[Kzyxtalk] Rainbird.

[Marco McClean]

Subject: Rainbird.

Here's the recording of last night's (2022-08-26) Memo of the Air: Good
Night Radio show on 107.7fm KNYO-LP Fort Bragg (CA):
https://tinyurl.com/KNYO-MOTA-0503

Thanks to Hank Sims for all kinds of tech help over the years, as well as
for his fine news site: https://LostCoastOutpost.com

Thanks to the Anderson Valley Advertiser, which provided well over an hour
of the above 8-hour show's most locally relevant material, as usual,
without asking for anything in return. Just $25 a year for full access to
all articles and features (TheAVA.com). And consider helping out KNYO. Go
here, find the big red heart, poke it and mull over the possibilities:
https://KNYO.org

The first part of this particular show is the responses to my asking for
recollections of Rainbird, who we all just found out died three weeks ago
of pneumonia. There are some later in the show, too, from when I checked my
email around midnight. Here's one of those, from Peter Lit:

"Sometimes in the '80's, she would show up at Caspar Inn for entertainment
that she was drawn to. We would go down to the sidewalk, pick up her chair,
carry it and her up the stairs and into the Inn. I never heard her complain
about the lack of a wheelchair ramp; in fact, I never heard her complain. I
did see her rocking out on the dancefloor, conscious and respectful of
others and I am grateful to learn some of her backstory. Her strength and
courage were inspiring, an example for us all."

Here's one from Tom Tetzlaff:

"Rainbird was awesome! She will really be missed. She was a wonderful
friend to me and helped me a lot. I will always be grateful to her for her
forthrightness, and mutual appreciation for an entire host of things. She
had a wonderful grasp of science. And what a gardener she was! She was
growing all kinds of flowers and food and her place looked fabulous. She
had a great eye for that.

"Then there was that time I was married to Rainbird. Yep. Well, not
officially or anything and only for about an hour. Here is that story.

"One day some years back Rainbird gave me a call. I could tell immediately
from the tone of her voice that something was wrong. That dude from China
had just showed up in Albion out of nowhere and was trying find her.
Rainbird wanted nothing to do with him. He somehow found out that Rainbird
lived in Albion and started snooping around downtown Albion asking people
where he could find her. Stalking her all the way from China apparently.
Yeah, that scores high on the creepy scale. If I remember right, someone
down at the store knew Rainbird and gave her a call. Rainbird wanted
nothing to do with that guy at all! He refused to take no for an answer,
continuing to pester everyone, so something different was going to have to
happen.

"Using colorful language that was a little out of character for Rainbird,
she told me that he is a full-on jackass and that relationship was long
done and over. She asked if I would come over and take her down to the
store, pretend to be her husband, and make it crystal clear to this guy
that he is not welcome around here.

"So that's what we did. I got there as soon as I could. We loaded up and
went down to that area next to the Post Office. Damn, she was pissed. I
mean, really pissed off at this guy.

"She wanted to get out of the truck and confront this guy face to face.
There was a serious exchange of words in Chinese. I do not know what was
said exactly. The emotion was raw and the message was being sent in clear
terms. One didn't have to speak Chinese to generally understand what she
was saying. I made a few hand gestures indicating that he should get the
fuck out of here and tossed in a "You go away!" and a couple other simple
phrases that I meant for him to understand. Our body language was plenty
good enough to make the point.

"A few more words were exchanged in Chinese and he finally relented. After
a final cool but direct exchange, Rainbird turned to me and said that we
were done. Let's go home. To the best of my knowledge, he never tried to
contact her again. Damn, she was so pissed off that day.

"Now I will listen to this song again, have another good cry, while
remembering the good times and what a wonderful woman and good friend
Rainbird was.

"Rest in loving peace, Rainbird!"

(And then Tom posted the lyrics of a song called Ripples, by Genesis.)

You can always email me your work on any subject and I'll read it on the
radio the upcoming Friday night. And at https://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com
you'll find a fresh batch of dozens of links to not necessarily
radio-useful but nonetheless worthwhile items I set aside for you while
gathering the show together. Such as:

Feelings. How articulate these perfectly ordinary boys in 1967 seem. And
how polite the other kids are, doing their schoolwork while all this is
going on. (via Everlasting Blort) (You might have to click the sound on.)
https://mobile.twitter.com/BBCArchive/status/1357380397047316487

Andre Antunes finally got around to metal-scoring the Why Are You Closed
guy. (I had forgotten about the teenage boys behind the man, making fun. At
first you're afraid he'll go off on /them/, but his brain can only process
one unconstitutional insult at a time. A guy like this, it's easy to
imagine he's this mad about something at least once a day. Imagine what
that must be like for him. His guts must be constantly in a knot. Imagine
what he smells like.)
https://www.fark.com/vidplayer/12525780

"So, whatta they call you. Wheels?" -Wolverine, on being introduced to
Professor X.
https://boingboing.net/2022/08/23/almost-everything-you-want-to-know-about-wheels-is-in-this-1966-explainer-movie.html

And insouciant expertise. (via TackyRaccoons)
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_rg85i9vcl31zzhrjm.mp4

-- 
Marco McClean, memo at mcn.org
https://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com
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