is no longer with us. Jen should not have been with us at that point (but Glas insisted). And Boyd should not have been in that hat. (2) Cooling our heels, part one. Crap, now I’m in the hat. Glaser could lift a smaller one. Boyd is wondering what to do with his noodles. (3) Boyd figures out what to do with the yakisoba. Beach is less than thrilled, but the other three of us are! (4) We took a walk up the road and found a karaoke club. A fat man grilled meat on the barbecue on the balcony overlooking a branch of the river. We talked with him and his friends, drinking beer they offered us, and when we realized Boyd was gone we looked for him and found him in the bar–singing his little heart out. “New York, New York.” His desire to entertain never dried up, and it has earned him an Emmy, by the way . . .

Not that Boyd is a Bochi. He never spent his night on Perv Mountain. But since I am a good guy I include him on this page anyway.