Berkeley and LSD

LSD and Berkeley seem to go hand in hand. I do not think LSD is necessarily a bad thing, or a good thing, but an experience that is what it is for those who choose to indulge. Like most other things, if you do not do it in moderation, it will rot your brain, and affect your longterm memory, and really screw up your mind. I know of a fight (a duel, perhaps) about ten years ago. Two potheads got into a fight, and one was on LSD. Ten years later, one of the people did not remember anything about the incident, and then one day, all of a sudden, right here in Berkeley, came up to his forgotten enemy and it all came whooshing back. I don't know, I don't judge crazy Berkeley, it saddens me, though that two grown men cannot come to peace, and let bygones be bygones. I remember I was at a protest once, and someone yelled, "peace, love, and LSD," but a lot of the other protesters were saying, "hey, don't talk like that, it's illegal!"

Well, I think that's the problem with this country: people don't talk it out. They don't look each other in the eye. They don't talk shit to each other, and then they don't have the ability to rise above their egos, and admit when people are wrong, and in the end, there's no peaceful closure. This is a hard world to live in, a hard time, and one hell of a society. It saddens me that I rarely see people come to terms with each other. If people got a long more, and forgave each other, I think they'd have much better trips.

That fight that I spoke of, happens every day. Even in Berkeley, where we are so liberal, and yet...people who call themselves men, really act like big kids. Maybe it's part of their trip. Maybe it's part of reality. Maybe it's the monitor melting into the desk, or seeing M&Ms when you look at yourself in the mirror, or hearing the radio through the microwave. Maybe Jimi Hendrix really is on the fence over there, and then maybe my CP gets better on this trip, but the bottom line is, folks, we're all on this trip together, and the journey would be a hell of a lot more fun if we could all put aside our differences, and just get along. Just imagine how easy it would be to come down from a high if everyone had the same vision...I can't save the world, and I can't tell people what to do, but I think that when you can come to terms with differences, it shows who the real men are, and it shows that as a group, even if it's a small group of people, we can change the world together. Also, if people choose to live in the park (People's Park), they should all respect each other. It's a historic place in Berkeley, and should be treated as such.

A Beautiful Day For a Protest

McDonalds Protest

I was there from 11am-1pm, and the camaraderie was great! There was about 50 people+ in chairs, and a lot of people honked in support. I will let you all know what the next act is.

Nick

Tree Sitters

The oak tree grove is a beautiful place that should be cherished, not destroyed by the university in the name of building a new stadium. I think that the university and it's admins are not nearly as old as those trees are. The tree sitters are courageous people who should not be charged with a crime. The UC police should not hurt them in any way, and they should receive the proper food. Having been in many civil rights struggles over the years, I know how hard it is for those people to put aside their differences, and stay in those trees. Keeping the momentum going for over a year, and just barely staying alive says a lot to the perseverance of those people, the cause, and everything it stands for. There's not many of them, and there are too many of us not being involved. I long to sit in those trees, or when I am 80 years old, witness their growth, and bow down to their beauty. Let the trees stay, and let the people go free.

BCC Berkeley City Council

Tonight I went to the Berkeley City Council meeting, and it was pretty boring. The tribute to Dona Spring before the meeting and a mention by Kriss Worthington that there would be a life celebration on August 10th at the park seemed pretty cool. I will be on channel 28 sporadically over the next few days. Channel 28 is the East Bay local channel.

Remembering Council Member Dona Spring

Dona was an amazing person. Her leadership on the Berkeley City Council was valued to say the least. The disability community and Dona saw along the same lines on many different, complex issues that faced the city of Berkeley. I personally remember working with Dona on the second term of the City Emergency Service program for people with severe physical disabilities who required attendant care. When the council didn't know about a disability related issue, they would look to Dona for guidance, and advice. I remember her as charismatic, non-judgmental, very open minded, and very determined. Dona was an avid activist for disabled students, and community members. I really liked that she was for the warm pool here in Berkeley, and it's reconstruction, and I remember watching a live city council meeting online, and Dona said, "We need a warm pool now!"

Inside Bay Area article