INTERVIEW — TAPE #51, SIDE #1
Q: Mark Russell Bell
N: unidentified medical group personnel
C: Shangri-La Cully
D: dermatologist
Q: (speaking into tape recorder) Mighael woke me up early today — (“YEAH”) I guess to read poems but it was just too cold and I have a cold. So I went back to rest. So I hope He’s not — (“I”) He understands. So now I’ve been able to reflect a little bit more on the movie “12 Monkeys” and I remember what I wanted to tell Marie but I forgot. It was that part where the psychiatrist talks about her profession as being the church leaders of her (“DEA”) day, deciding on who’s sane and who’s insane. (“AND”) By her encounter with the character played by Bruce Willis, she was losing her religion. (“AND”) Definitely, there are parallels between myself and the Bruce Willis character. Notice, how (“OF”) there are other characters in the film who tell him to go to Florida and he doesn’t listen to them. It’s like Gods plural question mark (“KKK”) are speaking to him through the subconscious minds of others and he isn’t listening to them, which is something that I’ve always tried to do. (“SO”) They probably had no choice but to bump him off at the end like that. Another failed ministry. So far so good for me — (“IF”) very tricky though because you don’t know when They’re speaking to you through the subconscious minds of others and when it’s just the other person saying something stupid. (“USUALLY”) So (“OOO”) it’s quite interesting. There is a love there, though. I guarantee that to you. You just can’t let the fear — (“OF”) what you don’t understand make you see the Godforce — (“SSS”) the amassing of Souls/Mighael as evil. You can’t project evil into Him. That doesn’t do anybody any good. The concrete way you can channel love to Him is by praying and by serving your fellow man and not doing the obviously wrong things such as hurting the ecology of the planet and ignoring people in need. Electric cars — (“IS” O[NE]”) one very good way of going. Anyway, I really don’t have very much time to talk this morning and who knows when I’ll be able to transcribe this, anyway? (“YEAH”) But I’m getting ready to go to the medical group and have my infected cyst removed.
( . . . )
Q: What did that lady say about the elevator?
N: It stopped.
Q: What’s wrong with it?
N: It won’t go up or down. It’s stuck.
Q: Do you know right after that happened, my tape recorder started making funny noises in my pocket. (“GET HELP”)
N: What does this mean?
Q: Poltergeist activity. (“FEET” “ANNUL”)
C: Mark?
Q: Yes.
C: Come. (“OKAY” “WE KNOW” “TEX”)
Q: Hi.
C: How are you, today?
Q: Very good. (“MARK”)
C: Good. I’m going to weigh you.
Q: What’s your name?
C: Shangri-La.
Q: Oh my goodness. I’ve never been to Shangri-La.
C: (laughs) Me neither. (laughs) (“OKAY”) Okay, that’s the bag. (“OH”)
Q: Oh yeah. Right. (“FAMOUS” “HURRY P”) I think someday we’ll all be in Shangri-La. (“AIR” “AIR . . .”)
C: One of these days I hope to get there.
Q: (small laugh) (“NO” “OH”)
C: 210.
Q: Okay. (“AUNT”) I’ll accept that.
C: Well, you look good. (“YEAH” “IMPORTANT”) Right here. (“P”)
Q: The last time it was funny. It wasn’t working when they were trying to take my blood pressure. So it will be very interesting today. (“I’LL TAKE”) Should I hold it under my tongue? (“BECAUSE SHE SAID” “SHE THOUGHT”) That was why it wasn’t working last time.
C: Let me see — unencumbered, we’re going to do this first. (“SHOULD I TAKE THIS OFF”)
Q: Take off my shirt?
C: Oh no, it’s fine. (“LET HIM” “I GE[T]” “I”)
Q: This weather — oh my goodness.
C: I know. One minute — from minute (“RA”) to minute you can never tell.
Q: Last night I went to see “12 Monkeys.”
C: Now I’m going to turn you — how was that?
Q: Scary.
C: It was? (“I MEAN”)
Q: It got a lot of bad reviews but for what it says, it’s very well done. (“AWWW”)
C: Awww, I’ll have to see it then. (“YEAH” “TURN THIS WAY”)
Q: It’s got some interesting points about alternate realities. (“AND”) Different forms of consciousness. (“DON’T TWICE” “SCARED”) Definitely, a New Age movie.
C: Mmmm.
Q: It’s my favorite of Terry Gilliam’s movies. (“ANY WITH A”)
C: Six! (“WOULD YOU”)
Q: Oh my God.
C: (laughs)
Q: But at least it worked. (“YEAH NEVER DONE FIND”) No, this was the one that wasn’t working. (“THIS IS THE ONE” “OKAY”)
C: Mmmm. (“OKAY” “LET’S SEE” “OKAY” “WHO ME” “LIKE HIM”) (pause) (“WHY DO YOU” “I” “WHAT HAVE YOU”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE MACHINE BEGINS BEEPING AND SHANGRI-LA REACTS.)Q: What’s wrong? 93.6?
C: That is — no.
Q: What?
C: The temperature.
Q: Is that impossible? (“BELIEVER”)
C: What’s wrong with you, Mark? I know you’re still (“I LOVE”) amongst the living, aren’t you? (“UH”) You’re awfully warm. (“ALL THE TIME”)
Q: I have an Angel. You know the elevator’s not working. (“FIRS[T]”)
C: It’s not?
Q: My tape recorder was making weird noises. And now this. Paranormal phenomena.
C: How would we try under your armpit real quick? (“NO”)
Q: (small laugh) You can ask — last time the same thing happened. (“IT’S — IT’S”)
C: Strange.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? (“IN”)
C: Yes, because we have a ghost at our house. (“RIGH[T]” “WHAT DOES YOUR”)
Q: What does your ghost do? What is his name?
C: I don’t name him. I don’t even talk to him. When he’s there, it’s fine. We had our house redone and it had been torn up about two months. And my husband couldn’t find his wedding ring — (“HE KEPT GOING”) “Where is my wedding ring?” So finally we didn’t worry about it anymore — “So we’ll just get a new one after we finish the house.” The carpet got put in, the walls got painted and everything so we put all the furniture back. I never mess with the answering machine but I put it on this little table. I sat it there. When I came home in the afternoon from work, I looked there and on top of the answering machine was my husband’s wedding ring sitting there. And I said, “Okay, maybe Don stuck it there (“JUST”) and I sat down — “Did you find your ring?” He said, “No.” And I said, “You know I found it in the most peculiar place.” (“HE SAYS WHERE”) I said, “On top of the answering machine.” He says, “I didn’t put it there.” I said, “I didn’t either.” So I’m like, “Okay” — (“THAT’S RIGHT”) yes, I see stuff (“RIGHT”) on the side of my eyeline. I turn around and look. Sometimes it annoys me and I get scared. (“NO DOG O[F] MINE”) I’m not going to worry about it because whatever it is, it can’t hurt me. (“WHAT’S YOUR”)
Q: What’s — Don’s your husband?
C: Uh-huh.
Q: And what’s your last name?
C: Cully.
Q: I wonder what that means.
C: Fool. In English.
Q: What? (“I FORGIVE YOU”)
C: Oh my goodness.
Q: That’s interesting. (“I’LL TAKE”)
C: Oh, I have a (“THE NURSE” “MY LIMB”) messed-up last name.
Q: (laughs)
C: That’s okay. Okay. (“WE’RE ALL”)
Q: We’re all fools. (“ARROW” “AND ISN[‘T]”) Mankind is — (“YOU KNOW”)
C: But his first name means prince of the universe —
Q: Oh really?
C: — and then here he follows that up with fool. (“META”)
Q: Don?
C: Donald. (“CAN’T FIND” “FIND KEY” “DIMES” “THAT’S THE ONE”)
Q: I’m having lunch with my friend, Donald, this week. (“I”)
C: He’s prince of the universe too.
Q: I’ll have to tell him. (“HE”) That’ll make him feel good. (“HAT” “I’M SORRY”)
C: So are you taking the Diprolene ointment now? Are you using it on your — (“NO”)
Q: Yes.
C: Daily or —
Q: Daily — now that’s the cream, right? Because he gave me two different ones.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I CONFUSED THE LOTION WITH THE OINTMENT. THE LATTER WAS DISPENSED IN TINY TUBES LABELED “PROFESSIONAL SAMPLE.”)
C: Yeah.
Q: And now I have a question because (“BELONG”) I wanted to ask him if I should put that on after I shower. (“BECAUSE I”) When I go to the gym I wonder if I sweat that all off?
C: You should put it on after you shower. (“YEAH” “NO” “AND THEY SAY”)
Q: They say twice a day but if you don’t shower, is once enough?
C: I’m going to — well — because after you shower you can put it on (“YEAH”) and then right before you go to bed at night you can put it on.
Q: I probably haven’t been doing it as faithfully as I should be doing it.
C: Okay. (“BUT”)
Q: I’ve been — (“JUST”) I’m working on a book (“TONIGHT”) about the supernatural. (“OOOHH”)
C: Oh really?
Q: Yes. Well, because I have this — (“ENTITY”)
C: That stuff is creepy though. (“CAUSE” “I”) I would — (“PRO[BABLY]” “THEY’RE BUILDING”)
C: — watch —
Q: If you project evil into it, that happens.
C: Yeah. Just one — the man who was sitting there and all of a sudden these scars appeared on his stomach or (“TWO WAYS”) scratched him.
Q: Was that “Seven”?
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I REMEMBERED SEEING AN ACADEMY AWARD CAMPAIGN AD FOR “SEVEN” IN VARIETY THAT LOOKED SOMETHING LIKE THAT.)
C: I don’t know what channel it was. I was, like, “Oh my God.” (“THUS”) See — mine didn’t do that. Every now and then I’d think I’d see it and then I just don’t even worry about it — like, “Well, if it’s there, it’s there and there’s nothing I can do about it.” I said, “Hey, as long as you don’t eat my food or anything like that (“OH”) you don’t have to worry about paying rent.”
Q: Oh, mine eats my food. (“A”)
C: Do they?
Q: Little bit. (“A LITTLE BIT”)
C: It’s just strange that I knew I put things down in this one (“YEAH”) particular place and then I go there and it’s not there.
Q: Oh yeah.
C: And then it bugs me for a long time. And then a couple days later (“BOO”) it will show up somewhere else and I’ll say, “I know I didn’t put it there.”
Q: But, see, this isn’t ghost phenomena, this is usually labeled poltergeist — or angel phenomena.
C: Well, I don’t know who it is. I just say, (“TRY SOME” “YOU’RE FINE” “HI” “I’M SOLD”) “Just leave my stuff alone, okay? When I put it down, I want it there.”
Q: If you have a Ouija board he can talk to you on it. (“DOING” “HMMPF”) ‘No, thank you?’ (“CHOICE” “RIGHT”)
C: That’s like, “You’re inviting things into your house.” (“MY MOMMY” “PLEASE”)
Q: His name is Mighael, (“WHY”) by the way.
C: Michael? (“UM-HUH”)
Q: That’s his name.
C: I wonder what happened to Michael, though?
Q: Michael who?
C: Michael — Michael.
Q: You know someone named Michael?
C: Yeah.
Q: Who?
C: I have a friend. (“UH-HUH” “O”) Except I haven’t talked to him in a long time, though. (“WHEN” “SHUT UP” “YEAH” “HERE KITTY” “NAME”)
Q: It’s interesting who you now — (“JUST”) I just mentioned the name (“I KNOW IT”) and you started going to another place. (“BB”)
C: I know. But I started thinking about him.
Q: Interesting.
C: I should call him.
Q: Um-huh. (“YES”)
C: I really should. (“TODAY”)
Q: Have you had any hang-ups? That’s another (“I’LL BE THERE”) poltergeist phenomena.
C: Yeah. In the middle of the night —
Q: Uh-oh.
C: — the phone rings and then I’m like, “Okay.” And then I get up and pick it up and, like, “Hello?” (“UM-HUH”) And then nobody’s there. I’m like, “Okay.” Because first I thought it was a crank call because (“IT WOULD” “MY TRA” “DELIVER” “BEATNIK” “HAVE IT”) I’m like — “I don’t know who it is (“I GET”) but I wish they would quit calling my house.” Then, I suddenly get my number changed and then it’s like, since I’m not there, that I’ll say, (“WANT”) “Go next door when I come home in the evening.” So I don’t — (“I DON’T GET THAT”)
Q: You’re having a lot of phenomena.
C: I don’t know what this is. (“YOU KNOW YOU CAN”) If something happens to my mother — well, she’s like, “I wish whoever it is would quit calling.” I said, “Mom, why does it just happen when you’re at home?”
Q: All my life I’ve had those calls and I’m just now realizing who it was — you know, after I realized. (“NO”) So now you know who it was. (“WHO IT IS” “NOW”)
C: I wonder what (“MY BOOK” “GHOS[T]” “THEY WASH”) they want. Why are they still here? (“YOU’LL BE”) They shouldn’t be here.
Q: After you read my book, you’ll understand.
C: Because I know I wouldn’t want to linger here. (“YEAH BUT LOOK AT THE MESS THE”)
Q: The mess the world’s in. There’s a good reason why they’re here. Actually, you should see that movie. (“YEAH”) “12 Monkeys.”
C: Really?
Q: It’ll explain a lot. (“DOUG” “[A]GAIN”)
C: Is it creepy or scary?
Q: I don’t know.
C: Because some things I have to watch like this. (“GRAY”) I don’t like — (“OKAY” “IF IT” “THAT WAS MY” ) “What happened?”
Q: It’s a big boxoffice hit. Number one for three weeks in a row. And it’s got Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
C: I like Brad Pitt.
Q: See? (“LIKE HIM”) Go. Trust me. You’ll have a good time. I hope.
C: Is there a book out? Maybe I can read the book first. (“MIGHAEL”)
Q: I don’t think so. No. It was based on another movie. (“RIGHT”) A French movie. (“LIKE”) But see it. (“I — I”) And then you won’t understand it all. (“YEAH”) And then after my book comes out, you can read my book and then you’ll understand it.
C: When is your book coming out? (“THAT’S A GOOD QUES”)
Q: Some time this year, I hope.
C: Okay. (“OH I”) I will remember.
Q: But call Him Mighael now. (“CAUSE THAT”) Because that’s probably your Entity’s name. Do I wait here?
C: Yeah. You can wait right here. (“OKAY” “I KNOW” “IT” “K”) Thank you, Mark.
Q: Thank you.
( . . . )
(“HI”)
D: Hi. How are you?
Q: Hi. Very good. That machine didn’t work. The one they put under your tongue.
D: What?
Q: That machine that they always check you with — (“AND THEY PUT”) hold under your tongue. And it had a 93.6 reading.
D: Oh. You’re a cool cat.
Q: What does that mean? I’m dead? (laughs) (“MEANS YOU”) What does that mean? Okay —
D: You’re right. It didn’t work. That’s what that means.
Q: It didn’t work last time either.
D: I see. (“THEY”) Marked it plain. (“YEAH”)
Q: So, anyway, —
D: Are we doing a cyst on you?
Q: Yeah. This right here. This on the neck. I don’t think I need a local anesthetic for that, do I?
D: Oh, yes, you do.
Q: Can I not have one, please?
D: No.
Q: Because I’m allergic to it. Because when I go to my optometrist and he puts a little on my eye (“I’VE — I”) I pass out.
D: What do you mean?
Q: I mean pass out.
D: When he does what? (“PUT”)
Q: Puts a — when he dilates my pupils (“WITH A LOCAL”) with an anesthetic.
D: That’s different. (“WH”)
Q: Every time I’ve had any kind of anesthetic —
D: How about when you go to the dentist? (“HE DOESN’T ANESTHETIC”)
Q: He doesn’t give me an anesthetic either.
D: Well, I’m not going to cut any skin —
Q: Really? (“OH”) Shit. (“AND”) And, plus, other people have told me not to. I don’t mind pain or anything. (“I MEAN IT JUST”) It just needs to be lanced, I think. Right? (“I MEAN I DON’T”) I don’t think it will be a problem.
D: Why don’t you lay down?
Q: Okay. And this one too. (“I WOULD LIKE YOU JUST HIT”) I think if you just make (“LIKE WE”) a little incision. Take it out and it’ll be fine.
D: I’m not going to do that. It makes it more difficult because also —
Q: Yeah.
D: There’s nothing here. (“LET US”)
Q: Little thing right here. (“I”) Is it gone? It was here last week, remember? (“THERE’S A LITTLE”) I can feel it inside there. (“WAS”)
D: Sit down.
Q: Okay. (“DO YOU NEED TO”) Should I take off my shirt?
D: In a minute.
Q: Okay. Before when I had an infected cyst, the dermatologist just lanced it and he didn’t inject anything.
D: Yeah, but you cut it out — you really need some anesthetic or you’ll be very uncomfortable. Plus, it bleeds more.
Q: Well, I don’t care about that. (“I MEAN”) I’ve had various problems like that over the years. (“BUT” “BUT”) Anyway, I even gone to my — (“I WENT TO” “LIKE MY”) a psychic told me not to have it done.
D: Not to worry?
Q: Have an anesthetic. (“YOU KNOW”) They said to go ahead and do this but not to have an anesthetic. Did you see the movie “12 Monkeys”?
D: No. (“OH”)
Q: Well — I mean I’m sure it will be fine if we don’t use any (“NO”) anesthetic. I’ve had this before. I had one the size of a golf ball right here (“YOU KNOW”) but he just lanced it. (“YOU KNOW” “ON THAT WAS”)
D: The thing is if we do that (“IT CAN”) it’ll just come back again.
Q: That’s okay. I don’t care. (“IT JUST”) I just need to relieve the pressure. It’s so uncomfortable.
D: Alright. Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.
Q: Okay.
D: How about if we use an anesthetic cream? (“GOOD ONE” “NN[O]”)
Q: No. My psychic said, “No anesthetics.” But I don’t mind pain.
(. . .)
Q: Okay. (“YEAH”)
D: If you want, we’ll just see about lancing it. (“O G” “Y NOW”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I THEN CALL HIS ATTENTION TO THE OTHER, SMALL CYST NEAR MY EAR.)
Q: Let me explain. These little things — (“I GET THEM”) they’re like bubbles under the skin. (“GO BY”) And sometimes they become inflamed.
C: Dr., these are the only ones I could find. (“K”)
Q: You know, they’re like bubbles under the skin. (“IS” “I”) Can you feel it? It’s right here.
D: It’s a little cyst.
Q: Yeah.
D: I’d leave it alone right now.
Q: Okay. But if it get big — then I do something about it? It is uncomfortable — (“IT DOES” “LIKE”) goes big and little.
D: We could cut it out but I’m not going to cut it out without any anesthetic.
Q: Really? Because it’s so little?
C: Yeah, but uh-uh. (“WHY NO”)
Q: What’ll it be like? Painful or bleeding? What are you worried about?
C: Painful. And your face is very sensitive. There are a lot of nerves and stuff there. (“NO”)
Q: I have these all the time. It’s just that when they become infected. You know — they — (“POP”)
C: Steroids don’t help the swelling go down?
Q: What?
C: Steroid (“OL”) things don’t help the swelling go down?
Q: What don’t?
C: Can you inject it with something?
D: Yeah, but it doesn’t need it.
Q: I don’t want anything injected in me.
C: Okay.
Q: In the olden days, (“LIKE”) people who had poltergeist phenomena (“WE’RE”) were called witches.
C: Okay.
Q: With the Devil’s mark and everything.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: NO PUN INTENDED.)
C: Okay. (“I MEAN I”)
Q: That’s what I — (“O”) as you know. (“YEAH”) You know?
C: Does it hurt?
Q: No. But I’m jut saying it’s uncomfortable, though. I’d like to have this little pin-prick-sized thing inside me taken out but if you don’t want to — I mean it doesn’t — I don’t worry about the pain or the bleeding because I’ve had these before.
D: Let’s do the one in back that you have. (“OKAY”)
Q: Okay.
C: Do you want another pillow, Mark? Is that —
Q: No, this is fine. (“SEE”) I don’t know how common my condition is. (“CAUSE”)
D: And I see these things all the time. (“O”)
Q: Okay.
C: (to D) Do you want a stool or are you okay standing up?
D: Okay.
Q: The last one — he just lanced it and it never did come back or anything. (“THE IN” “YOU KNOW”) The infection did go away. (“OH”) I had to go back several times to have the pus drained.
D: It’s not infected.
Q: Oh. Okay.
D: Or it doesn’t seem infected.
Q: Well, that’s what they called it — (“ON”) I mean the last one I had — on my Blue Cross forms and everything.
D: Well, we may say it. It has that possibility. For Blue Cross’s benefit, you understand?
C: (laughs)
D: And yours.
Q: Well, what is it called usually?
D: Some kind of infection. I don’t know what you had last time so I can’t say. (“RIGHT”)
Q: Right.
D: I wasn’t there.
Q: Okay. (“TOWARD THIS”)
D: It’s so nice that the rain cleared up the air.
C: Yeah, but it took me two and a half hours to get home last night. (“YOU’RE CRAZY”) I left here at 5:30 (“GO”) and walked through my door at 7:32.
D: Was dinner on the table?
C: I didn’t want any dinner after that. I just went to bed. I was disgusted — too long to get home.
Q: I know all the short-cuts because I’ve lived here all my life. It took me, like, twenty-five minutes to get from Echo Park to Burbank. (“COMMEN”) Even with the traffic.
C: I didn’t appreciate that. (“AT ALL”)
Q: Where were you going?
C: I was going to the other side of the hill. Los Angeles proper and I live between Crenshaw and Wilshire. Over in that area.
Q: That isn’t very far.
C: No, it isn’t. It’s eighteen miles exactly. But the traffic just didn’t want to move. And then there was a minor little accident so that spoiled it for everybody way down. (“WHICH WAS”) Horrible.
D: Why don’t we inject some water?
Q: That would be okay.
D: That would be okay?
Q: Yeah.
D: And some Benadryl, is that okay?
Q: No.
D: That’s an over-the-counter medication. (“IF IT IS A VEG”)
Q: No anesthetics.
D: Okay. It’s an allergy medicine. Is that alright?
Q: No. I would say no medicine because I do have really strange things that happen whenever I have any kind of medication. All my life I’ve had really weird things happen. (“LIKE ONCE”) Once, they gave me a TB test.
D: Um-huh.
Q: Major, major pass-out. After. About a half hour after, (“IT WAS”) it was very weird. It was like a break in reality. I just totally —
D: Okay, hang on.
Q: Okay.
( . . . )
D: It’s just a little salt water, okay?
Q: Okay. We all come from the ocean so I can’t see anything wrong with that. (“OKAY”)
D: This is in your body anyway.
Q: Exactly. It’s not me, you know?
D: What do you mean it’s not you?
Q: I’m not the One who tells me what to do.
D: Who tells you?
Q: Psychic people. (pause)
D: Are you okay?
Q: Yeah. Ouch. Is it a needle?
D: Hmm?
Q: Needles and pins — (“IT”) sort of upsetting to me. I don’t know why. I guess it’s like voodoo. (“YOU KNOW LIKE”) Dolls and all those things.
D: Oh really?
Q: Well, I mean just — (“IT’S LIKE”)
D: Well, don’t think of it that way. (“HO[W]”)
Q: How should I think of it?
D: Think of it as kind of —
Q: I know — I want —
D: — increasing your well-being.
Q: Exactly. (“EXACTLY”) And it’s very uncomfortable. (“I”) It’s just pus. If you can get rid of the pus I’ll be very appreciative.
D: One thing this does is, by increasing the volume underneath it, it raises it to the surface so it makes it easier for me to see.
Q: Great. It seems to be very (“LOW B[EL]O[W]”) beneath the skin.
D: That’s one of the reasons I want to do this.
Q: Subcutaneous. (“WHY”) (pause)
( . . . )
(“MAY”)
Q: Actually, it was an astrologer who gave me that message. The horoscope said, “No anesthetics for the time being.” So if it doesn’t work this time, I’ll have to consider actually doing the surgery.
D: Okay, you’re going to feel something squirt. (“SEE IT”) It’s too deep. I don’t re — (“THAT’S ALRIGHT” “WHAT”) See —
Q: Well, I don’t mind —
D: You know, what could possibly happen if we (“I DO[N’T] MI[ND]”) do it like this — (“I[S]” “YEAH” “I MEAN I DON’T”) these can get infected. (“WELL”)
Q: I don’t mind taking antibiotics. (“I MEAN”) Last time, I took antibiotics. (pause) I’m just worried about another infection — a worse infection happening if I have an injection of an anesthetic.
D: Oh, believe me, it wouldn’t be.
Q: But from my own case history, I’ve had terrible problems with anesthetics. (pause) (“I LOVE YOU”)
D: Too deep. (“KNOW IT”)
Q: I know it’s very deep. Very uncomfortable.
D: (I’ll) try one more thing. (“I” “IS”) Hold it there. (“GOT”)
( . . . )
(“I DON’T BELIEVE”)
D: Hmm? I’m going to try one more thing but —
Q: Okay.
D: This is it.
Q: Maybe I can always go back to that other dermatologist who didn’t use an anesthetic.
D: I don’t —
Q: Even though he wasn’t very nice.
D: See, I don’t think it’s a good thing to do because you’re risking an infection.
Q: Well, last time (“HE JUST CUT IT”) he lanced it.
D: I know but didn’t — (“NOT UNTIL”)
Q: And then he gave me an antibiotic. (“DEPENDING”) (pause)
D: Well, it’s too deep. (“OKAY” “BEYON[D]” “STOP”) Bleeding. (“DID YOU”)
Q: What’s the danger of having something like this (“UN IN”) under your skin?
D: Nothing.
Q: Nothing. Okay. It’s just uncomfortable but it’s nothing I have to worry about. It’s no big deal. I mean I’ve seen people with things much larger than this on them. They don’t seem to mind.
D: It’s very easy to remove. (“YOU KNOW I THINK YOU’D”) Really be much happier — and then (“YOU WON’T HAVE TO DO”) dealing with it from time to time. (“WHY”) You want to hold that? That’s what I would suggest.
Q: Okay, well let me think about it. (“BUT”) See, right now, I mean see this movie “12 Monkeys” and you’ll understand — (“WHY I DON’T”) I have to sort of obey what I’m told.
D: Do you ever talk these things over with your brother?
Q: Yes. All the time.
D: And what did he say?
Q: He doesn’t know what to say. I mean the elevator wasn’t working a little while ago in the building.
D: And? (“IT”)
Q: Well — and? (“THAT”) It’s a question mark. Why wasn’t it working? It just stopped working. (“WOULD YOU”)
D: No no I — but I mean your feelings about — (“NO”)
Q: People have (“CONTINUE”) been coming up to me and telling me not to take any anesthetic. (“AND LIKE” “I’VE BEEN READING IT” “OKAY”) And, you know, it’s like the Entity — (“CHANNELS THROUGH THE”) the people around me are telling me not to have an anesthetic.
D: What’s that?
Q: I have an Entity. (“WHO”) Talks to me through other people’s subconscious mind. It tells me what to do like in the movie “12 Monkeys.” (“I KNOW IT”) It sounds bizarre but (“AGAIN IT”) it’s nothing new. (“I MEAN”) I mean I’m not hearing voices or anything.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: A SMILING FACE, THE SYMBOL FOR SPIRIT LAUGHTER, IS AMONG THOSE NOT LISTED IN THE INTERNET VERSION OF TESTAMENT. HERE AS IN OTHER PLACES OF THE TRANSCRIPTS, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO KNOW WHETHER LAUGHTER HEARD ON THE TAPE IS MINE, SPIRIT LAUGHTER OR BOTH. IN THE MANUSCRIPT, I NOTED THAT I THINK IT IS THE LATTER FOR THIS OCCASION.)
Q: That’s a good movie. You should see that movie, though. (“YOU DIE”) It would help you to understand. Have you seen the movie “Seven”? (“NO”) I don’t plan on seeing that one.
D: I don’t think it’d be anything great.
Q: No, exactly. I wish I’d known. (“I”) I mean I’m sorry. (“I — I’D BE”) I thought you could just lance it (“LIKE”) like the last one did. I guess that one was closer to the surface.
D: Yeah, and it — (“AND I” “IT POKE”) I don’t want to make it a big hole.
Q: Yeah. Why? (“GO”)
D: Be a mess healing.
Q: I don’t care. (“I — I DON’T”) I’m not vain. (“UP”) I mean I don’t really — (“BIG HOLE DOESN’T”) doesn’t bother me. It’ll close up eventually. This other one was huge. (“AND HE”) He didn’t think it would heal. And it healed perfectly. You can’t even tell, right? So “I MEAN THAT WAS”) that was five times as big as this one.
D: What I’d like to do — (“IN” “PUT IT”) cut it out.
Q: Well, I don’t mind just as long as you don’t use an anesthetic. Because I have had problems with anesthetics.
D: Who works on your teeth?
Q: Dr. Villarreal in Pasadena. (“DDD”)
D: Do you mind if I call him?
Q: Right now?
D: No no.
Q: No, I don’t mind. (“CALL ME” “BUT HE HASN’T”) It’s strange. His office has been calling me regularly every six months. (“THEN SUDDENLY”) He stopped calling me. And the last time I was here in the waiting room somebody came up to me and said that he had a friend who got HIV from his dentist.
D: And?
Q: And? You figure it out.
D: I don’t think there’s anything to figure out. (“WELL I’M”)
Q: I’m sure you’ll be very interested in reading my book and seeing “12 Monkeys.” It’s about a virus. (“SO”) You should definitely be interested in seeing that. I’m sure a lot of your patient have HIV. Oh my goodness — it’s a lot for me. It really is. I definitely don’t want to end up like Bruce Willis in that movie. I hate movies where they give away the ending in the beginning. (“YOU KNOW”)
D: I saw “The American President.”
Q: Yeah? (“THE”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: TAPE #51, SIDE #1 ENDS HERE.)
( . . . )
Q: What did that lady say about the elevator?
N: It stopped.
Q: What’s wrong with it?
N: It won’t go up or down. It’s stuck.
Q: Do you know right after that happened, my tape recorder started making funny noises in my pocket. (“GET HELP”)
N: What does this mean?
Q: Poltergeist activity. (“FEET” “ANNUL”)
C: Mark?
Q: Yes.
C: Come. (“OKAY” “WE KNOW” “TEX”)
Q: Hi.
C: How are you, today?
Q: Very good. (“MARK”)
C: Good. I’m going to weigh you.
Q: What’s your name?
C: Shangri-La.
Q: Oh my goodness. I’ve never been to Shangri-La.
C: (laughs) Me neither. (laughs) (“OKAY”) Okay, that’s the bag. (“OH”)
Q: Oh yeah. Right. (“FAMOUS” “HURRY P”) I think someday we’ll all be in Shangri-La. (“AIR” “AIR . . .”)
C: One of these days I hope to get there.
Q: (small laugh) (“NO” “OH”)
C: 210.
Q: Okay. (“AUNT”) I’ll accept that.
C: Well, you look good. (“YEAH” “IMPORTANT”) Right here. (“P”)
Q: The last time it was funny. It wasn’t working when they were trying to take my blood pressure. So it will be very interesting today. (“I’LL TAKE”) Should I hold it under my tongue? (“BECAUSE SHE SAID” “SHE THOUGHT”) That was why it wasn’t working last time.
C: Let me see — unencumbered, we’re going to do this first. (“SHOULD I TAKE THIS OFF”)
Q: Take off my shirt?
C: Oh no, it’s fine. (“LET HIM” “I GE[T]” “I”)
Q: This weather — oh my goodness.
C: I know. One minute — from minute (“RA”) to minute you can never tell.
Q: Last night I went to see “12 Monkeys.”
C: Now I’m going to turn you — how was that?
Q: Scary.
C: It was? (“I MEAN”)
Q: It got a lot of bad reviews but for what it says, it’s very well done. (“AWWW”)
C: Awww, I’ll have to see it then. (“YEAH” “TURN THIS WAY”)
Q: It’s got some interesting points about alternate realities. (“AND”) Different forms of consciousness. (“DON’T TWICE” “SCARED”) Definitely, a New Age movie.
C: Mmmm.
Q: It’s my favorite of Terry Gilliam’s movies. (“ANY WITH A”)
C: Six! (“WOULD YOU”)
Q: Oh my God.
C: (laughs)
Q: But at least it worked. (“YEAH NEVER DONE FIND”) No, this was the one that wasn’t working. (“THIS IS THE ONE” “OKAY”)
C: Mmmm. (“OKAY” “LET’S SEE” “OKAY” “WHO ME” “LIKE HIM”) (pause) (“WHY DO YOU” “I” “WHAT HAVE YOU”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE MACHINE BEGINS BEEPING AND SHANGRI-LA REACTS.)Q: What’s wrong? 93.6?
C: That is — no.
Q: What?
C: The temperature.
Q: Is that impossible? (“BELIEVER”)
C: What’s wrong with you, Mark? I know you’re still (“I LOVE”) amongst the living, aren’t you? (“UH”) You’re awfully warm. (“ALL THE TIME”)
Q: I have an Angel. You know the elevator’s not working. (“FIRS[T]”)
C: It’s not?
Q: My tape recorder was making weird noises. And now this. Paranormal phenomena.
C: How would we try under your armpit real quick? (“NO”)
Q: (small laugh) You can ask — last time the same thing happened. (“IT’S — IT’S”)
C: Strange.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? (“IN”)
C: Yes, because we have a ghost at our house. (“RIGH[T]” “WHAT DOES YOUR”)
Q: What does your ghost do? What is his name?
C: I don’t name him. I don’t even talk to him. When he’s there, it’s fine. We had our house redone and it had been torn up about two months. And my husband couldn’t find his wedding ring — (“HE KEPT GOING”) “Where is my wedding ring?” So finally we didn’t worry about it anymore — “So we’ll just get a new one after we finish the house.” The carpet got put in, the walls got painted and everything so we put all the furniture back. I never mess with the answering machine but I put it on this little table. I sat it there. When I came home in the afternoon from work, I looked there and on top of the answering machine was my husband’s wedding ring sitting there. And I said, “Okay, maybe Don stuck it there (“JUST”) and I sat down — “Did you find your ring?” He said, “No.” And I said, “You know I found it in the most peculiar place.” (“HE SAYS WHERE”) I said, “On top of the answering machine.” He says, “I didn’t put it there.” I said, “I didn’t either.” So I’m like, “Okay” — (“THAT’S RIGHT”) yes, I see stuff (“RIGHT”) on the side of my eyeline. I turn around and look. Sometimes it annoys me and I get scared. (“NO DOG O[F] MINE”) I’m not going to worry about it because whatever it is, it can’t hurt me. (“WHAT’S YOUR”)
Q: What’s — Don’s your husband?
C: Uh-huh.
Q: And what’s your last name?
C: Cully.
Q: I wonder what that means.
C: Fool. In English.
Q: What? (“I FORGIVE YOU”)
C: Oh my goodness.
Q: That’s interesting. (“I’LL TAKE”)
C: Oh, I have a (“THE NURSE” “MY LIMB”) messed-up last name.
Q: (laughs)
C: That’s okay. Okay. (“WE’RE ALL”)
Q: We’re all fools. (“ARROW” “AND ISN[‘T]”) Mankind is — (“YOU KNOW”)
C: But his first name means prince of the universe —
Q: Oh really?
C: — and then here he follows that up with fool. (“META”)
Q: Don?
C: Donald. (“CAN’T FIND” “FIND KEY” “DIMES” “THAT’S THE ONE”)
Q: I’m having lunch with my friend, Donald, this week. (“I”)
C: He’s prince of the universe too.
Q: I’ll have to tell him. (“HE”) That’ll make him feel good. (“HAT” “I’M SORRY”)
C: So are you taking the Diprolene ointment now? Are you using it on your — (“NO”)
Q: Yes.
C: Daily or —
Q: Daily — now that’s the cream, right? Because he gave me two different ones.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I CONFUSED THE LOTION WITH THE OINTMENT. THE LATTER WAS DISPENSED IN TINY TUBES LABELED “PROFESSIONAL SAMPLE.”)
C: Yeah.
Q: And now I have a question because (“BELONG”) I wanted to ask him if I should put that on after I shower. (“BECAUSE I”) When I go to the gym I wonder if I sweat that all off?
C: You should put it on after you shower. (“YEAH” “NO” “AND THEY SAY”)
Q: They say twice a day but if you don’t shower, is once enough?
C: I’m going to — well — because after you shower you can put it on (“YEAH”) and then right before you go to bed at night you can put it on.
Q: I probably haven’t been doing it as faithfully as I should be doing it.
C: Okay. (“BUT”)
Q: I’ve been — (“JUST”) I’m working on a book (“TONIGHT”) about the supernatural. (“OOOHH”)
C: Oh really?
Q: Yes. Well, because I have this — (“ENTITY”)
C: That stuff is creepy though. (“CAUSE” “I”) I would — (“PRO[BABLY]” “THEY’RE BUILDING”)
C: — watch —
Q: If you project evil into it, that happens.
C: Yeah. Just one — the man who was sitting there and all of a sudden these scars appeared on his stomach or (“TWO WAYS”) scratched him.
Q: Was that “Seven”?
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I REMEMBERED SEEING AN ACADEMY AWARD CAMPAIGN AD FOR “SEVEN” IN VARIETY THAT LOOKED SOMETHING LIKE THAT.)
C: I don’t know what channel it was. I was, like, “Oh my God.” (“THUS”) See — mine didn’t do that. Every now and then I’d think I’d see it and then I just don’t even worry about it — like, “Well, if it’s there, it’s there and there’s nothing I can do about it.” I said, “Hey, as long as you don’t eat my food or anything like that (“OH”) you don’t have to worry about paying rent.”
Q: Oh, mine eats my food. (“A”)
C: Do they?
Q: Little bit. (“A LITTLE BIT”)
C: It’s just strange that I knew I put things down in this one (“YEAH”) particular place and then I go there and it’s not there.
Q: Oh yeah.
C: And then it bugs me for a long time. And then a couple days later (“BOO”) it will show up somewhere else and I’ll say, “I know I didn’t put it there.”
Q: But, see, this isn’t ghost phenomena, this is usually labeled poltergeist — or angel phenomena.
C: Well, I don’t know who it is. I just say, (“TRY SOME” “YOU’RE FINE” “HI” “I’M SOLD”) “Just leave my stuff alone, okay? When I put it down, I want it there.”
Q: If you have a Ouija board he can talk to you on it. (“DOING” “HMMPF”) ‘No, thank you?’ (“CHOICE” “RIGHT”)
C: That’s like, “You’re inviting things into your house.” (“MY MOMMY” “PLEASE”)
Q: His name is Mighael, (“WHY”) by the way.
C: Michael? (“UM-HUH”)
Q: That’s his name.
C: I wonder what happened to Michael, though?
Q: Michael who?
C: Michael — Michael.
Q: You know someone named Michael?
C: Yeah.
Q: Who?
C: I have a friend. (“UH-HUH” “O”) Except I haven’t talked to him in a long time, though. (“WHEN” “SHUT UP” “YEAH” “HERE KITTY” “NAME”)
Q: It’s interesting who you now — (“JUST”) I just mentioned the name (“I KNOW IT”) and you started going to another place. (“BB”)
C: I know. But I started thinking about him.
Q: Interesting.
C: I should call him.
Q: Um-huh. (“YES”)
C: I really should. (“TODAY”)
Q: Have you had any hang-ups? That’s another (“I’LL BE THERE”) poltergeist phenomena.
C: Yeah. In the middle of the night —
Q: Uh-oh.
C: — the phone rings and then I’m like, “Okay.” And then I get up and pick it up and, like, “Hello?” (“UM-HUH”) And then nobody’s there. I’m like, “Okay.” Because first I thought it was a crank call because (“IT WOULD” “MY TRA” “DELIVER” “BEATNIK” “HAVE IT”) I’m like — “I don’t know who it is (“I GET”) but I wish they would quit calling my house.” Then, I suddenly get my number changed and then it’s like, since I’m not there, that I’ll say, (“WANT”) “Go next door when I come home in the evening.” So I don’t — (“I DON’T GET THAT”)
Q: You’re having a lot of phenomena.
C: I don’t know what this is. (“YOU KNOW YOU CAN”) If something happens to my mother — well, she’s like, “I wish whoever it is would quit calling.” I said, “Mom, why does it just happen when you’re at home?”
Q: All my life I’ve had those calls and I’m just now realizing who it was — you know, after I realized. (“NO”) So now you know who it was. (“WHO IT IS” “NOW”)
C: I wonder what (“MY BOOK” “GHOS[T]” “THEY WASH”) they want. Why are they still here? (“YOU’LL BE”) They shouldn’t be here.
Q: After you read my book, you’ll understand.
C: Because I know I wouldn’t want to linger here. (“YEAH BUT LOOK AT THE MESS THE”)
Q: The mess the world’s in. There’s a good reason why they’re here. Actually, you should see that movie. (“YEAH”) “12 Monkeys.”
C: Really?
Q: It’ll explain a lot. (“DOUG” “[A]GAIN”)
C: Is it creepy or scary?
Q: I don’t know.
C: Because some things I have to watch like this. (“GRAY”) I don’t like — (“OKAY” “IF IT” “THAT WAS MY” ) “What happened?”
Q: It’s a big boxoffice hit. Number one for three weeks in a row. And it’s got Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
C: I like Brad Pitt.
Q: See? (“LIKE HIM”) Go. Trust me. You’ll have a good time. I hope.
C: Is there a book out? Maybe I can read the book first. (“MIGHAEL”)
Q: I don’t think so. No. It was based on another movie. (“RIGHT”) A French movie. (“LIKE”) But see it. (“I — I”) And then you won’t understand it all. (“YEAH”) And then after my book comes out, you can read my book and then you’ll understand it.
C: When is your book coming out? (“THAT’S A GOOD QUES”)
Q: Some time this year, I hope.
C: Okay. (“OH I”) I will remember.
Q: But call Him Mighael now. (“CAUSE THAT”) Because that’s probably your Entity’s name. Do I wait here?
C: Yeah. You can wait right here. (“OKAY” “I KNOW” “IT” “K”) Thank you, Mark.
Q: Thank you.
( . . . )
(“HI”)
D: Hi. How are you?
Q: Hi. Very good. That machine didn’t work. The one they put under your tongue.
D: What?
Q: That machine that they always check you with — (“AND THEY PUT”) hold under your tongue. And it had a 93.6 reading.
D: Oh. You’re a cool cat.
Q: What does that mean? I’m dead? (laughs) (“MEANS YOU”) What does that mean? Okay —
D: You’re right. It didn’t work. That’s what that means.
Q: It didn’t work last time either.
D: I see. (“THEY”) Marked it plain. (“YEAH”)
Q: So, anyway, —
D: Are we doing a cyst on you?
Q: Yeah. This right here. This on the neck. I don’t think I need a local anesthetic for that, do I?
D: Oh, yes, you do.
Q: Can I not have one, please?
D: No.
Q: Because I’m allergic to it. Because when I go to my optometrist and he puts a little on my eye (“I’VE — I”) I pass out.
D: What do you mean?
Q: I mean pass out.
D: When he does what? (“PUT”)
Q: Puts a — when he dilates my pupils (“WITH A LOCAL”) with an anesthetic.
D: That’s different. (“WH”)
Q: Every time I’ve had any kind of anesthetic —
D: How about when you go to the dentist? (“HE DOESN’T ANESTHETIC”)
Q: He doesn’t give me an anesthetic either.
D: Well, I’m not going to cut any skin —
Q: Really? (“OH”) Shit. (“AND”) And, plus, other people have told me not to. I don’t mind pain or anything. (“I MEAN IT JUST”) It just needs to be lanced, I think. Right? (“I MEAN I DON’T”) I don’t think it will be a problem.
D: Why don’t you lay down?
Q: Okay. And this one too. (“I WOULD LIKE YOU JUST HIT”) I think if you just make (“LIKE WE”) a little incision. Take it out and it’ll be fine.
D: I’m not going to do that. It makes it more difficult because also —
Q: Yeah.
D: There’s nothing here. (“LET US”)
Q: Little thing right here. (“I”) Is it gone? It was here last week, remember? (“THERE’S A LITTLE”) I can feel it inside there. (“WAS”)
D: Sit down.
Q: Okay. (“DO YOU NEED TO”) Should I take off my shirt?
D: In a minute.
Q: Okay. Before when I had an infected cyst, the dermatologist just lanced it and he didn’t inject anything.
D: Yeah, but you cut it out — you really need some anesthetic or you’ll be very uncomfortable. Plus, it bleeds more.
Q: Well, I don’t care about that. (“I MEAN”) I’ve had various problems like that over the years. (“BUT” “BUT”) Anyway, I even gone to my — (“I WENT TO” “LIKE MY”) a psychic told me not to have it done.
D: Not to worry?
Q: Have an anesthetic. (“YOU KNOW”) They said to go ahead and do this but not to have an anesthetic. Did you see the movie “12 Monkeys”?
D: No. (“OH”)
Q: Well — I mean I’m sure it will be fine if we don’t use any (“NO”) anesthetic. I’ve had this before. I had one the size of a golf ball right here (“YOU KNOW”) but he just lanced it. (“YOU KNOW” “ON THAT WAS”)
D: The thing is if we do that (“IT CAN”) it’ll just come back again.
Q: That’s okay. I don’t care. (“IT JUST”) I just need to relieve the pressure. It’s so uncomfortable.
D: Alright. Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.
Q: Okay.
D: How about if we use an anesthetic cream? (“GOOD ONE” “NN[O]”)
Q: No. My psychic said, “No anesthetics.” But I don’t mind pain.
(. . .)
Q: Okay. (“YEAH”)
D: If you want, we’ll just see about lancing it. (“O G” “Y NOW”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I THEN CALL HIS ATTENTION TO THE OTHER, SMALL CYST NEAR MY EAR.)
Q: Let me explain. These little things — (“I GET THEM”) they’re like bubbles under the skin. (“GO BY”) And sometimes they become inflamed.
C: Dr., these are the only ones I could find. (“K”)
Q: You know, they’re like bubbles under the skin. (“IS” “I”) Can you feel it? It’s right here.
D: It’s a little cyst.
Q: Yeah.
D: I’d leave it alone right now.
Q: Okay. But if it get big — then I do something about it? It is uncomfortable — (“IT DOES” “LIKE”) goes big and little.
D: We could cut it out but I’m not going to cut it out without any anesthetic.
Q: Really? Because it’s so little?
C: Yeah, but uh-uh. (“WHY NO”)
Q: What’ll it be like? Painful or bleeding? What are you worried about?
C: Painful. And your face is very sensitive. There are a lot of nerves and stuff there. (“NO”)
Q: I have these all the time. It’s just that when they become infected. You know — they — (“POP”)
C: Steroids don’t help the swelling go down?
Q: What?
C: Steroid (“OL”) things don’t help the swelling go down?
Q: What don’t?
C: Can you inject it with something?
D: Yeah, but it doesn’t need it.
Q: I don’t want anything injected in me.
C: Okay.
Q: In the olden days, (“LIKE”) people who had poltergeist phenomena (“WE’RE”) were called witches.
C: Okay.
Q: With the Devil’s mark and everything.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: NO PUN INTENDED.)
C: Okay. (“I MEAN I”)
Q: That’s what I — (“O”) as you know. (“YEAH”) You know?
C: Does it hurt?
Q: No. But I’m jut saying it’s uncomfortable, though. I’d like to have this little pin-prick-sized thing inside me taken out but if you don’t want to — I mean it doesn’t — I don’t worry about the pain or the bleeding because I’ve had these before.
D: Let’s do the one in back that you have. (“OKAY”)
Q: Okay.
C: Do you want another pillow, Mark? Is that —
Q: No, this is fine. (“SEE”) I don’t know how common my condition is. (“CAUSE”)
D: And I see these things all the time. (“O”)
Q: Okay.
C: (to D) Do you want a stool or are you okay standing up?
D: Okay.
Q: The last one — he just lanced it and it never did come back or anything. (“THE IN” “YOU KNOW”) The infection did go away. (“OH”) I had to go back several times to have the pus drained.
D: It’s not infected.
Q: Oh. Okay.
D: Or it doesn’t seem infected.
Q: Well, that’s what they called it — (“ON”) I mean the last one I had — on my Blue Cross forms and everything.
D: Well, we may say it. It has that possibility. For Blue Cross’s benefit, you understand?
C: (laughs)
D: And yours.
Q: Well, what is it called usually?
D: Some kind of infection. I don’t know what you had last time so I can’t say. (“RIGHT”)
Q: Right.
D: I wasn’t there.
Q: Okay. (“TOWARD THIS”)
D: It’s so nice that the rain cleared up the air.
C: Yeah, but it took me two and a half hours to get home last night. (“YOU’RE CRAZY”) I left here at 5:30 (“GO”) and walked through my door at 7:32.
D: Was dinner on the table?
C: I didn’t want any dinner after that. I just went to bed. I was disgusted — too long to get home.
Q: I know all the short-cuts because I’ve lived here all my life. It took me, like, twenty-five minutes to get from Echo Park to Burbank. (“COMMEN”) Even with the traffic.
C: I didn’t appreciate that. (“AT ALL”)
Q: Where were you going?
C: I was going to the other side of the hill. Los Angeles proper and I live between Crenshaw and Wilshire. Over in that area.
Q: That isn’t very far.
C: No, it isn’t. It’s eighteen miles exactly. But the traffic just didn’t want to move. And then there was a minor little accident so that spoiled it for everybody way down. (“WHICH WAS”) Horrible.
D: Why don’t we inject some water?
Q: That would be okay.
D: That would be okay?
Q: Yeah.
D: And some Benadryl, is that okay?
Q: No.
D: That’s an over-the-counter medication. (“IF IT IS A VEG”)
Q: No anesthetics.
D: Okay. It’s an allergy medicine. Is that alright?
Q: No. I would say no medicine because I do have really strange things that happen whenever I have any kind of medication. All my life I’ve had really weird things happen. (“LIKE ONCE”) Once, they gave me a TB test.
D: Um-huh.
Q: Major, major pass-out. After. About a half hour after, (“IT WAS”) it was very weird. It was like a break in reality. I just totally —
D: Okay, hang on.
Q: Okay.
( . . . )
D: It’s just a little salt water, okay?
Q: Okay. We all come from the ocean so I can’t see anything wrong with that. (“OKAY”)
D: This is in your body anyway.
Q: Exactly. It’s not me, you know?
D: What do you mean it’s not you?
Q: I’m not the One who tells me what to do.
D: Who tells you?
Q: Psychic people. (pause)
D: Are you okay?
Q: Yeah. Ouch. Is it a needle?
D: Hmm?
Q: Needles and pins — (“IT”) sort of upsetting to me. I don’t know why. I guess it’s like voodoo. (“YOU KNOW LIKE”) Dolls and all those things.
D: Oh really?
Q: Well, I mean just — (“IT’S LIKE”)
D: Well, don’t think of it that way. (“HO[W]”)
Q: How should I think of it?
D: Think of it as kind of —
Q: I know — I want —
D: — increasing your well-being.
Q: Exactly. (“EXACTLY”) And it’s very uncomfortable. (“I”) It’s just pus. If you can get rid of the pus I’ll be very appreciative.
D: One thing this does is, by increasing the volume underneath it, it raises it to the surface so it makes it easier for me to see.
Q: Great. It seems to be very (“LOW B[EL]O[W]”) beneath the skin.
D: That’s one of the reasons I want to do this.
Q: Subcutaneous. (“WHY”) (pause)
( . . . )
(“MAY”)
Q: Actually, it was an astrologer who gave me that message. The horoscope said, “No anesthetics for the time being.” So if it doesn’t work this time, I’ll have to consider actually doing the surgery.
D: Okay, you’re going to feel something squirt. (“SEE IT”) It’s too deep. I don’t re — (“THAT’S ALRIGHT” “WHAT”) See —
Q: Well, I don’t mind —
D: You know, what could possibly happen if we (“I DO[N’T] MI[ND]”) do it like this — (“I[S]” “YEAH” “I MEAN I DON’T”) these can get infected. (“WELL”)
Q: I don’t mind taking antibiotics. (“I MEAN”) Last time, I took antibiotics. (pause) I’m just worried about another infection — a worse infection happening if I have an injection of an anesthetic.
D: Oh, believe me, it wouldn’t be.
Q: But from my own case history, I’ve had terrible problems with anesthetics. (pause) (“I LOVE YOU”)
D: Too deep. (“KNOW IT”)
Q: I know it’s very deep. Very uncomfortable.
D: (I’ll) try one more thing. (“I” “IS”) Hold it there. (“GOT”)
( . . . )
(“I DON’T BELIEVE”)
D: Hmm? I’m going to try one more thing but —
Q: Okay.
D: This is it.
Q: Maybe I can always go back to that other dermatologist who didn’t use an anesthetic.
D: I don’t —
Q: Even though he wasn’t very nice.
D: See, I don’t think it’s a good thing to do because you’re risking an infection.
Q: Well, last time (“HE JUST CUT IT”) he lanced it.
D: I know but didn’t — (“NOT UNTIL”)
Q: And then he gave me an antibiotic. (“DEPENDING”) (pause)
D: Well, it’s too deep. (“OKAY” “BEYON[D]” “STOP”) Bleeding. (“DID YOU”)
Q: What’s the danger of having something like this (“UN IN”) under your skin?
D: Nothing.
Q: Nothing. Okay. It’s just uncomfortable but it’s nothing I have to worry about. It’s no big deal. I mean I’ve seen people with things much larger than this on them. They don’t seem to mind.
D: It’s very easy to remove. (“YOU KNOW I THINK YOU’D”) Really be much happier — and then (“YOU WON’T HAVE TO DO”) dealing with it from time to time. (“WHY”) You want to hold that? That’s what I would suggest.
Q: Okay, well let me think about it. (“BUT”) See, right now, I mean see this movie “12 Monkeys” and you’ll understand — (“WHY I DON’T”) I have to sort of obey what I’m told.
D: Do you ever talk these things over with your brother?
Q: Yes. All the time.
D: And what did he say?
Q: He doesn’t know what to say. I mean the elevator wasn’t working a little while ago in the building.
D: And? (“IT”)
Q: Well — and? (“THAT”) It’s a question mark. Why wasn’t it working? It just stopped working. (“WOULD YOU”)
D: No no I — but I mean your feelings about — (“NO”)
Q: People have (“CONTINUE”) been coming up to me and telling me not to take any anesthetic. (“AND LIKE” “I’VE BEEN READING IT” “OKAY”) And, you know, it’s like the Entity — (“CHANNELS THROUGH THE”) the people around me are telling me not to have an anesthetic.
D: What’s that?
Q: I have an Entity. (“WHO”) Talks to me through other people’s subconscious mind. It tells me what to do like in the movie “12 Monkeys.” (“I KNOW IT”) It sounds bizarre but (“AGAIN IT”) it’s nothing new. (“I MEAN”) I mean I’m not hearing voices or anything.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: A SMILING FACE, THE SYMBOL FOR SPIRIT LAUGHTER, IS AMONG THOSE NOT LISTED IN THE INTERNET VERSION OF TESTAMENT. HERE AS IN OTHER PLACES OF THE TRANSCRIPTS, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO KNOW WHETHER LAUGHTER HEARD ON THE TAPE IS MINE, SPIRIT LAUGHTER OR BOTH. IN THE MANUSCRIPT, I NOTED THAT I THINK IT IS THE LATTER FOR THIS OCCASION.)
Q: That’s a good movie. You should see that movie, though. (“YOU DIE”) It would help you to understand. Have you seen the movie “Seven”? (“NO”) I don’t plan on seeing that one.
D: I don’t think it’d be anything great.
Q: No, exactly. I wish I’d known. (“I”) I mean I’m sorry. (“I — I’D BE”) I thought you could just lance it (“LIKE”) like the last one did. I guess that one was closer to the surface.
D: Yeah, and it — (“AND I” “IT POKE”) I don’t want to make it a big hole.
Q: Yeah. Why? (“GO”)
D: Be a mess healing.
Q: I don’t care. (“I — I DON’T”) I’m not vain. (“UP”) I mean I don’t really — (“BIG HOLE DOESN’T”) doesn’t bother me. It’ll close up eventually. This other one was huge. (“AND HE”) He didn’t think it would heal. And it healed perfectly. You can’t even tell, right? So “I MEAN THAT WAS”) that was five times as big as this one.
D: What I’d like to do — (“IN” “PUT IT”) cut it out.
Q: Well, I don’t mind just as long as you don’t use an anesthetic. Because I have had problems with anesthetics.
D: Who works on your teeth?
Q: Dr. Villarreal in Pasadena. (“DDD”)
D: Do you mind if I call him?
Q: Right now?
D: No no.
Q: No, I don’t mind. (“CALL ME” “BUT HE HASN’T”) It’s strange. His office has been calling me regularly every six months. (“THEN SUDDENLY”) He stopped calling me. And the last time I was here in the waiting room somebody came up to me and said that he had a friend who got HIV from his dentist.
D: And?
Q: And? You figure it out.
D: I don’t think there’s anything to figure out. (“WELL I’M”)
Q: I’m sure you’ll be very interested in reading my book and seeing “12 Monkeys.” It’s about a virus. (“SO”) You should definitely be interested in seeing that. I’m sure a lot of your patient have HIV. Oh my goodness — it’s a lot for me. It really is. I definitely don’t want to end up like Bruce Willis in that movie. I hate movies where they give away the ending in the beginning. (“YOU KNOW”)
D: I saw “The American President.”
Q: Yeah? (“THE”)
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: TAPE #51, SIDE #1 ENDS HERE.)
