PseudoBlog Archives Year One
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	This new item will be an entry of happenings around the H/F HQ. We try to dip our toes into lots of interesting things so, until we figure out how to install the CGI scripts and run an actual bLog, you'll get regular entries right here in good ole' HTML. Once the bLogs get rollin', there'll be an archive page. (Thanks goes out to Een for blog inspiration...Golden Gate Bridge from the Wave Organ...a recent bike wandering with Een.)::04.02
	What a magical Earth Day in Precita Park. Talk about laid back; I thought they were just handing out backstage passes to all the volunteers. They had a limit for the puppet players, so I signed for Stephen, and got a second one anyway. No one checked them, and the performers just hung out. After the show, Deborah and I heard Bob Weir play "Happy Birthday" to Michael Franti. Everybody sang along with Woody Harrelson and Anthony Keidis, while Chet Helms and Wavy Gravy weren't too far away. Flea was wandering around that day too. Ah, the magic of San Francisco!::05.02
	Last night, I wanted to blog about just how much ass Yoda kicked in Episode II, and how the digital projection was yet another overrated techy "advancement" (I saw pixels, mostly in the midrange, throughout the movie). It changed this morning during my commute to work. At the BART station, one of the regular homeless people appeared to be dead at the foot of his wheelchair. Two older Latinos were making younger commuters get help. I stood there for a moment, didn't really know what I could do, and left to catch a train. I pass at least 20 homeless people on my commute to and from work, and am constantly affected by this. Being a small town boy, I doubt I'll ever understand why we dispossess and forget the people that fall through the cracks of our capitalist system. PS That homeless person is still alive, and on the street.::06.02:: Homeless Solutions
	I have known about Ammachi for several years now, but have never made it out to her M.A. Center in San Ramon. Amma, or Mother, is a living Hindu saint, and the embodiment of love. She does extensive community service and runs many hospitals and schools. Amma is probably most famous for her darshan hugs. She will sit in a chair for as long as it takes to hug and bless everyone that wants to wait for it. Deborah and I went to her center recently. We ran into Sam there, and got to break in line and park close because it was our first time. Everyone was really nice, the food was good, the music spiritual. When she hugged us (me, then Deborah, then both of us) she murmured tones in our ear, held us close, showered us with rose petals, and then gave us a Hershey's Kiss after kissing our hands. What a great way to cast out the heavy shadows and begin to focus on the final stretch to our wedding. The embodiment of love kissing the couple in love, a great way to start the wedding countdown.:::07.02
The Temple of Joy at Burningman 2002 was a masterpiece. I say was because it burned up in a beautiful pyre on Sunday night. People wept as the flames spun upwards. It was designed to throw off tall dust devils, and the crowd wasn't disappointed. At one point, someone released about 6 birds. They looked like ducks, but I wasn't sure. At several points, they seemed to be attempting suicide by diving dangerously close to the temple fire. Made from recycled pieces of wood, most of which came from a Northern California toy factory, the Temple of Joy was a way for people to gain closure from the past year. Before the burn happened, a woman sang Amazing Grace. Another man unfurled a huge American flag, and then tossed it in to burn. I end it this way, because, like our memories, we all turn into ashes. Flag, ducks, and Temple... :::09.02
	October 26 was a big day around the world. Hundreds of thousands of people protested the looming war between the U.S. and Iraq. Before I got on BART, Loco Bloco was drumming up a group of protesters at the 24th/Mission station. On BART I chatted with a woman and the four children she had in tow. At Embarcadero, I ran into my friend Kirsten, and then had a chat with Utah Phillips. I ended up marching all the way to City Hall (see the pic) with David M. and his puppet. The whole way a random kid, and his mom, marched with us. "Somebody's gone to the potty" was our chant while people snapped pics. Afterwards, I ended up in an illegal march with Pod and friends. Amazing day, reminding me of the potential of "we the people.":::10.02
	One day in LA. That's all I really had when I went down there to spend Thanksgiving with Deborah's cousins. They live in Whittier, an area well outside of all the glamour and glitz. My friend Nia drove us to Venice, where we ate kettle corn, looked at the touristy art, and I shot stencil pics. It started to rain when we left for Hollywood Blvd. Saw Jimi Hendrix's star, the Marx Bros. feetprints, and the 6-story, neon Scientology sign. Also visited with Hovik, an amazing artist from Armenia. Great guy too. We ended the day with, what else, a movie. Saw the Secretary in a theater on Fairfax, amidst the second night of Hanukah celebrations. Next trip will be longer.:::11.03
	January is always a sad month for me. Not because the holidays are over, but because everyone throws out their dead/near dead Christmas tree. All across San Francisco, and every other major city, trees are stripped and orphaned. Their sad state is exposed to the world, as they spend their last pre-mulch days drying out on the sidewalk. If I were a kid, all the discarded trees would really upset met. Hell, I think I need therapy now because of this barbaric ritual. Anybody got a sad tree therapist?:::12.02
You just gotta have faith that things are going to work out in this life. I spent a great Sunday at the Montara hostel. It was a CELLspace retreat, so we spent most of the day trying to focus on the vision of the next incarnation of cell. Serious stuff was discussed with the hope that we will create a plan for the future of cell and then implement that plan. Talk about alot of work! We will make it happen, or die trying.:::01.03
	Ah, marriage. Let's see: I just went to a wedding three weeks ago. My friends Stephen and Pamela just got engaged. Fabian and Rebecca are planning their wedding. They have two friends who are planning their wedding. Another friend, Lisa, just got engaged. It isn't spring yet, but the soil sure is fertile for planting some enternal-lasting roots. At least, that seems to be happening all around me right now. Maybe I'm at the age where it's time to stabilize. In these unstable times, we need all the love we can get.:::02.03
	Thursday was surreal. I took the day off for the Puppet Supper and ended up protesting a stupid war. I rode my bike downtown with friends around 7am and had lost them all by 10am. I found a large group of bikes and headed to I-80 with them. The CHP had already blocked the freeway exits; they hazed us by driving motorcycles through our group. There were protests all over the place, hundreds getting arrested (some of them were my friends), and thousands stuck in the middle of it. Lots of anger on both sides that day. It may inconvenience people, but if they realized how their tax dollars are being used, then they'd agree that Bush, Inc. is the inconvenience. Exhausted, I left the protests around 2pm and went to CELLspace for the show. Since then, I've been physically sick. Strange weekend indeed, but the show must go on.::03.03
	Is it Earth Day already? Has it been a year since HappyFeet v.2 was uploaded for the world to enjoy? We surely live in strange times; the 21st Century seems to be full of many surprises. Of course, every day, or decade maybe, is Earth Day for the tall-standing redwoods. I've been on a few trips lately, resting up from being sick and exhausted, and never tire of wandering in the redwoods. If you spend most of your time surrounded by concrete, you should take a trip to your nearest State Park and soak in the timeless vibe of nature. Hanging around centuries old trees makes one forget the daily chores and tribulations; the monthly wars, the yearly crusades masked in religion and nationalism. If a tree spoke English, it would probably ask, "where were you during the fire of 1756?" Or maybe the tree would just say OM.:::04.03

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