121003

 

Arcata to Garberville to Willits to Ukiah to Sausalito to Berkeley, CA

Wednesday December 10, 2003

     8:10am  I'm already at Muddy Waters waiting for Lynne. I had woken up at Kati's. I searched around and made sure I wasn't leaving anything. I was in a hurry to leave because of Cassandra. Her friend Cecilia drove me to Muddy Waters since it was on her way to go to school. I'm at Muddy Waters now waiting for Lynne to show up. Then, I'll be on my way. On my way to the Buddhist temple in Ukiah. That's where I'm going. Today is Wednesday, so hopefully I'll get that free ride out there from that nice bus driver. Badass, things are working out. Later on.

     8:32am  I just called Lynne from some guys cellphone. She's on her way. She's coming shortly.

     8:48am  Still no Lynne.

     8:52am  Lynne showed up finally.

     8:56am  Man, I really hope these batteries I have in my recorder last me.

     10:34am  We are in Garberville.

     10:39am  We came over to Lynne's friend's and I just took a picture of that awesome massage chair.

     11:54am  I just took a picture of Lynne.  

                     Be sure to look up Reiki online.

     12:00pm  We came to eat brunch at the Liberty Cafe. When the waitress asked what I wanted I told her to surprise me(like I always do when I get free food). I got me a yummy omelet and Lynne was nice enough to cover it for me. I appreciate it, Lynne.

     2:11pm  We've stopped in Willits at a gas station to get some gas.

                   We're in Ukiah. I just came here to get some email addresses and talk to some people.

                    Look up kenaf on the Internet. It's an alternative for paper.

                    Okay, I looked up kenaf. Check it out at: http://www.visionpaper.com/kenaf2.html

     3:20pm  I just walked into the Buddhist temple here in Ukiah.

 

The City of 10,000 Buddha's. Let me take a picture. We drove down Bodi Way Road in Talmage.

                   There's another Buddhist monastery in Berkeley at 2304 McKinley Avenue. It's the Institute for World Religions at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery.

                   I went up to some dude at a desk and told him, "I have a plan for world peace. I want to tell you something. Will you direct me to anyone who will listen?" He told me I had to register and do all this shit. I changed my mind, though. Now that I learned there were Buddhists in Berkeley, I can just go talk to them there. He gave me their website. www.drba.org

     3:53pm  We are in Hopland now. We came to Real Goods. Everything here is all recycled and stuff. Awesome.

                   Electric vehicle recharging station. 

                   I took a picture of this Reduce and Recycle sign.

 

                   I think I only have a couple pictures left on this camera. I should be conserving.

                   Let me read the caption on this one sign in front of these solar panels. It says, "These photovoltaic arrays are attracting the sun to maximize(couldn't understand the rest of that sentence). The small box at the top contains an optical device which always points towards the sun. It directs the motorized array so that the solar modules always face the sun. This creates a "high noon" effect all day long. If you are here on an overcast day, you may notice the modules pointing straight up in an effort to locate the sun. Even on cloudy days, our modules generate a small amount of clean, quiet electricity. When the sun is shining our total system generates approximately 10 kilowatts of power. That is enough to run our entire site with some left over to sell back to the utility company."

                   I just walked up to this thing called a Solar Water Distiller. It says, "This example is a closed system solar water distiller. It demonstrates how any water source, including sea water can be converted into potable water. Once water enters the distiller at the top, it is quickly evaporated in the sun warmed trays. The water vapor then condenses on the cooler glass surface above and runs down into the collection bottle. Our distiller was constructed by Solar Living Institute interns. It produces as much as 5 gallons a day."

                   May peace prevail on earth.

     4:05pm  I need to read to you the big global-warming thing. It says, "Potential climate change impacts.

                   Health impacts - Weather-related mortality, infectious diseases, air-quality, respiratory illnesses.

                   Agricultural impacts - crop fields, irrigation demands.

                   Forest impacts - change in forest compositions, shifts geographic range of forest's, forest health and productivity.

                   Water resource impacts - changes in water supply, water quality, increased competition for water, impacts on coastal areas, erosion on beaches, inundate coastal land, cost of defending coastal communities, species in natural areas, shifts in ecological zone, loss in habitat and species.

                   Impacts on coastal areas. Much of the U.S. coast smells of (couldn't understand what I recorded). Sandy beaches have eroded with a one foot rise in sea level in 2000. The protected global sea level rises 20 inches and by 2100 could inundate 5,000 square miles of dry land and drown 15-60% of our coastal wetlands. Blah, there's more but I can't make it out.

                   It says that along much of the US coast levels have risen as much as 10-12 inches in the last century. Sandy beaches have eroded(shit, I can't understand a lot of what I recorded).

                   Cumulative capital cost of defending against a 20 inch rise in sea level would be an estimated 30-40 billion(in 1988)."

                   Okay, I did a really bad job on recording that information. I was rushing and now I can't transcribe it accurately. Just look this stuff up on the web on your own.

     4:45pm  We are about to leave and we saw a Biodiesel pump out here. Let me read the caption.

                   "Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic renewable resources, such as vegetable oil. Biodiesel contains no petroleum. It can be used in diesel engines with no major modifications. It is simple to use, biodegradable, non-toxic and essentially free of sulphur and aromatics. Our Biodiesel is b-100, or neat Biodiesel also known as 100% Biodiesel. Biodiesel averages 47% lower carbon monoxide and 67% lower hydrocarbon emissions. It has 47% lower overall particulate matter emissions. While nitrogen oxide emissions from Biodiesel increase or decrease, depending on engine family and testing procedures, Biodiesel essentially lacks sulphur, which allows the use of nitrogen oxide control technologies that cannot be used on conventional diesel. Biodiesel also has 75% less of the potentially cancer-causing PAH compounds with the exception of benzoenthracine, which is reduced by about 50%."

                   Umm, I got tired of trying to understand what I recorded. So, I did a Google search and found all the information at: http://www.solarliving.org/biodiesel.cfm. Check it out.

                   There's a big mural here that says, "Celebrate Life." Man, I ran out of pictures, though. I've got another camera, but I'm saving that for Berkeley.

                   Lynne told me about some guy they call The Waver. It's this guy who gave all his stuff away and he just stands on the side of the road and waves at people. He's in Reno, I think. Sedona, Lynne corrected me. I'll look it up on the Internet.

                   Cool, I just searched Google for, "the waver sedona," and the first page that popped up was it. http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2005/04/30/98406.php

                   "While most of my illustrations in this series come from science, in this case I want to introduce you to one of Sedona's more unusual residents, a fellow we simply call "The Waver."

                   The Waver first showed up 4 years ago, and he was quite a sight. This is a large guy in his 40s, weighing about 250 lbs., complete with a ragged beard and a colorful assortment of classic clothes from 1970s San Francisco. In other words, picture this very large "hippie" character whose sole activity is walking up and down Main Street Sedona waving at cars. Yes, that's right. A great big cheery wave. Not just every now and then, but thousands of times a day.

                   As a major tourist destination, Sedona had 3 million visitors last year, and most of them came in cars. The Waver has a big job to do, and it certainly isn't as mundane as yours or mine: His single-minded pursuit is to cheer up humankind, one car at a time."

     6:35pm  It's time for a badass update. I am in Sausalito now, which is not over the bay yet. I'm almost to Berkeley, though. Lynne just dropped me off. I gave her a great big hug. I can't believe these heaping helpings of generosity Lynne gave me. She mobilized me. She dropped me off at the bus station and gave me a couple bucks for fare.

                   Okay, I'm waiting for the bus which will take me to El Cerrito. From there I can jump on the BART(Bay Area Rapid Transit). It's a train/subway which will get me to Berkeley.

                   Man, I just failed again. I picked up a snipe and smoked it. I took like three or four drags off it. Umm, I've been smoking for years. You can't expect me to quit cold-turkey. It's not like I started again, I just picked up a snipe. Waste not, want not. I'm not perfect.

                   I wonder how much bus fare is. I only have two bucks. Lemme see if I can get a courtesy ride. Lynne gave me two dollars which isn't enough for fare, so I'm going to try and get a courtesy ride to the BART station so I'll have enough for the train.

                   The dude won't give me a courtesy ride. I'm going to have to ask for change. I need eighty five cents. I have two dollars.

                   Enrique me dio cincuenta centavos para ir en el bus.

                   I had a quarter on me and that guy gave me fifty cents. I've got $2.75. Let's see if the driver will let ten cents slide.

     6:56pm  I'm on the bus now. He let me on ten cents short.

     7:27pm  I just got dropped off at some BART station. I don't know if I am still in San Rafael. I'll get the name of it soon. I'm going to go inside and see if I can sneak in.

                  The dude at the BART wouldn't give me a courtesy ride. I'm going to have to ask around for spare change for the train.

     7:30pm  Jamal gave me fifty cents at the BART station. I appreciate it, brother.

     7:35pm  Whoa, I had a great presentation with Jamal for the fifty cents he gave me. He listened to me. Hey, I gotta give something back.

     7:40pm  Carmen me dio un dolar para el BART. Te lo agradezco, Carmen.

                   Carmen, this Mexican girl gave me a whole dollar. I have enough now.

                   Kickass, I'm going to make Hate Camp pizza at 10pm.

     8:08pm  I'm in Berkeley. Downtown Berkeley already. I'm here at the BART station. I'm going to walk to Telegraph from here. I'm at the corner of Center and Shattuck.

                   I'm over on the UC Berkeley campus. I'm going to walk through the campus to Sproul Hall where they have Hate Camp.

     8:20pm  Shit, it started raining. I gotta stop and take out my poncho.

                    I'm on Telegraph Avenue now. I'm going to smoke a cigarette.

                    I'm going to go to Eid's and see if he'll hook me up with some batteries. Eid's Electronics.

                    His shop closes at 7pm. He's not open. All the lights are on though.

                    Haha, I'm back on Telegraph and a couple people have already recognized me. That's so cool.

     8:47pm  Whoa, they're feeding in People's Park! JC and the Catholic Worker Crew is giving out hot chocolate and some bean and bacon soup.

     8:52pm  Eric recognized me. He says, "Yeah, I see Victor's on Telegraph Avenue again in Berkeley, California. We are all just trying to get by as people, as human beings. I'm wondering why the university is cutting down trees and killing our oxygen."

     9:11pm  I just ran into this lady who I remembered. A Berkeley wingnut by the name of Sunshine. I couldn't believe I remembered her name. Hehe, it's funny. You got your Arcata-Wingnut, Sunflower and there's a Berkeley-Wingnut Sunshine.

                   I'm walking to Hate Camp. It's raining. Good thing I've got my poncho.

                   Dude, I can't believe I'm back in Berkeley!

                   It's pouring in Berkeley. People are getting soaked. It sucks.

                   Man, I need to oil up my boots. They're not waterproof anymore.

                   Yay, it's a big homeless hippie party over here close to Sproul Hall under this covering by some stairs. Since it's raining they don't care that we are out here.

     9:28pm  We've got a little Hate Camp party over here. Ryan loaded up my bowl a couple times and smoked everybody out. That's very generous of you, brother. Thank you.

                   Ahhh, back in Berkeley.

                   Oh yeah, there's this black dude here who thinks he's going to get marijuana legalized. His name is Slim. I'd like to know how he's going to do it.

     9:37pm  I just had a funny conversation with that black dude. I don't know his name. He thinks he's going to legalize marijuana. I asked him, "How are you going to do it?" All he said was, "Can you OD on it?" That's all he kept saying. I asked him again and he kept saying, "Can you OD on it?" I laughed at him and asked him, "Okay, what actions do you plan to take to further your goal?" He wouldn't tell me anything.

                   We've been smoking weed, passing my bowl around. This one dude loaded it up a couple times. This is awesome. Sweet 'ol Berkeley. I'm going to take a picture.

                   Oh man, everybody got mad at me when I took that picture. They were all in my face and everything and said they were going to kick my ass. The black dude told me to give them my camera. I looked him straight in the eye and told him, "Over my dead body." I assured them nothing bad was going to happen. That it was nothing but the truth. I asked them, "What are you ashamed of?" This other dude, Scooter I think his name was, told me, "Hey, I need to be compensated." I dug in my pockets and pulled out that magnifying glass with no handle I had found. Scooter told me, "Okay, give me the magnifying glass and don't take a picture of me without asking."

                   I need to go home.

     11:15pm  I just ran into Sage, who I told my stories to in Arcata.

                     Hehe, after I took that picture they were all bitching and saying I stole their souls.

     11:24pm  Christina just walked up with a pizza! Did I call that, or what? Good 'ol Telegraph. That's awesome. I appreciate it, Christina.

     11:42pm  Tina was nice enough to bring us some bread. Thank you so much, Tina.

     12:17am  Whoa, that was awesome. I just had a badass presentation at this gathering of street people. This Asian girl listened to all my shit. I told her my whole odyssey story and everything. It was cool. I told her how I was keeping track of things and documenting everything, even with a camera. I asked her if she saw anything wrong with that and she said, "No, not at all." I'm going to get her email address. tc3@uclink.berkeley.edu

     12:18am  I'm not really that tired, even though I should be. It's 12:18am. I'm going to suit up and walk down Telegraph. Oh yeah, I saw Elle again. This girl who offered to make me a rainbow beanie and believes in me.

     12:30am  Whoa, I just ran into Patrick. Another person that recognized me from Arcata. He said, "Yeah, I remember you. That time when they were having that peace rally in the plaza and they showed up with the TV cameras and they wouldn't listen to you and were dissin' you."

                      Cool, Patrick was all, "I noticed you walk along the path of light, man. I can see it coming off of you. I can read people, you know."

                      Oh yeah, that Tina girl said she might be able to score me a ride to LA. Then I can call my trucker friend Thorne and see when he'll be coming to the West coast.

     12:48am  I'm going to crash out. It was weird. I thought all these homeless people were just hanging out here for pizza. It turns out that the school lets people crash here when it's raining. How cool of them.

Next day..