Aku Aku

bush in wonderland

This is funny, an expat American has written a Japanese book on Bush-isms that purports to be a useful way to learn English. Excerpt:

"I�m Terri MacMillan. If I'm not mistaken, I may be the first middle-aged black woman, who's a native New York expat entrepreneur living in Tokyo to write a book of commentary on GW Bush's quotes on a variety of subjects, from an everyday American person's perspective.
[...]
Bush in Wonderland� includes a lot of background to help people who did not grow up in America see with a pair of American eyes. It also includes explanations of what is wrong, and better ways to say whatever Bush meant to say in each quote, so it's a good way to learn modern everyday American English that goes beyond �this is a pen�. And, the commentary gives you some of the background behind each quote, so that you can easily understand the context."

mercey hot springs: 2003 march

I haven't been posting much lately because I am once again working 12-20 hour days for a couple of weeks now. This past weekend however, I got out of my bedroom/office/cave and away from this blasted computer in order to attend the first outdoor party of the season. From spring through autumn weekend parties are held in various places in northern California, where participants camp in secluded locations and DJs play trance music for 48-72 hours straight. I really love these parties, there's nothing better than staying up all night dancing under the stars. It's pure bliss.

This one was at Mercey Hot Springs in central valley a couple of hours southeast of San Francisco. This early in the year the rolling hills are thick with green grass so camp fires are allowed which is very nice. On a stroll through the hills I ran into a pack of two dozen horses (including four foals) that were just beautiful. I wish I would have broguht my camera. My housemate Sean took a few pictures early on, but none from when the party really started. I found some older pics online from a previous party held there last year. I was at that one too, as I try to never miss a Goa Gil party. My friend Jeff Ballentine from Atlanta came out for this one, since he was in California on a business trip. It was a bit of an introduction to the outdoor party scene for him; he is also going to attend Burning Man this year for the first time. Although I think comparing these outdoor parties to Burning Man is like comparing a frozen gourmet pizza to a nine course gourmet meal served by angels.

Incidentally, while googling for some past Mercey Hot Springs pics I ran across a pretty funny blog entry that shows two views of a party that was held there, one from a SF Chronicle journalist, and one from someone who lives in the area: picking blackberries.

tamale with nuts

So for some reason I was still a little hungry after the sushi and I got a couple of veggie tamales at this art/benefit event and came outside to eat them. I was sitting by myself off in a far corner of the lot outside the Somarts gallery under the freeway and this sort of wild erratic moving butch dykish woman marches up to me and shouts something in some sort of slavic language. I'm kind of caught off guard so I just say "excuse me?" Then she says in thickly accented english "are you eating meat?" "No, veggie..." I reply and she blurts "Give me bite!" So I hand her the tamale but she just tears a chunk off and stuffs it in her mouth. I'm still trying figure out what just happened when she turns abruptly and bends over a log like she's facing Mecca for her evening prayers but pretty quickly she changes positions, pulls out a plastic baggie and starts rolling a big crumpled joint. I figure I better finish my tamale while she's distracted. She gets it rolled up and demands a light from some guy who walked by (again asking in some thick eastern bloc lingo first), then she offers me a hit which I decline (I don't think inebriation and motorcyle riding mix, although some of my friends disagree) and then she stalks off into the crowd again.
--Dav via Danger Hiptop
Update:
A couple of hours after that incident I was watching a band (F-Space) perform. One of the members, Scot Jenerik I think, was performing with a bizarre homemade stringed/percussion instrument that looked like a cross between a pogo stick and something you'd find in an industrial junkyard which he was beating on and slamming into the floor. He jumped off of the stage and started slamming it into the floor in front of the people seated there when that same nutty chick walked up and tried to take it from him. They struggled over it for a bit (while the rest of the band on stage kept playing on) then Jenerik completely lost his cool and grabbed her and started beating her head into a wall. They fell on the floor and wrestled around some more until finally audience members separated them. Nutty chick left out the back and Jenerik picked up his now-busted-up instrument went back on stage, threw it down again and stormed off the stage. Yeah! Punk Rock!

tim north benefit

Some quick hiptop pics at the Tim Noth Benefit being held at the Somarts Gallery downtown. Canvas, video, photographic and video art abound, plus robotic performances from Survival Research Laboratories and Peoplehater. Also two rooms of music and an eclectic silent auction. All benefits go towards local artist Tim "hoverdrum" North's medical expenses (he's recently entered a severe stage of cancer. Great entertainment for a worthy cause....
--Dav via Danger Hiptophttp://www.danger-island.com/dav/

salam and raed

I've been following a blog for a number of days now called
"Where is Raed ?" It is being maintained by an Iraqi man living in Baghdad.

The radio plays war songs from the 80�s non-stop. We know them all by heart. Driving thru Baghdad now singing along to songs saying things like �we will be with you till the day we die Saddam� was suddenly a bit too heavy, no one gave that line too much thought but somehow these days it is sounds sinister. Since last night one of the most played old �patriotic� songs is the song of the youth �al-fituuwa�, it is the code that all fidayeen should join their assigned units. And it is still being played.

A couple of hours earlier we were at a shop and a woman said as she was leaving, and this is a very common sentence, �we�ll see you tomorrow if good keeps us alive� � itha allah khalana taibeen � and the whole place just freezes. She laughed nervously and said she didn�t mean that, and we all laughed but these things start having a meaning beyond being figures of speech.

I hope Salam and Raed are still blogging for years to come....
[[[latitude=32.588078851451876]]] [[[longitude=44.35215228881839]]]

48 hours

Just sat through Bush's war announcement in a San Diego airport bar. Nothing new really, except for the demand that Saddam's sons also leave the country (within 48 hours). The mood in the room here was very somber. +ne person started clapping when the president went off the air, but gave up after a couple of seconds when he realized no one else shared his enthusiasm.
--Dav via Danger Hiptop
http://www.danger-island.com/dav/

american protester killed by israeli defense forces

Sigh. Israeli Bulldozer Kills U.S. Woman, 23.

An American woman in Gaza to protest Israeli operations was killed Sunday when she was run over by an Israeli bulldozer, witnesses and hospital officials said.

"Rachel was alone in front of the house as we were trying to get them to stop," Schnabel said. "She waved for the bulldozer to stop and waved. She fell down and the bulldozer kept going. We yelled, 'Stop, stop,' and the bulldozer didn't stop at all. It had completely run over her and then it reversed and ran back over her."

Witnesses said Corrie was wearing a brightly colored jacket when the bulldozer hit her. She had been a student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia and would have graduated this year, Schnabel said.

urban iditarod III

Made it to the finish line. Entirely too much running, next year I'm bringing a golf cart. At least no one got arrested.....--Dav via Danger Hiptophttp://www.danger-island.com/dav/

urban iditarod II

This was a lot more exercise than I anticipated, too much running and not enough guiness! Taking a much needed booze break in washington park, north beach.

The monkey crew noticed mayor willie brown eating lunch; that'll teach him not to eat at a window table......--Dav via Danger Hiptophttp://www.danger-island.com/dav/

urban iditarod

I decided to skip today's war protest and opted instead for the 9th annual Urban Iditarod. Dressed sharply as a trauma monkey, I and my cohorts will seize the day, or at least, seize the 40oz (carpe saint ives). Last blast before the end of the world.--Dav via Danger Hiptophttp://www.danger-island.com/dav/-----Original Attachments Unavailable-----