Heh - got a couple decades on ya.. not that I believe my take on the local scene has any statistical validity, though I think I noticed the Berkeley and Bay area milieu pretty alertly..

As with your Moscow story - we're all creatures of the accidents of (WTF, it's a clear idea) 'peak experiences' - the ones that create permanent memory of the smells, sounds - virtually everything. So that night with the KGB and "actually helping a father!" must remain pretty vivid today (?).

Hardly comparable in adrenalin; by accident I met the Maharishi (Mahesh Yogi; also a physicist) in late '60s at lab. Being main honcho of the day, I got to stick next to him as we checked out our fancy machines. And actually looking him in the eyes from a couple feet away proved an 'odd' experience. I knew zippo about his gig, at the time (well - a few hints). But my impression became, after a half-hour of wandering about ~ "whatever this guy is, he isn't a phony.." (Meaning nothing re followers or their versions - then or later, of course). Anyway, that started for me an investigation of sorts, then other angles and self-experiments. Next throw in the RFK assassination (he Would have won) and...

So - we're such creatures. (Whenever someone tells me about their 'organizer' and how planned is their ascent up the corp. grey ladder to inanity yada yada - it is to laugh.) I deemed we were in for it when Nixon got back in power (after humiliation in CA gov. race in early '60s). I had a friend "hosed down" the city hall steps in SF - protesting a planned *HUAC "investigation" of local teachers, also early '60s. Began to actually pay attention to how Murican matters were manipulated ~ from those times.

* - We won! - chased the bastards outta town: that was the *last* scheduled HUAC witch hunt ever! Bill Mandel opening remarks, "Honorable beaters of children..". It was Glorious. This event began.. Murica's growth from political infancy. We almost reached adolescence.

Your explanation might be close - there were indeed some fine minds, undulled by the temptations to just play; there was dedication and a lot of it selfless - as we haven't seen around - til a week ago, IMhO. And there was lots of noise - a *rejection* of the dull, grey Eisenhower years, at last! And for some -- acid indeed opened minds; it wasn't meant for recreation, though always are the excessive around.

(A friend, Ian Underwood - went practically from a Mozart piano recital at Hertz Hall ---> to play with Frank Zappa! so I later got to meet the Mothers..) They were (I think all, then) prof. musicians - could transpose, play classical as well - and on a shrug from FZ, could do so in mid-selection. Not your kid players from a garage..

Accidents. Unexpected events. I'm grateful for some quite unMurican experiences - it isn't our style to question the daily 'reality' in this culture, or to turn off the noise.

I see today a hint of that 'danger + opportunity' of the RFK time; he was a rich kid who actually, finally Got it. We'll have to do with less, next. Might make it.. Believe we underestimate the brilliant few among us, via these stupid 'Xers' labels; here's a chance for some growing-up fast, to next occur.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be,

A.