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Thursday, March 7, 2013

Health / Arts / City Tonight: A Cafe Racer Benefit for David George "the Bug Chef" Gordon

Posted by Brendan Kiley on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 1:48 PM

David George Gordon is a municipal treasure. He's a naturalist, bug chef, cookbook author, musician, and one of the odder (and more endearing) stars in the constellation of Seattle culture.

I first met him in 2008, when he came to my kitchen for a Stranger video about how to cook a tarantula (the squeals you hear in the background are courtesy of photographer/videographer Kelly O and food critic/managing editor Bethany Jean Clement):

Later, I got to know him as the harmonica player for God's Favorite Beefcake (two of whose members were killed during the Cafe Racer murders). And I've always been a fan of his "Feast of St. Gratus," when he cooks a bug banquet and serves it up to the public.

Recently, Gordon had stroke—thankfully, he lost none of his cognitive abilities, but he's got some steep hospital bills to pay. Tonight, Cafe Racer is throwing a benefit party starting at 6 pm. (I'm not sure exactly what it'll look like, but these folks know how to have fun. Facebook page here.)

On a side note: I'm always (and increasingly) infuriated by how many people have to resort to fundraising to cover their necessary medical bills. This is old news, but still—when we have to crowd-source and rely on donations to pay for urgent medical care, we have been failed by both the government and the market.

It's pathetic.

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it is pathetic - but it's exactly what the Republicans believe in - if your family or community or church or one or all of the above can't help you in your time of need, oh well! They simply do not care if people die.

Posted by xina on March 7, 2013 at 1:54 PM

@1: To further on that... if you don't have a family / community /church ready to rally around you, then you must somehow certainly be a bad person (it must be your own fault), and you don't deserve help, medical care, etc...

Posted by MLM on March 7, 2013 at 2:13 PM

The GOP loves this sort of boot-strappyness because, this is exactly how people covered their medical expenses - in the 1860's.

Posted by COMTE

on March 7, 2013 at 2:15 PM

My heart goes out to Cafe Racer, and its causes, as always. But not enough to make me want to eat or drink anything there again.

Posted by Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

on March 7, 2013 at 2:32 PM

One of my takeaways from the Punk Rock Is Bullshit article was musing on the life of humor and badass wonder that Joe Albanese led, from The Brainz through Mighty Sphincter to God's Favorite Beefcake. Punk Rock is also community pulling together to help allies. I don't know Gordon but I hope he heals well and friends can help with the horrors of medical expenses.

Posted by gttrgst on March 7, 2013 at 3:19 PM