I hit the road by way of Fort Bragg to load up my last customer’s possessions before I head east. I tune into my treasured KPFA, as has become my essential strengthening tradition when leaving California, getting my last infusion of KPFA as I leave the Bay.
It’s the rappsters half-hour, not normally my ‘go-to’ choice for music. White folks often think they are the ones that possess the anti-war political songs: I hear white people talking about how it was the white folk music genre that produced the anti-war songs during the Viet Nam era, as it is today: wrong again.
They should have been tuned in today – these rap artists are SO anti-war and political. I recall hearing a song on this same program shortly after 9/11 that was banned from the airwaves, written and sung by a group of leading rap artists – a song that moved me deeply as it fiercely spelled out those connections driving our country to war that most whites were refusing to see let alone acknowledge.
Rap is my fave genre – not – but it was great listening to both the music and the commentary, a perfect send-off for my drive up the coast and across the country. It takes me quite a long time to traverse the hilly roads and make it to Fort Bragg but much to my delight, I stumble across a bio-diesel station in Hopland as I go – yeah!!!! I get to fill up again with biodiesel.
Before I started off I was worried people might not be able to read everything on the back of my truck – my newest missive! Yet up until I leave Fort Bragg, I get 39 yeahs to 3 thumbs down. I’m thinking I’ll make it outta California without one ‘fuck you’ when heading down 5 right outside Sacramento, a larger, new pick-up truck with that relentless white fellow drives by giving me the finger! Oh well, that was the only one passing thru the beautiful Sierra Nevada, after loading the truck and being on the road for hours and hours.
