Today, I often wonder whatever happened to several of those old friends and fellow singers I knew in the 1950's. I'm referring to the ones that I now know were communists ... and there were several. I never thought they were a threat. Hell, they couldn't even tune their guitars! When I was a teenager, hanging around these folks and trying to steal (collect) their songs, some of the parents on the scene were died in the wool communists. I learned to spot them quickly: they were skinny, underfed, wore poor clothes, but they ALWAYS asked interesting and thought provoking questions. Some years ago, when I first encountered a tee shirt that said, "question authority", I wondered what communist had written that? The communists I met were like burrs under the saddle, always hungry and asking probing questions. This leads me to another whole subject, the JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY. This bunch was an obvious result of the McCarthy period. (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). It reflected the temper of the times. In 1960, I was hoodwinked into attending a JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY cell meeting. Once the meeting was underway, and I realized what I was in for, I tried to leave. Six thugs guarded the doors so no one could escape. I was told to sit down and shut up. I grabbed a folding metal chair and went for the thug blocking the door closest to me. He backed down. I left and six other guys were behind me. It was then that I knew that THESE folks, not the communists, were the threat. I still laugh when I remember that the purpose of that meeting was to organize the upcoming war games ... where we were to play Army and practice defending the summit of Snoqualimie Pass from the upcoming communist invasion. (being born in Yakima, Eastern Washington, I couldn't understand why the communists would want it in the first place). Enough for now. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson