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...