Possibly the best compliment I've ever received

My brother texted me this today: "In training we shared our heros.  Everyone was pretty emotional.  I shared you."

When I heard her sing "I Want You" by Bob Dylan in the shower,

something changed

Thoreau

"Every spirit builds itself a house, and beyond it's house a world, and beyond it's world a heaven. Know then that the world exists for you. For you is the phenomenon perfect. What we are, that only we can see...build therefore your own world. As fast as you conform your life to the pure idea in your mind, that will unfold its great proportions."

"When any scorn your love, let them see plainly that you serve not them but another. If these bars are up, go your way to other of God's pastures."

Florence: Siete bella!

Most definitely a city of love. It's thick in the air. I can see it in the way the lovers kiss in the park without lust or violence. The way people steadily ride their bicycles. The tone in the voices of the women. Random smiles are returned. The Duomo is incredibly intricate. An architectual act of passion. No, I don't think there's anything like this in the U.S. But it's not something I can convey to you. You would just have to come here yourself.

I could get used to this very easily.

Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got, I'm still Jesus from the block

Went to the Vatican Museum today. A lot of art depicting violent battles, a sad skinny Christ and popes with smiles with everyone from paupers to kings bowing before them. Is this the essence of Catholicism? Lots of extravagance, lots of money spent here. I couldn't help but wonder where this power came from...did the Crusades have something to do with it? Possibly. Remember those fashionable lanyards from about 7 years ago: What Would Jesus Do? I think that the Catholic church should have pondered this a bit more over the years. Would Christ approve of these castle-like monuments being built in his name? I'm not denouncing Catholicism altogether. I think Mother Theresa is a great example Catholicism at it's best. Also, on the streets just outside of the Vatican City I saw a monk kneeling down and talking to a homeless youth. This is how I like to see Catholicism. And while I'm on the topic, does anyone else think Pope Benidict XVI looks evil as hell? May God bless us all.

Letter to Dublin

Dear Dublin,
I've seen your pubs, where the stout is your blood. The music of the old harp rings far and wide like your rolling green mountains. Voices howl with humility and smiles, a spirit that can't be defeated saying "We're all in it together, come what may..."
And I've seen your clubs, where you paint a mask on and sell yourself as bait and place yourself on the hook. You learn and obediently recite the songs from the falling empire. Can you not realize you're quieting your own heart? I can see this happening, don't you?
Only because you've charmed me so greatly I write this letter to you. Turn back now! Avoid the stagnant water and recognize it's effect on the fight that's born into you. Let the mandolins and flutes sing your joy and sadness.
Thanks for everything.

Jeremiah

The Italian Girl

She sank into my shoulder like red wine

Calm and desperate

As the last light of the sunset

Both children, both parents

Cradling one another

Her ancient eyes dangling

And her face was long

The room danced around us

Day 1 in Londontown

I was up all night the day before yesterday traveling so my plan was to just find my room and take a little walk around the neighborhood. It turned into a pretty elaborate walking tour of London!

Picadilly is the major tourist center of London; it's like a mini Times Square. From there, I wandered into Trafalgar Square, a big area with old buildings, statues, fountains and pigeons. By this point, I was in awe....the black taxis, the double decker buses, the cops with funny hats...it was all here! It's cool to see buildings several hundred years old or more standing alongside modern businesses. In the square was the National Gallery museum, which was free (all major British museums are) They had a lot of spectacular paintings but the Van Gough gallery was unreal. To see his sunflower painting, chair painting and the one I couldn't drag myself away from, his cypress tree painting. Usually, I just get chills for an instant, but this was a wave of chills! The colors are so brilliant in person.

From here, I wandered into St. James park. It was huge, with complimentary lawn chairs and a lake. I sat down with a sandwich and enjoyed listening to the English accents around me...can't get enough of it! I walked around and tried to strike up conversations with the girls of London. They acted much like girls do in most major cities. I noticed that London girls had this certain look in their eye that I couldn't explain. Kind of like there was still a little girl inside them saying, No, mummy, I want the PINK one!! Miss Piggy-like, almost. But no disrespect they were very polite. And so was everyone else I talked to. Definitely puts San Francisco to shame in the way of friendliness.

There is a large middle eastern population here and the segregation (or seperation?) was apparant already. In the National Gallery, there was one class of white children with one tour and another class of brown children with another. I also saw a protest group of brown people...something about food trade..I'll post the pics when I get home.

I saw Big Ben in the distance, and wandered over there. It wasn't as big as I thought it would be! But it is quite elaborate in person. Pictures don't do it justice. The house of Parlament (I think it's called?) looks amazing from behind. Remember the explosion scene in V for Vendetta? Next to it was another park, much smaller than the first. I saw a girl dressed in earth tones and a sun dress so I approached her and struck up a conversation. It felt good after all those dodgy Brits in the other park. She was from Canada and was just here for a day before leaving to do some non-profit stuff in Bali, India. We shared some music and exchanged Facebooks and I went on my way.

I grabbed some groceries and wandered through the West End (Theatre productions and gay district) until I reached my hostel. Then I made friends with 4 girls across the hallway and the Brazilian father and son I was rooming with. What a day! I was beat! As dusk hit, I went to bed.

Now, it's early in day 2, I'm well rested and London is my oyster.

This is stupendous.

Off I go

into the wild blue!  I don't know if I'll update this thing on my trip.  I may choose to write in a journal or not to write at all.  Que sera, sera...carpe diem...and the like...a day of flying ahead of me tomorrow. woo hooo!

Excerpts from The Book of the Way (Translator unknown)

"Success is as dangerous as failure.

Hope is as hollow as fear.

What does it mean that success is

as dangerous as failure?

Whether you go up the ladder or down it,

your position is shaky.

When you stand with your two feet 

on the ground,

you will always keep your balance.

What does it mean that hope is

as hollow as fear?

Hope and fear are both phantoms.

That arise from thinking of the self.

When we don't see the self as self,

what do we have to fear?

See the world as your self.

Have faith in the way things are.

Love the world as your self;

then you can care for all things."

"When they lose their sense of awe, 

people turn to religion.

When they no longer trust themselves,

they begin to depend on authority."

"Men are born soft and supple;

dead, they are stiff and hard.

Plants are born tender and pliant;

dead, they are brittle and dry.

Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible

is a disciple of death.

Whoever is soft and yielding 

is a disciple of life."

Planning, Packing and Goodbyes

Whole lot of that.  With much more to come.  Balance is necessary.  Got some last minute supplies and a lot of books I'm excited about. Half Price Books..wow...they weren't kidding about the half price thing!

This trip feels crazy and absolutely right. 

last night's show

Woohoo!  My band played our first gig at a bar.  We've gotten compliments before but nothing like this.  It was such a success.  We played three sets and by the third one the alcohol was flowing freely and things were getting real comfortable.  We played some songs we haven't touched in months.  I was even convinced to sing a song: "Mexican Girl" by Jackie Greene.  People were dancing and singing along often.  Best of all, I was able to conquer the anxiety of performing almost completely and just have a good time.

I remember when I first got into music...going to a show and being completely awestruck by a performance.  And then, I would decide in myself that I wanted to give something back.  So I'd work up the nerve to approach the artist/s and just tell them how awesome they were and thank them.  It is so surreal being on the other side of that interaction now!  I almost didn't know how to handle all the praise we were getting.  These people that approached me had that same amazed, humble disposition that I had years ago.  Can't wait for Shelley's next week.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lately, my life has been this wonderful ride, part circumstance part planned, and it's about to really take off.  Life gave me what you could call lemons (being laid off) and I made the tastiest lemon meringue pie I could think of.  The trip ahead of me is scary in all the right ways.  Not the "don't want to go alone at night" scary but the "practiced and prepared and about to take the stage" scary.  

Speaking of that kind of scary, I told a couple people about my band's Shelly's show and now it seems everyone and their friends are coming.  I hope they aren't expecting spectacularity!  We are playing a bar in Hayward tomorrow that no one knows about to warm up.

Things are happening...life is a daring adventure...

Little Wing

This is the first thing my bands recorded that I'm proud of.  It's a live take.  Please tell me what you think.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF76fIg-zPA

(Yes, I guess our band IS called the Stoned Toads even though it's harder to say than my choice, the suddle, PG Stone Toads.  But I'm not the choicer. aha)

Rights of passage

In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell discusses how many ancient societies have ceremonies (sometimes grueling) to signify that an individual has reached adulthood and that, largely, this is absent in modern society.

Yesterday, I went to my friend Amy's Berkeley graduation party. As the day wore into the night, the lines between the generations were significantly blurred. We taught Amy's parents and their friends how to hit a hookah and how to play beer pong. It was really a blast for everyone.

To me, the moving trip with my best friend's dad and last night's party was my own right of passage. I've already began to embrace certain things that adulthood entails and this growing up thing couldn't have happened much more naturally. I'm ready for the next stage which is already under way.

Life is good

the last two days

I left at 4:00 am Thursday to help my best friend Will's wife move from Ventura up to the bay.  It was me and Will's dad.  It was interesting interacting with him me being an adult now, especially since he was like my dad growing up (Will and I were joined at the hip for many years).  We took a detour to Pinnacle National Monument, which is the site of some really cool seismic action.  Giant shards of rock pushed up into the sky slowly over the years.  We were looking at a sign about the endangered California Condor and saying how cool it would be to see one.  Just then, we hear this flapping of wings and we see a tree with about 20 of these birds!  They were so awesome.  Wing span of about 9 feet.  They were just waking up and starting their day.  I felt pretty honored to see it...

We got to Stef's that afternoon and helped pack up.  One of Stef's friends, a girl named Courtney, was there.  She had kind of a catty Mona Lisa look, hair parted down the side of her face and long fingernails.  She is a straight edge insomniac working to help recovering addicts who likes to garden.  We had some great one-on-one conversations.  I like her...can you tell?

The next day, we loaded everything in the Penske and me, Stef and Will's dad drove to the bay in our respective vehicles.  101 ocean view...sunset..."1979" by the Smashing Pumpkins.  It was so good to leave the bay for a while.  I love helping Will, Stef and Will's family because of the bond we have.  It won't be long until I'm Uncle Jeremy!  :)  Will is going to be in Kuwait when Stef is due and I've made it as clear as possible that I'll do anything I can to help out.  She just left all her friends to move up here to live with the in-laws, a bold move!  Feeling grateful to have these people in my life.

Rooftop

Testing my new blog app on my iPhone from my roof (making sure it'll work for my trip) It's great up here!

cage clarity

many have tried to cage clarity

and failed

it's forms are infinite!

those who claim to

walk with it

or even hold it captive

will have to face

it's many faces 

and the most divine books

are just sparkles

in the raging sun

still, let them be read

but no more than

the clouds

by children in green meadows

and the most powerful people

are just products of discomfort

in their own marketplace

still, let them be crowned

but no more than

the sounds

by drums in golden rings

and the most rigid institutions

are just catalysts for the greatest change

in the ashes of it's passing past

still, let them hold their minds

but no more than

the magic

by mystery in black nights

House on MacKenzie Hill

A city official parked his sun faded black car and took a sip of cheap coffee before approaching the door of the most curious property on the block. He rang the doorbell a few times only to notice he couldn't hear it inside the house. It must be broken, he thought. After one solid rap on the door a man appeared. The lines on his face seemed to tell an elaborate story. His brown and grey hair was pulled into a pony tail, but some hairs kinked out like branches of a tree on a cliff's edge.

“Hello, sir. There's been a domestic report from your neighbor of an unkempt lawn. I've been told that you've been warned about it and were aware financial actions would be taken. May I ask why you haven't cut it yet?” said the city official. It was a reasonable question, he thought, amidst a lawn of jungle proportion.

The man didn't answer him for a long moment and before the official spoke up again, the man began, “Well...only because you've asked like you did, I'll tell you. I haven't had anyone to...love for about 22 years. No tender moments. 22 years. And for about 21 of those years, like a fool, I was out here, mowing this lawn 30 minutes every week without even thinking twice about it. Anyways, one evening, I caught a beautiful sunset. And watching that day turn to night, like so many before it, something suddenly became clear: I'd wasted a lot of time. So I promised myself I wouldn't mow the lawn, or do anything else that might deter me from what I'm looking for. I may not know what it is just yet, but I know what it isn't.” The man paused and started again, louder now: “ And besides, what would I gain from turning the fruit of the earth into dead meat?” The man shot the official with a pair of eyes glowing with an unclear light.

The official thought about acting like he understood what the man was talking about, but thought better to ignore it altogether. “According to City Law 2495,” he relayed, “your lawn must be under 2 feet tall, and it is of no argument that this is far beyond 2 feet. Because you've already been warned, I have no choice but to give you this ticket. The amount can be mailed to the address on the envelope, made out to the city, check only please. Have a nice day.” He had tried to be as brief and uncordial as possible, still shaken by the man's unapologetic oddness. He made his way down the path between the overwhelming fields.

He heard the man call again, “Hey...” His voice had taken on a more open-ended tone.

The official turned half way around and murmured, “mmhmm?”

“What do you think of real life and the real world?”

“What was that?” The official heard him but, again, hadn't the slightest clue what he was talking about. But now that his obligations were met, he allowed himself to be a bit intrigued.

“Well,” the man went on, “I always hear people talking about it don't you? They say 'that's not the real world' or 'this is not real life.' But no one ever says what the real life is. Do you happen to know what it is?”

The official thought for a moment. He hadn't been in this frame of mind since his college course in Philosophy. “Well, I suppose everyone has their own idea of what the real world is but no one really knows. It's different for everyone, I guess.”

The man felt an intractable urge to capitalize on the official's new uncertainty. “So I want to know then, why can't growing my lawn be my real world? My real life?”

The official replied, “It can. And me giving you this citation is mine.”

The man felt as he'd been cut down to size and the official felt he had found ground to stand on. No “have a nice day” this time. The man closed his door before an exchange could occur and the official drove off to his next stop.

The space between a period and exclamation mark

There should be another punctuation mark, I think.  When texting or writing a letter sometimes I look at the sentence I wrote and think "Well, if I just end this sentence with a period, I'll seem underwhelmed.  And if I end it with an exclamation mark, I'll appear loony to be so excited for such a thing."  Don't you agree?

Saul Williams

Some of my favorite quotes from the book ,Said the Shotgun to the Head.  More than brilliant.  It may affirm all you've ever known, that you didn't know yet...

"Have you ever lost yourself in a kiss? I mean pure psychedelic inebriation.  Not just lustful petting but transcendental metamorphosis when you became aware that the greatness of this being was breathing into you.  Licking the sides and corners of your mouth, like sealing a thousand fleshy envelopes filled with the essence of your passionate being and then opened by the same mouth and delivered back to you, over and over again- the first kiss of the rest of your life.  A kiss that confirms that the universe is alligned, that the world's greatest resource is love, and maybe even that God is a woman."

"Come see how death is a myth. There are no deceased only deceived.  Death only awaits those who believed"

"I have committed myself to adultery.  I will only sleep with GOD's wife.  Our affair is no secret; he gets his thrills from watching us.  I cannot tear myself from her eyes.  I am, indeed, her pupil and no longer fear the unseen"

"I am like a survivor of the flood walking through the streets drenched with God suprised that all of the drowned victims and still walking and talking"

"Have you ever been? Are you experienced? Have you ever been to electric lady land?  Did you drink from the fountain?  Did you bask in her molten core?  Did she call your name and guide her to her peak?  Did you feel her quake and tremble?  Did you feel the need to restrain her?  Did she unmask her loving fury?  Did she frighten you?  Did you question what it felt like to have someone inside you?  To swallow life and incubate a world to come?  Did you ask her how it felt to be God incarnate?  To be the daughter of the moon bearing the sun?"

"This earth is our sanctuary, nothing more need be built"

"You have shown me a love that cannot be given or taken.  Let us bask in the fullness of ourselves"

"She kissed as if she, alone, could forge the signature of the sun"

"O my friends, the greatest Americans have not been born yet. They are waiting patiently for the past to die"

"Throw away your map and swallow this cratered pill.  Pull it from the sky and let it dissolve under your tongue.  It is only a matter of time before we are timeless.  Do you feel it yet? Wow.  I can trace each shadow back to its origin.  Can you feel it yet?  Drink more water, take deeper breaths.  Wow.  Why have I been so afraid of love?  So afraid of being vulnerable?  So afraid of being open?  It's like every mannerism and gesture was a lie, some sort of shield to protect me from the judgement of others.   Oh my god.  Turn the music up.  Do you feel that bass line?  It feels like a snake."

"Eve was just open and that's what scared that father/sun god. Ha! That's why they named her Eve.  They were just afraid of the dark.  Scared of their mother's own womb.  Afraid of the unknown."

"Intelligence is intuitive: you needn't learn to love unless you've been taught to fear and hate"

Swoon to the Moon

I stopped running to be captured

To you, moon

 in full bloom tonight

Against purples grays blues

I get it now!

More humble than the sun

More mysterious than the wind

Yet words are not a path to your blessing!

I get it now...

You're tomorrow whispered in my ear

Your glow in my eyes

Inna dem sweet echo chamba!

The Wailing Souls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7cMuFcjHBo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtLjp0dRJH0&feature=related

My new blog site

With the direction of the world economy, I am finding it more valuable than ever to find out what's really going down!  I know that there are other people who feel the same way so I started this to share what I'm finding.  It's a separate blog because I expect it to get a little mucky...also,  I understand that life will go on, so I make it an effort to keep these issues a safe distance from my personal life. Like John Lennon said, "all I want is the truth!"

Beauty in Differences

Two things usually happen when you meet someone who is very different than you.  Your differences keep you polarized or they can help you reach a higher level of empathy, knowledge and interest.  Usually for me, it's been the ladder. 

Today was a good example of that.  I went to lay down guitar over some beats from a producer I met in the streets. He's very talented and has produced tracks for some artists big in the bay rap scene. We made some music happen which was nice, but nicer was the meeting of minds.  An understanding, positive spirit that defies skin color, culture, etc.  And when it defies these things, it only reinforces it's own strength...

I hold these encounters dear and hope to have a slew of them in Europe!

"The world is just a small town, we all know how people like to get down." -Slug

Too Much of Nothing

"Now, too much of nothing
Can make a man feel ill at ease.
One man's temper might rise
While another man's temper might freeze.
In the day of confession
We cannot mock a soul.
Oh, when there's too much of nothing,
No one has control.

Too much of nothing
Can make a man abuse a king.
He can walk the streets and boast like most
But he wouldn't know a thing.
Now, it's all been done before,
It's all been written in the book,
But when there's too much of nothing,
Nobody should look.

Too much of nothing
Can turn a man into a liar,
It can cause one man to sleep on nails
And another man to eat fire.
Ev'rybody's doin' somethin',
I heard it in a dream,
But when there's too much of nothing,
It just makes a fella mean."

-Bob Dylan

John Lennon quote

When asked about the people who tried to deport him out of America:  "I don't worry about them because time wounds all heels."

Ahahaha.  John Lennon = Funniest Beatle.

Benjamin Zander on success

"I have a definition of success.  For me it's very simple.  It's not about wealth and fame and power, it's about how many shiny eyes I have around me."

This is worth 20 minutes of your time, trust me: www.ted.com/index.php/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html

San Francisco

McDonald's and murals.  People walking briskly, head down, mp3 device in use.  Another people crowded together dark and soil, day laborers.  The buildings block the sky and if death struck the sidewalk I'd be suprised if someone was suprised.  

Jeff Dunham fans display arrogance/ignorance. I'm not suprised.

For those of you who don't know this comedian, he is a ventriloquist who has a bunch of puppets that he does stand up shows with.  Personally, I don't think he's funny but he's very popular (type in a single "j" in youtube and he comes up) He has an old man puppet.  On Jeff's Xmas special, he says, "Happy Holidays." Old man puppet says, "It's not Happy Holidays, it's Merry Christmas!"  The audience goes into cheers and applause, louder than the rest of the whole show.  Dunham: "You know there are other belief systems other than yours." Old Man: "Yeah, but they're wrong!"  Audience cheers again.

This was recorded in late 2008...this is where we're at culturally, folks. [Sigh]

She inspiringly releases her serpent

by showing nothing but her beauty

before flying away 

into her own sky

So it seems

that those who cower in their worship in God

cower from themselves

and those that find strength in their worship in God

find strength from themselves

because whether you are cowering or finding strength

the relationship is the same

whether you are living at peace 

with this connection in God

or fighting against it

Rumi

Listen, O drop, give yourself up without regret,

and in exchange gain the Ocean.

Listen, O drop, bestow upon yourself this honor,

and in the arms of the Sea be secure.

Who indeed should be so fortunate?

An Ocean wooing a drop!

In God's name, in God's name, sell and buy at once!

Give a drop, and take this sea of pearls

Etch-A-Sketch

I need to shake a few women out of my head.  Both very nice but not right for me.

Back to this: "The most empowering thing you can realize is that nobody is coming to save you." -Unknown

Untitled

Let's not sleep in the t.v.

like caged dogs

petting one another

Let's roam the green and blue

like panting wolves

running side by side

A place that occupies no space

"We know a place where no planes go

We know a place where  no ships go

No cars go

Where we know

We know a place no spaceships go

We know a place no subs go

Where we know"

- The Arcade Fire

"When the whole world lets you down

And there's nowhere for you to turn

Because all of your best friends let you down

Then you try to accumulate 

But the world is full of hate

So all of your best thoughts just drift through space

I know a place where we can carry on

I know a place where we can carry on

We can carry on, We can carry on"

- Bob Marley

I think that both of these songs refer to the same "place."  Both songs clarify that it is not a place on this world.  Also, both leave the place undefined.  I think that they are talking about a state of mind unique to each individual where they can find peace that no one and no where else can give them...I have a place of my own and couldn't see myself without it.

Oyster Bay

I went on a bike ride today to Oyster Bay.  I laid in the grass and heard the birds.  On the way back I witnessed young love and also shared smiles with some people. The simple pleasures...

The band covered our first Beatles song today

It's about time!  It's really fun screaming "don't let me down" like John Lennon did...

Amazing Somali Pen Pal!

Ever since I've found out about Somalia's situation from K'naan, I've been interested in it. He talks about a nation of proud, peaceful poets that he knew as a child, and how it all flipped with horrible murder, rape, war, etc. out of nowhere and had to flee the country.  For a better idea, you can stream both of his albums on myspace. Because I can't trust our media, I decided to find a pen pal.  I became K'naan's myspace friend and found this gorgeous girl that was also on his friends list.  Here's our first letters:

"How are things in Somalia these days?  Is there peace in the air...or maybe coming soon?

What is life like for you?  What do you do for work?  Fun?  Thanks for accepting my friend request.  You are very beautiful!

Blessings,

Jeremy"

"well your welcome, and your good looking yourself and am not just saying that lol.

well life in Somalia is not so bad depending on where you are or how much money you got. Most places in Somalia is very hard to live in most cases.  Really i don't know where to start but i will tell you about little of my past and little of what i know now. there is starvation, killings/rape and many other tragedies. For you to know or to even imagine i would maybe tell you to maybe fallow the Somali news and look for photos there.  Now i am Somalian but have not been there for the past 11 years.  my family left there when i was a child cause of the war broke out.  my family were some what rich at that moment cause of my dad had a good job and my mom was a stay home mom. when the war broke out my family went to Ethiopia where my father was arrested cause of him being in the Somali military (Somalia and Ethiopia are not the best neighbors) he was gone for i think about 4 years and then was back with us in a little city called sagag. my family lived there for about 7 years out of my uncles home (that's where we were stayiing at because our houses got shot up and we couldn't even go back there because it was too dangerous.  So me and my brother were come out and we herd several of gun shot and before we even tried to turn bak there came this man that was running and carrying another man was bleeding and for me that was the worst i ever seen with my eyes but i have other experiences of this nature.  Now at this moment me and 5 of my siblings are on our way to the u.s.  my father and younger brothers and sister are still there and its very hard because i dont know if and when one or all of my family members are going to get killed hurt.  i have lost uncles, aunts, cousings and many other people like my neighbor just 8 months ago my cousin was shot 8 times and stabbed many times while he was praying at one of the mosques by the Ethiopian troops that were there at the moment and a week later my dad and my brother got shot at while they were getting food and blankets from our house.

that's just a little touch up on my country and one things that happened to me.  Now Somalia has a new president that was liked at first but now many people are second guessing themselves.  The one before him was actually thrown out office and is not allowed to go to most of the other African countries because this guy is crazy i mean he worse then Bush now imagine that.  there was a little fighting going on last time i talk to my father but he said it was better.  i am actually going to call me father after i stop writing you and see how things are.  I have plans to go back there sometime this year.

i hope this does not bored you but answered our questions.  Feel free to ask whatever you like and i would be more then happy to answer.

Peace be with you!"

Kiss de Gurl!

Seeing old friends is so good for me, especially Will.  He always brings out a lively, jovial side of me that I don't think I'll find anywhere else.

The ceremony was very low key being that they only had about 3 weeks to plan it.  Which is good because I don't think many people like the stuffiness of a traditional wedding.  It was great to see some old friends and [nearly] family that I haven't seen in a while and make some new acquaintances.  The spot I was standing for the ceremony was great; I could see the excitement on Stephanie's face and all the weeping family members.  

The best man speech wasn't so bad!  I made people laugh and hopefully touched some hearts :P. It's good to be home being I only slept about 6 hours all weekend. But at the same time, I saw some wonderful acts of love and solidarity and it's hard to come back to my lackluster scene.  It felt like a sign to get up and do something...

The Art of Walking

I went to see a youth travel agency (STAtravel.com) today and booked my flights for Europe!  I talked to a more than helpful woman, more like an angel, with plenty of experience in traveling and saving money for people like me.  It was a flat rate of $30 for all the logistical planning she's doing for me. I came in with a wish list of countries (11 total) I wanted to go to and she said my whole trip is doable on my budget!  With the combination of the Eurail pass and flights, I'll be staying in hostels in England, Ireland, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, and Austria over the course of about 6 weeks.

Walking is an art; it really is.  Well, the way I look at it.  You could just walk for practical purposes alone,  I guess. But there's a world you are interacting with as you travel.   I've seen people that walk in a way that draws you in, makes you want to go with them.  That's the kind of walking I want to do in Europe.

My thoughts are being cut short, leaving to my friend Will's wedding.  Best Man speech time!

Bay Art Yards

The Mountainous Pile of Beer Bottles

...created from my band weighed 132 lbs. 

I took in all kinds of recycling today and earned a whopping $75 for my trip.  It's really all I've been thinking about it.  However, I try not to talk about it much...for one, no one wants to hear me jabber on about my grand vision for an excursion, which will probably happen in June or July.  And two, I'll probably be updating this blog from location when it happens...but just know...I'm so stoked.

Europe

is my new destination.  Thanks to Joe for the words of encouragement....

Democratic Convention Update

If you aren't one of the people I informed about this, here's the situation, abridged: My friend Vernon went to the Democratic Convention in October last year to peacefully protest.  It turned out to be an unbelievable, horrible scene.  Police with brass knuckles with spikes arrested several protestors and charged them with multiple felonies!  While Vernon was in jail, he saw a guy ask for more food, only to get pepper sprayed and a bag over his head...which he threw up in. 

Yeah, I know, right?  UC Santa Cruz funded the protestors charged and the UN disapproved of the inhumane tactics used.

But the good news is, after having to move to Minneapolis in October for the court cases, my friend Vernon is now a free man!  

I think the biggest injustice is that the media wasn't alerted of this at all!  Too bad someone didn't have a cell phone camera like on New Year's Eve...

A story about why I sometimes cannot respect my elders:

I had to go to an EDD workshop today, to continue collecting my unemployment.  We had to bring a log of our efforts to find work and learn about available resources.  It was a really hopeless scene:  The instructor was a recent transfer and didn't really know what she was doing.  Most of the attendees were much older than me and many seemed timid and/or depressed.

I tried to bring a bit of light to the group...it needed it...and a woman probably in her 60's sitting next to me began talking to me quietly during the presentation.  I was friendly, but no more than necessary.  She asked me my last job was; I answered and felt like I should ask her.  She was an accountant.  Soon,  she complained about events of the class much.  I told her something like, "the world is too crazy for anyone to handle right now, and that's ok."

Just as we were getting out, she brought my attention to a man, probably in my age bracket, with large gauges in his ears and a general hardcore look.  "He is such a loser," she said.  He had spoken once the whole class and her mind was made up.  Maybe, she didn't even need to hear him, just look at him.  I could have said, "it's hard to talk about who's a loser when you, yourself, have a group of the unemployed as your peers."  I should have just said,  "judge not, yest ye be judged."  I can imagine the shock she would show; someone with my youth saying such a statement with such conviction.

But I didn't say anything.  Hopefully, my abrupt end to our converstation alluded to the fact that I lost all respect for her.

In Brighter News:  Check out Fela Kuti.  HOLY MOLY.  Take Miles Davis style jazz, James Brown style funk guitar, and African drums.  The best music for a dance party in your bedroom.  Try starting with the song "Zombie."

Muir Woods

This is Amala:

We met at Guitar Center today and I fell in love as soon as I played her.  Every strum just sounds like the heavens.  This acoustic has been a long time coming and now that it's here, I feel humbled by it...in a good way.  Thinking of becoming a street performer for a while...