Choogle On with Uncle Weed

Audio diary recorded on my 55th birthday in Kurohime, Nagano (for the record: born in Saskatoon Saskatchewan but left 10 days later and on the go ever since)

Importantly, this is my soliloquy as a sign post of another checkpoint, with a bit of ukulele of course, expressing my gratitude for friends who stuck with me along the way, expressing a few sentiments about this year (broke so hard, fixed in ways I couldn’t imagine, tidied many life administration things up, built some large things or effectuated the building anyway) and riff about my slightly curbed ambitions yet still so many things to do, I have schemes & list of course (zines & books and songs)

Expressing gratitude and gentle apologies for: UW55: friendly birthday greetz for “double nickels on the dime” – Choogle On #127 (18:43, 28MB, stereo, mp3)

Plus sincere request for understanding and acceptance, maybe even apologies to anyone that I might have slighted, not shown up for, ran my mouth when trying to be cool or figure myself out, and otherwise not at my best. I’m trying, always 

Finally, as an aside a spontaneous expression about this situation where I’m having really vivid dreams about sliding doors, parallel lives and a cognitive déjà vu… There’s a large vocabulary about the phenomenon or circumstance but I’m still sort of piecing it together as I love my life as it is, I’m so happy to be where I made it yet haunted by these various iterations 

Do you have insight into this? More of a vocabulary? A way to frame this as a different mind model or something something? Sure, tell me about that if you like

Anyway, I’m truly shocked you’ve read (or listened) cause it’s just me putting what should be in a diary and possibly private but that’s no fun and the heroes I look towards are the writers and artists who have found their true vocation by floating their deepest sentiments out to the world to spark others treading through this human existence by chronicling their own existence in a manner of speaking, choosing words and forms thoughtfully, tripping over roots, sitting on benches and seeking just the right implement.

Oh right, this has a special surprise at the end the video doesn’t. Not hint: Atlantic City snippet

Fondly, dvo 

Birthday: 8/16 = 55

Originally released as a “slide show” video: 8:16 long, patched together with a buncha photos, mostly around my birthday week but a few others in there to “make weight” and a couple of Easter eggs (keep your eyes out)… 

Lots of peace signs, coffee cups, great hats, and cornball poses plus of course my darlings sneak in here along with a few powerful character characters met-up on this recent ramble

find video at youtube/uncleweed or UW55 friendly birthday greetings – double nickels on the dime

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Chauffeuring admirals to revitalizing mountain villages with drum circles, counter-culture festivals with hemp history and poetic vibes — hitchhiking and hospitals in between — the Hermit Wizard of Nagano riffs stories from a unique half-century (so far)

[Oops a little editing problem with this pod, some of the audio drops out right after the intro, don’t worry all you eager folk, I’ll get it fixed]

With campstove espressos in hand, cicadas in the mix, microphones tumbling down, way down a road that doesn’t appear on maps, i riff a epic catch-up with “Hermit Wizard” Steve — Navy sonar man turned mountain settler — ensconced in his Nagano valley after fifty-plus years in Japan which includes (at least) thirteen roofs, a few goats, a stash of bottled snakes, big car drives with Admirals and beach beers with Emperor’s bodyguards.

Dude lays it out: from Vietnam gun-lines to off-base life in the loooong-gone 70s, MARS-grams on teletype, to a diner where a lady grabbed his heart, riding out the “bubble” as far from Ginza as ya can get, rebuilding an abandoned hamlet one bath and kitchen at a time before “akiya” was a hashtag. Stories wind through Black Ship festivals, Miasa’s hemp fields, and poetry nights where Gary Snyder read and Nanao Sakaki translated (and who he later picked up on the road with thumb out) by way of counter-culture festivals with tipis and drum circles, Matsumoto craft fairs, chasing snakes, wrangling dogs and foraging for mountain vegetables and mushrooms in a Buddhist-Brigadoon which technically doesn’t exist. Through it all, remember “don’t believe everything you hear”.

Mountain air and fifty years at human pace when all you want is to be left along to read a book or pick at a guitar.

Bring a lighter for: Hermit Wizard’s 50+ years in Japan – Choogle On #126 (.mp3, stereo, 98MB, 1:06:41)

From the archive: Japanese Mountain Satori Time – Choogle On! #48

More Nagano and Steve in Cannabis Culture & Journal of Internation Hemp Assoc magazines, elsewhere in this archive

And a song “Sam Stone” for Steve when laid-up in infirmary:

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Beginning with a static-y 1996 AM radio interview during a power outage on the island of Guam Micronesia, then checking in from a goat farm in Japan decades later, then again from tiny isle in Indonesia, Uncle Weed weaves hempen stories and personal anecdotes about life on this remote USA “territory” including: selling hemp bags at Jeff’s Pirate Cove, advocating for legalization of cannabis in all forms, weird jobs (and quitting same), and current situation as Grassroots activists seek to fulfil will of voters for medical and recreational uses.

Ensure you have batteries for: Deep Cuts of Weed in Guam – Choogle On! #125 (.mp3, 192k stereo, 97MB, 1:10:33)

Notes:

Namechecks include:

Jobs at: SS Neptune, JFK High School, Star Sand Private Beach Club and Uncle Weed’s HempenWare

Anecdotes about cannabis use in: BC, Netherlands, Japan, Palau, and Federation States of Micronesia/Saipan (or is that Commonwealth of…), cloth from China and Hungary

Plus call-in question by: my Mom, Lauralee Elliottt (RiP)

Snippets of music from: Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Bad Religion, Black Crowes, Talking Heads

Original music by boat captain Chris Jacobsen (Spilt Milk Music) and a story about Shabba Ranks and greetz from Black Ras in Westmoreland, Jamaica… and bespoke outro music by Bex (Lonesome Lost Traveler).

Thanks to John Bollwitt (audio tuning), David White (photo collage) and mysterious Japanese surfer girl 

Bonus photos: 

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From SXSW 2008 – amidst sirens and Austin, Texas 6th St. street noise – comes an interview with filmmaker Erich Weiss premièring “Hori Smoku, Sailor Jerry” about the originator of contemporary tattoo-ing – and iconoclastic libertarian American – Norman Collins who combined Japanese technique, Polynesian traditions, and American motifs in Hawaii during WW2.

The interview delves into the the “screwed, boozed (blued), and  tattooed” wild culture as a million sailors and soldiers descended upon the idyllic islands (especially Hotel Street), plus Mr. Collins’ complex life, the artistic lineage of Sailor Jerry, rivalries and legacies of various tattoo artists/legends, mentorships of Don Ed Hardy and others, and the remarks about “fad” tattooing and (lack of) regret. 

https://archive.org/download/choogleon-124-tattoo-culture-sailor-jerry/choogleon-124-tattoo-culture-sailor-jerry.mp3

Might hurt a bit: Sailor Jerry Tattoo Culture – Choogle On with Uncle Weed #124 (.mp3, stereo, 30MB, 14:44)

View the film (c/o Sailor Jerry Rum et al) at: + Sailor Jerry brand Youtube (via Sailor Jerry blog) + title art sequence on Vimeo / R. Kyle Shoup + IMdb for Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry: The Life of Norman K. Collins (2008) + Buy on Hori Smoku on Amazon

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On a forgotten forest walk, Dave riffs a story about first trip to Europe – starting with trying not to puke over an Amsterdam bridge after a meeting new temporary coffee shop pals – with flashback to Mexican desert trips with Grandpa, LSD trips with VW bus-fixing pals, and family Grateful Dead road trip to in Arizona.

Foreshadows future stories of an rapid exit from London to Florida then a (rather dangerous) driveway car to Dallas, bus to SLC, flight to Vancouver, then to Japan…

https://archive.org/download/postcards-73-eyes-towards-europe/postcards-73-eyes-towards-europe.mp3

Stuff your rucksack for: Eyes Towards Europe – Postcard #73 (54MB, 37:18, mp3, stereo)

Features music by Grateful Dead in Phoenix, Arizona, March 6, 1994, (Desert Sky Pavilion) playing “Eyes of the World” and “When I Paint my Masterpiece” via Archive.org, (taped by Mike Darby, transferred by Keo).

photo by DaveO

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High in Jamaica, Uncle Weed visits Black Ras’ abundant mountain growfield to discuss “swamp weed” grown in morass versus “hard land weed” grown in volcanic soil with bat guano, plus varieties of ganja strains – both domestic and imported. Plus background about his family teaching him the ways of growing most anything and living an Ital lifestyle.

https://archive.org/download/HumbleBoysHardLandWeed-ChoogleOnWithUncleWeed123/choogle-on-123-humble-boys-hard-land-weed.mp3

Head to the hills for: Humble Boys Hard Land Weed – Choogle On with Uncle Weed #123  (.mp3, stereo, 30MB, 14:44)

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In-depth discussion with rock art photographer bev. davies including: hippie days with Neil Young and Joan Anderson (Joni Mitchell), shooting punk pioneers DOA and Subhumans, Motörhead in a park, David Bowie in a stadium, Brian Jonestown Massacre flipping off crowd and so many more.  Also stories from backstage with Iron Maiden and Twisted Sister, Nardwuar collaborations, Duran Duran posing at soundcheck, and remarks about various Vancouver venues.

Plus insights about role of photographer as artist, conundrums of accreditation and access, reasons for a long hiatus, crafting the perfect shot, shoes versus sneakers, origins of calendars and exhibits, and plans for a book. Recorded August 2010 in Strathcona, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

https://archive.org/download/PunkArtPhotogBev.Davies-ChoogleOn122/Punk%20Art%20Photog%20_%20bev.%20davies%20%E2%80%93%20Choogle%20On%20%23122.mp3

Load your film for: Punk Art Photog / bev. davies – Choogle On #122 – (59:35, .mp3, 85MB)

bev. on internets: Twitter, Flickr (since Sept. 2005) “Return to the Scene of the Crime” – bev. davies’  photo exhibit at Smilin’ Buddha Café (DaveO video) Building A Scene – Rock & Roll Photography – panel w/ bev. davies & Kris Krüg (DaveO preso  at Northern Voice 2009 / Video + re-cap)

Bev Davies’ 144 Punk Rock Photos 1979-1984 at Gem Gallery, Jan. 5, 2007 (DaveO photo gallery)

Forgotten Vancouver Stories – comments and anecdotes by bev. (DaveO preso at  Northern Voice, 2013) The black-and-white world of photographer Bev Davies – Article by Tom Hawthorn (March 7, 2012) w/ photos of Joan Jett, James Brown, U2 etc.

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Embarking on meandering natural healing journey around Asia, Indian sub-continent, Arabia, Mediterranean, across Canada, US rocky mountain canyons, and to Grateful Dead anniversary shows while emerging from a fog after chronic and complex illness diagnosis resulting in lost years due to prescription meds. 

https://daveostory.com/wp-content/uploads/Field-Notes-from-Elsewhere-Choogle-On-121.mp3

Hit the golden road for: Field Notes from Elsewhere – Choogle On! #121 (160k .mp3, 105MB, 1:03:20)

Now, rebuilding after period of de-identification, I’m sharing stories into the world again – plus riffs about upcoming dispatches, other audio/video projects, annoyance about former prosecutors / cops / “carpetbaggers” getting into nascent legal cannabis industry… and hence, the importance of recognizing hemp pioneers.

Background soundscapes from a balcony in Istanbul, trail in Nepal, cafe in Rome, Whiskey Hickon Boys (from Utah) in Chicago and others in Grateful Dead lot + Lazarus by The Black Tories.

And i misspoke saying “Desolation Row” when i obviously meant “When i Paint my Masterpiece” – drrr

HempenRoad – 1996/7 documentary about commercial industrial hemp with activists (including recently departed Dennis Peron), scientists and entrepreneurs

Practical Guide to Cannabis – guide for policy makers made with Hemp Ed in WA state circa 1997

Postcards from Gravelly Beach – spoken word literature/poetry pod series exploring beats writers like Kerouac, Snyder, Ginsberg et al who were nascent cannabis enthusiasts

NOTE: All Choogle On! back-episodes are (back) online and archived thanks to mysterious elves. Refresh your feeds, reports errors.

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With scant days to go, Uncle Weed reflects on expectations, better realized – plus shares affection for kind people, the important of finding authenticity and supporting local economy– all while embarking on final steps before leaving, including: visiting Mr. Lawrence, the lifeguard; packing up jerk spice and mango chutney; detailing the geometric woodwork in the Queen’s Cottage’s roof; plus mops up a few stories, chats about PM Michael Manley’s Canadian ties, and dives into the sea… before saying good-bye to the Jamaican people by celebrating optimism about the free island’s place in the world.

http://http://archive.org/download/TheWayHomeforeverWillISeeYouMoreChoogleOnJamaicaScheme10/TheWayHomeChoogleOnJamaicaScheme10.mp3

Last time for everything in The Way Home (Forever will i see you more) ~ Choogle On Jamaica Scheme #10 (.mp3, stereo, 128kbps, 28:18)

Music Snippets: Pressure Drop, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros Love Fever, Roy Rayon Bam Bam, Toots Hibbert Sun is Shining, Bob Marley and the Wailers

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