shai

Still sober. Nothing else to report...maybe that's good.

Awfully quiet in there then...

Is this the same room as the one we've been using?

Does anyone keep in touch with Hayabusa? That guy was cool, wish he still posted.

When I say don't do it it's because you are doing well with recovery, but I realize it's not that cut and dried. There's ways to get the benefits of psychedelics without taking them...I know it sounds corny but it's true.

I went through the same thing recently, and took a couple trips more out of curiosity than anything else...would I recommend you do the same? If I were going to err on the side of caution, probably not...whatever insights you will gain from psychedelics will occur within the first five or ten experiences, but after that you're just having fun (or not, depending).

Still on the wagon. I did cave in and have a couple of cigarettes a week ago (stress) but none since.

Crashing in dirt is way different...still potentially bad, but your chances of coming out of it in decent shape are better as long as you don't launch yourself head first into a tree. I used to dirt bike a lot when I was a kid...it was semi-rural where I grew up so there were a bunch of olive groves and fields to mess around in (hence the tree reference). There was a dirt jump spot behind a chemical plant but that got built over by the time I was old enough to ride anything with an engine (nine or so).

That sucks...was it a big kangaroo? How badly did it get hurt? At least a kangaroo isn't hopping across the road on its cell phone and saying self-absorbed bullshit like "Well, I didn't see you" thinking it will get them off the hook.

You're right...I meant to say you have to pass a riding test, which if you take the class is more or less guaranteed. It's $250 now? It used to be a $30 weekend class at most community colleges...since he said he doesn't know which end of the bike does what I still think it wouldn't be a bad idea.

In CA you have to pass the Highway Patrol course to get the M class added to your license...it's pretty easy, everyone I know who's taken the test has aced it. You don't need a license for mopeds though.

If your local DMV or CC offers a riding course, take it. It's well worth it. And get leathers. Chicks dig leather.

Very cool...good job on the mix, BTW.

A good place to start would have been keeping his fucking guns locked up...

I changed my mind when I realized it wasn't a very progressive way of looking at things.

I think what was good about 12 oz then has gotten better...I'm glad there's a foundation to work off of but nostalgia is kind of corny, especially when you don't have a point of reference.

My friend was in the apartment the night Fred Hampton got killed. It's a pretty heavy story to hear from someone who experienced it first hand. I don't really care what the government does because I don't recognize it as being the authority that controls my life. When I obey the law it's not because some arbitrary third party said so and I fear the consequences, it's because it works within the framework of what I consider morally correct and logical...outside of that, I do what needs to be done with the understanding that I might have to take responsibility for my actions. When laws are convenient and unobtrusive people seem to love them, but when they start to apply to their actions they'll do just about anything but take responsibility...it's kind of like the old saying, "It stops being funny when it starts being you." Personally I don't really care about security. At best it's a con, at worst it's a nightmare. Despite all evidence to the contrary people still buy into the con..then when they realize there's no money left in their savings and the cops aren't their friends, they start doing weird shit like occupying parks and public spaces because they don't know what else to do.

As long as you don't leave your brain and your conscience at the door, I'm cool with that. Imagine being in the radical community and treating cops and vets like humans with real feelings. It's kind of an interesting litmus test for my peers...if they're really about changing the world and peace and love, who do you think you need to engage with that attitude first? Well, let's just say a lot of people around me have begged to differ right up to the point of calling me names...it's not my problem if they confuse decency with collaboration.

I know what you're talking about and that's not "small L libertarian" in the traditional sense. It's more of a fucked up amalgamation of objectivism, neo-conservatism and later libertarian ideology...since it's kind of late, I don't really want to go into it in super detail mode but when I tell people "I know what you think you mean but I really think you mean this" I feel like they deserve an explanation. I think cops think they're military, at least based on what I've heard them say at times (referring to citizens as "civilians," using the "I'm just following orders" rationale) so I feel like it begs the question as to what their role really is. If they ARE indeed military, then their role has changed considerably from what its original intent was. If not, they sure as hell need to drop the pretense and be more accountable to the communities they serve...and in the process they might find that people will hate them a little less. Some PDs behave as if their role is an occupying force...the rationale is usually "Well, people don't like us" but they seem very short sighted as to why that might be. There are communities that don't like letting first responders in of ANY kind because they view anything with a light bar and siren as bad news, or at least the harbinger of bad news. That sucks because the role of firemen and EMTs has nothing to do with law enforcement...but to some people the three are more or less inextricably associated. I've seen this happen in person, it's crazy shit...people will take a cab to the hospital and/or let their house burn down just so they won't have to talk to the Man.

How can you be the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and still be a civilian?

Muslim fried chicken and ginger ale.

I don't talk to my family about this stuff. For the most part, they don't get it and just want to point fingers and place blame. Funny thing is, they've all had their bouts with what-have-you....I'm not sure how many of them are 12 steppers, since I never bothered to ask. Basically their approach is all wrong, so I just look elsewhere for support when I need it. I'd say that about 80-90% of my friends are in the same category, but overall tend to be a little less judgmental and a little more concerned. They've been around me more when I was at my (relative) worst and know what to expect, what I'm capable of, etc. Right now I'm dealing with someone who isn't taking my need for a break seriously. I've tried to explain to them that I'm making some changes in my life, and that I'm trying to stay away from any kind of drama or triggers. After all that, last night they asked me to come stay at their house because they invited someone over for a booty call and free drugs, and the person got weird and has been stalking them...I told them to tell that person to fade the fuck back or that they'll get shot in the back of the head by the neighbors. Now I'm the bad guy because I wouldn't put myself in a bad situation that they created that benefits me in no way. One good thing is that I can see all these things for what they are...they're signs that I'm probably doing the right thing and that some of my friends aren't pulling their weight.

It's a dog chasing its tail, then smacking its head into a door...THEN chasing its tail some more. Anyway, I was talking about this with someone earlier because there was another school shooting today...he's a substitute teacher here in Oakland, and is understandably freaked out. So we chatted for a bit via email, and here's what I had to say- "Every time there's a mass shooting/murder I say the same thing- "Guns aren't the problem, the problem is the problem...and because you can't or won't confront the problem, don't expect anything to change." "Since there's no one cause and Americans lack the ability to look at situations holistically, here's a thumbnail look at the problem as I see it- it's diet, the mass media, education, consumer culture, pharmaceuticals, unrealistic standards of success in a capitalist system- basically the whole ball of wax...but above all I think the biggest issue is that most people don't see a way out of it, and that eventually wears them out. Some physically, others spiritually/mentally. And since everyone's too busy/burnt out/self-absorbed to listen to someone else's problems, there's no sense of mutual support or community...so you have a nation of people who are isolated and living these unhealthy lifestyles. After a lifetime of that, who wouldn't be a little crazy? "...You can fix some of these problems yourself by opting out of all of the crap that comes with convenience, but even that's become a commodity. Growing up I remember reading about how the future held all of this promise thanks to technology and cooperation- what they don't tell you when you're a kid is that every front has a back, and when they said we would be working less and living longer they didn't mention that we'd be working less because we outsourced all the jobs...and that we'd be living longer, but we'd also be fatter, unhealthier, and more sedentary. I'm not entirely pessimistic, but I also live in a fairly progressive place...and there's millions of people who refuse to listen when you talk about how the US is killing itself. I mean, we can't even admit we were catastrophically wrong about marijuana even though the facts speak for themselves. That sort of says it all to me... "...The other trick is finding a receptive audience before the shit hits the fan. I mean, you'd think people killing each other for no clear cut reason would be enough, right? No, everyone uses the latest tragedy as a soapbox for arguing about guns instead of saying "Jeez, what the hell is going on here?" The same people don't see occupations as taking a stand against what's wrong with society, they see it as a direct threat to a system that works for them, albeit in the short term." I was trying to sum this up over the last few months, and I think he finally kicked it into perspective. He's a great guy...good with kids, but maybe a little too sensitive to really compartmentalize what's going on in the world right now. I hope he's all right, he's one of the good ones.