102404

 

Berkeley, CA

Sunday October 24, 2004

     9:14am  I woke up in that empty lot down Blake. Nobody else crashed there. It was all wet, but it didn't rain. I put down my rain poncho and stayed dry.

     9:20am  I went in the Cafe Mediterranean and asked them if they could fill up my water bottle. They told me, "We only have bottled water." I said, "What? You're not going to fill up my water bottle? You can't just fill it up in the sink?" Ugh, I looked the guy straight in the face and told him, "Greed shall be your downfall," and just walked out.

     9:21am  Bob is hooking me up with a cigarette on Telegraph. I appreciate it, brother. Sweet, he gave me two.

     10:26am  Jared hooked me up with a cigarette on Telegraph.

     10:37am  It's Sunday morning and I'm out here spanging.

     11:10am  This one girl stopped at the Lavalle Pizza Berkeley. At first she agreed to, but bhe wouldn't listen to me. She just walked off and said, "I gotta go, I gotta go." I told her, "Thanks for proving me right. Ignorance is bliss." She said, "Oh, I'm not ignorant." I said, "Then why are you walking off?"

     11:40am  Jordan hooked me up with a cigarette on Telegraph. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     12:07pm  I forgot to make my daily prayer. Please Great Spirit, Love, whatever you want to be called, God even, please grant me some good fortune today. I'm sorry I got a little bummed out because no one was listening to me. I'm still being productive because every time they walk by I ask them if they've always been that ignorant or just plain, "Ignorance is bliss, I guess," and I'm making them think.

     12:37pm  Nigal, who I remembered from last year came up and talked to me.

     12:39pm  I am back on my corner. Telegraph and Haste. In front of Cody's Bookstore.

     1:05pm  Paul and Haley, not only attentively listened to my story, but Paul hooked me up with five dollars. I appreciate it, brother. I can go buy my pipe now. Oh yeah, I never told you I had lost my one-hitter.

                   My prayers were answered once more.

                    I came back to my corner. It's all about my corner.

     2:06pm  Andrew hooked me up with a cigarette in front of Cody's. I appreciate it, brother.

     2:15pm  Another guy stopped and talked to me. He listened to my story. I hit him up for the odyssey story, but they had to go inside to Cody's. One of them told me, "I'm sorry I just walked by earlier and didn't listen."

                   Hehe, when people walk by and I tell them, "Can I tell you a really interesting story? I'm not asking for anything. I just want you to listen," when they ignore me and keep walking I yell, "See! Nobody listens! This world is doomed!"

     3:00pm  Sean hooked me up with a cigarette in front of Cody's. I appreciate it, brother.

     3:10pm  What was your name again? Not only did Kezi Christian listen to my story, but she wants to give me some input. What's that?

                    Kezi: "My basic input is, like I said before but I'll repeat it, I think that your mission is beautiful. I think it's important. I think that one man or woman can change the world and that it begins with each of us. Our communities and our environment are conducive of what we allow to poison and toxin, or not to poison and toxin our environment and our creativity, and our focus in our world, in our surroundings. This is a new world order. A whole other beginning. I'm a revolutionist as well. I have traveled the world. I am worldly. I speak languages known from New York to Mexico to London. I've been in this game as a writer for a very long time and I will remain as an activist by understanding a piece of the answer. John Lennon had it imagined. He had an epiphany. He had a metamorphosis. He had everything and he understood it. Bob Marley understood it. Bob Dylan still understands it. People are talking about how Janis Joplin understood it. Jimmy Hendrix understood it. Everybody understood it. They were telling us that then and we were stupid now and history is, of course, repeating itself.

     4:00pm  Captain Cannabis is hooking me up with a pinch of weed in the park. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     4:15pm  Smile aka Cannabis King smoked me out in the park again. I appreciate it, brother. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. I threw away those two books I had. I didn't want to read either one of them. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and the New World Order One.

     4:42pm  I went up to some guy reading a book. I asked him if I could tell him my story and he said, "I'm kind of busy. I have to go soon."

     4:44pm  Obie hooked me up with a cigarette outside Cafe Mediterranean. I appreciate it, brother.

     5:12pm  I had the most interesting presentation with this big group of kids. They wouldn't listen to me at all. They'll be talking about me, I'm sure. Outside of Gypsy Trader.

     7:05pm  James hooked me up with some change for my donut. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     7:10pm  I forgot to mention that Jared got me high. I've been standing in front of the donut shop trying to get me a donut. Some guy gave me fifty cents. Oh yeah, I started doing this. When I ask them for spare change and they don't acknowledge me and keep walking I yell, "Fine then! Have it your way!" just to be funny. When they at least tell me, "No, sorry," I tell them, "Thanks anyway."

     7:13pm  Roshan hooked me up with some change for my donut. I appreciate it, brother.

     7:19pm  Kathlyn walked by and gave me a whole dollar for my donut. I appreciate it, Kathlyn. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     7:24pm  I just went into the donut shop since that girl gave me a dollar. The dude who hooked me up last time was working. Remember, he had given me two day old bags for just one dollar. I asked him, "Hey, how much is this one?" He told me, "It's only a dollar." They're $1.50, but he let me have it for a dollar. I pulled out my tape recorder and told him, "You know what I'm doing, right?" He said yeah, hehe.

     7:29pm  Stephanos hooked me up with a dollar. He had heard me yelling at people walking by, hehe. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:12pm  Sam hooked me up with a Persian cigarette on Telegraph. I appreciate it, Sam. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     9:25pm  I'm going to head back to that empty lot. Oh yeah, tonight this guy who listened to all my stories and smoked me out, he ended up tagging along with me wherever I went. I was a bit bummed thinking, "Damnit, I want to divorce this guy already." When I was yelling at people this one guy came up to me and I told him my story. He ended up inviting me to dinner. The other guy tagged along too. We went to the Naan and Curry place and ate some Indian food. He was really cool. Since that other dude was tagging along I didn't record it. It sucks I won't be able to describe that guy who took me to lunch as cool as he was. He was cool, though. I'm going to go to bed. I'm tired.

Next day..